shroud guard tubing

srp

srp

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I'm just about to make up a load of new standing rigging for my Corribee, but stupidly forgot to buy some new white plastic shroud guard tubes to slide on before I crimp the thimbles up. I'm now nowhere near a rigging supplier, and I need 6 x 1.5m metre lengths of this tube - thin-walled and around 8mm id. So far I've tried plumbers merchants, pvc window suppliers and electrical factors without success. Anyone got any suggestions as to where I can get something suitable without having to drive back to the coast?
 
Hi I use 3/4'' wc overflow
Benifits
UV resistant
Fireproof
Loose fit, allows tube to be slid up to inspect rigging, loose fit doesn't encourage dirt or moisture to stay in contact with rigging.
Comes in 3m lengths
Cheap
Mine has been on 3 years and shows no sign of hardening or dirtying
Keith
 
You can use spiral cable wrap (electrical suppliers). Plastic strip in the form of a spiral. The tubing is nylon pneumatic pressure tubing from an engineers merchants.
Don't think I'd bother myself though.
 
You can buy split tubing for the purpose that fits on existing rigging. Comes in 2m lengths and various diameters and is available from chandlers I forget where I got mine but I would expect Seateach in Emsworth to have it.

It might be worth getting one size oversize but mine fits exactly.

Don't use spiral cable wrap as in only lasts about a year in the sun (Unless you can find some that's UV resistant.) Doesn't look so nice either. Mine looks as though the bottom 2 metres of the shrouds are plastic coated and has been on there for probably 20 years with no sign of deterioration.

Not exactly answering your question but you can do the rigging and fit this stuff at your leisure later.
 
Maybe ignoring is the answer (as previous entry) unless you're in the habit of close tacking a big genny twice a minute. We never had pipes on ours and did not notice any undue sailwear.
 
As various others have suggested, you may wish to consider what these covers are doing for you. My thinking is that salty water runs down the shrouds and inevitably inside the plastic covers. As soon as the weather improves the water will evaporate, leaving its salt behind. Next time the rain or spray appear, the same thing happens. Over time, the salt content at, and probably inside, the swaged end fittings will steadily increase. The possibility of stress-corrosion therefore increases year on year.

Coupled with that, whenever I had these covers in the past, a horrible mess of constantly wet gunge was always beneath them, apparently consisting of salt, dust and marine organisms. It seems to me that this cannot be beneficial to the wire and fittings.

For years now all I have is a bit of electrical tape around the split pins to prevent damage to sails and skin. Nothing else is necessary. I do have a cover on the baby stay to avoid the genoa hanging on it when tacking, but that's all.
 
Re: shroud guard tubing - a cunning plan

The shrouds I'm replacing obviously had them on, and they would slide down over the (slightly tapered) swaged terminals forming a perfect seal so water would collect in the tubes and sit there. I've bought some plastic balls that will sit on top of my new crimped terminals (the sort used to tie on the end of shock cord, with a counterbored hole through the middle), so that will allow water to drain out of them. Any good do you reckon?
 
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