Galvanised Steel Rigging

bobmay

bobmay

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14 Mar 2007
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I am thinking of buying a motor sailer, but am put off because it has galv steel standing rigging. I know ships used to have steel rigging that had to be white leaded. But how good is it? The owner says it is better than SS because it wont give away quickly. It obviously doesn't look as good. Any advice welcome.
 
Ref. Galvanised rigging:
if it is of the correct size and type (not small dia.filament running rigging) then it could last in excess of thirty years without replacement. It is not subject to Insurer specified intervals of ten years or so replacement.
When new it will last about 4 years before losing its "new" look without maintenance, but after that time it is useful to coat the rigging in something like boiled linseed oil at the end of the season. Nowadays things like Waxoyl can be very good at sealing the rigging and keeping it sound. It should have alloy talurits not copper, and generally it will have galvanised thimbles at each end for shackle attachment. It cannot be swaged as stainless can (non compatible fittings)
Condition is easy to assess, obvious heavy rust. & filaments break if bent over at a sharpish angle. Stainless is not easy to assess visually. New cost is a fraction of that of stainless, but it does not look as "posh" if you have a lot of stainless elsewhere.

Long term probably the most effective economically if you have the type of boat that suits it. Also some good suppliers of it commercially at non marine prices. Note the link on my web site to a company that is very good (go to useful links page) No commercial connection!
John Lilley
 
When I re-rigged my old fishing ketch, galvanised wire was the only thing compatible with the rest of the boat. I took a lesson in splicing and did a lot of practice pieces before doing any splices which were to stay on the boat. I have no faith in swages, as shrouds always break where the exit the swage because of the sudden loss of support. Splices are more flexible and don't suffer from this. The splices were then wormed, parcelled and served because the splicing activity knocks some of the galvanising off the wire. I also soaked the wire (after splicing) with a mixture of stockhom tar and linseed oil. This was mostly to fill the voids in the middle of the wire rope so that salt water could not get in there and rust the wire from the inside.
Peter.
 
Until I read the post further and realised you were talking about galvanised wire, I thought you had a real old-timer with solid standing rigging.

There are lots of traditional concoctions for regularly daubing on wire rigging, but anything with Stockholm tar smells good to me. Some of my rigging must be at least pre-war, possibly the first one!
 
Yes, the difference one word makes. If I do end up buying the boat I will have to look for some Stockholm tar, I have plenty of linseed oil as I do a lot of oil painting. Though I doubt if I will get in Cyprus.
Bob
 
Morning All

I am new to the forum. Own a h-28, ketch (not all were ketch rigged :P), undergoing refit and we are nearly upto the rigging. I intend to put galv back on her. I live in Brisbane, Australia and its quite hard to find anyone down here who will talk galv...they all want to put SS on Erica. That includes the wooden shipwrights.

Any thoughts on why this would be the case? Any contacts for Australians who do it.

Once Ive done a little more research I will ask this august assembly for its thoughts on my plans for components etc.
 
Get 'The Rigger's Apprentice' by Brion Toss, enough info in there for all aplications. Best sources for wire are non marine, with suitable low prices.
A
 
bobmay said:
Yes, the difference one word makes. If I do end up buying the boat I will have to look for some Stockholm tar, I have plenty of linseed oil as I do a lot of oil painting. Though I doubt if I will get in Cyprus.
Bob
Click to expand...

Over here you can get Stockholm tar in sports shops in the horse riding section. It is apparently something which is put on horse's hoofs to stop them contracting some disease or the other.
 
Hi Garth, I think that you're talking to the wrong people. Commercial fishermen who do use a lot of galvaised wire rope get theirs from the crane and lifting industry. That's where I went for my standing rigging. They may even put you on to someone who can teach you how to splice wire rope, People who have never done this throw up their hands in horror at the thought, but when you have been taught, as I was, it isn't that difficult. It would take me an hour to do a Liverpool eyesplice in a 10mm wire rope.
Peter.
 
Peterduck said:
Hi Garth, I think that you're talking to the wrong people.
Peter.
Click to expand...

Peter my thoughts exactly hence coming here. Everyone I speak to, except a good firiend who is helping with me on Erica, will only talk SS. I find its like talking to a cult!

Since my original post, both Guy and I began searching for commercial vessels and I contacted a few lifting places for quotes to supply rope etc so thats all good. I have managed to find a fellow who has been around a bit to teach me splicing. So Peter thanks for the advice...I still dont understand why the aversion to Galv down here though.

What are peoples thoughts on standing rigging? 7x7 or 6x19W
What are peoples thoughts on running rigging? 1x19?
 
As usual, John Lilley has come up with the goods.
My Hillyard came with galv wire rope standing rigging which I was advised to replace with SS. It needed replacement as the boat had been abandoned for several years, but SS would just looked wrong.
I got more than enough 7x7 6mm galv wire rope from a commercial fishing gear maker in Fraserburgh for the price of a pint and made the rigging up myself with enough left over for the forestay of a smack. In the five years since fitting it has been dressed twice using a mix of Stockholm tar, linseed oil and any old paint to help it go off.
Turnbuckles, also galv. are treated with anhydrous lanolin (sheep fat).
The only benefit of SS over galv. is, in my opinion, purely cosmetic.
 
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