Plastic covered stainless guardrail wire.

[Vara]

I hope I know the answer to this question, just want reassurance.

Does the plastic coating add anything to the strength or utility, or is it just an aesthetic add-on.

Answers should be considered, as I have already stripped the plastic off, as it was gungy and sticky, and I don't want to have to buy new wire.

 

[bromleybysea]

plastic covered wire

A few years ago, I sailed on a boat that had plastic covered jack-stays. I gave n a yank and it parted! Inspection revealed that the s/s wire had corroded under the plastic. I would never have it on any boat of mine, either as jack-stays or guard rails. Have plain wire you can see. I can see no advantage in plastic covered wire whatsoever.

 

[boatbuilder]

Absoltely banned on coded boats, you can't see the corrosion untill you hear the splash.

 

[BrianH]

I can see no advantage in plastic covered wire whatsoever.

I remember reading about a crew member who had to be air-lifted off a yacht somewhere off the east coast a few years ago - he had tripped up on deck and sliced his nose off on an uncovered wire lifeline.

 

[jason -and the arguenauts]

Likely the reverse - it reduces the strength because for a given diameter of stanchion hole, you get a smaller diameter of wire going through it.

 

[Strathglass]

I hope I know the answer to this question, just want reassurance.

Does the plastic coating add anything to the strength or utility, or is it just an aesthetic add-on.

Answers should be considered, as I have already stripped the plastic off, as it was gungy and sticky, and I don't want to have to buy new wire.

Plastic covered wire is not allowed for guard rails when racing in the UK.

As has been stated when it does go it is very suddenly as any corosion cannot be seen.

For your size of yacht (34ft) the minimum wire diameter (uncoated) should be 4mm for guardrails and 5mm for jackstays (if they are wire ones)

There should be no problem with having stripped off the plastic if the wire is sound and of adequate diameter.

Iain

 

[maxi]

Plastic covered guard wire

Definitely not popular with surveyors. Plastic hides all sort of nasties.

 

[onenyala]

Plastic covered guard wires

How did you strip the plastic off ?

 

[mhouse]

Keep the wires on the boat and use a sharp carving knife. It wont take long and with them still aattached you will keep your fingers:

 

[rickym]

Had a similar experience with corrosion under the plastic. Coated plastic is dangerous as you cannot see what is underneath until it is too late

 

[Danny Jo]

Likely the reverse - it reduces the strength because for a given diameter of stanchion hole, you get a smaller diameter of wire going through it.

Freestyle is in the process of replacing her plastic-covered upper guard rail. The old one was 5mm wire, 7mm including the plastic coat. I had two quotes for replacing it with 4mm wire, 6mm including the plastic coat but didn't fancy downgrading.

I was going to replace them with 6 mm wire until I realised that the limiting factor is the threaded swage fitting that has to go through the stanchions; and that is sized for a 5mm wire. So my new guardrail will be as strong as the old one, but a 2mm thinner overall.

 

[Evadne]

The plastic is purely aesthetic and a hangover from when they were galvanised and rusted. They do look less industrial than bare s/s wire, though, and I have to say, my plastic covered s/s guard rails are at least 15 years old now and doing fine. The plastic has rubbed off at the stanchion holes but being s/s there are no rust marks. There are no weak points and she's been through at least three (insurance) surveys with them. The main thing is to make sure the ferrules on the eyes are gripping the wire, and not the insulation ....

 

[Vara]

How did you strip the plastic off ?

Ran along the top of the wire with a stanley knife and then just peeled of the plastic, wipe down with oxalic acid solution to remove rust stains which appeared to be superficial.

40 metres stripped and cleaned 15 mins tops.

 

[BrianH]

Ran along the top of the wire with a stanley knife and then just peeled of the plastic

This is how I stripped my worn and faded plastic coating - the s.s. wire underneath was in perfect condition.

I then bought some strips of that white, split, plastic tubing and cut into the right lengths, easily fitting over the wire and leaving enough visible space at the swages - where I would expect any corrosion to start.

Everyone on here says it is c r a p, I expected it to be c r a p, it looks as if it would be c r a p, but in practice it has been surprisingly durable and fixed to the wire. Under hard pressure it will wrinkle up and needs pushing back but in general it stays put and looks good. And, of course, it can be lifted and the wire examined for corrosion. I just can't get the thought of that sliced-off nose out of my mind.