Replacing jackstays

[Miker]

I'm thinking of replacing my wire jackstays with webbing as I am fed up with stumbling over the rolling wire. I'm also thinking of using Wichard folding eye pads (hang the expense!) as I am just as likely to trip up on U bolts. I would welcome advice on what size pad eyes to use, and what breaking strain can occur on jackstays.

 

[allanc]

We used to have webbing jackstays, but had to renew them every two years due to degradation from UV which substantially reduces the fabric strength. OK, so £30 every two years for a safety item isn't too bad, but at what month in the 24 months is it still strong enough - just.
We've reverted to wire, plastic covered, and live with the rolling underfoot.

 

[Guest]

I'm planning to go with webbing as well. I'm going to buy tube tabe that I used to use for rock-climbing slings (it has a shock-load breaking strain of over 2000kg) and replace it at the start of every season. I just attach my jackstays to the alloy toerail with a big shackle. Is that safe?

 

[Miker]

Re: Life of webbing

I was thinking of removing the jackstays while in port. Presumably that would increase the working life to more than two years. BTW, how do you tell when the webbing needs replacing?

 

[Guest]

Re: Life of webbing

It's difficult to tell when to replace it. With climbing tape, if it got cut or chafed, I would make a judgment call, seriously on the side of caution, whether to chuck it _ if cut, chuck it; chafe more than a little bit of bobbling or wisping, chuck it. Undamaged, I would chuck it after five years _ and this is after only a few hours' exposure to UV a couple of times a week. If it was exposed to salt (eg, on sea cliffs), I washed it. If I took a fall on it, it went straight in the bin. I have often thrown out stuff that looked pristine, because its age or loads it had taken had made it impossible to predict whether or not it would fail in future.

I would not risk trying to prolong the life of webbing. For me, taking it in when you're not at sea as a way to make it last longer seems risky: by trying to ration its use and exposure, you just make its life unpredictable. Even taking it in, I would only use it for one season and examine it often, every trip if you remember. If it gets cut, replace it; minor chafe can be prevented from getting worse by wrapping electrical insulating tape around affected parts; chafe that makes the entire width of the tape wispy, or fraying for more than a two or three centimetres down one side, replace it.

When you're climbing, you always come across bits of tape and rope, "tat", left from abseils. It looks faded, but otherwise fine; but nobody who wants to live uses it. I've seen climbers tugging on it and swithering, but I've never seen anybody use it so as not to have to abandon their own stuff. What's the cost of a sling against a life? I know UV is more intense at altitude, but the life of UV-susceptible fabrics exposed to sunlight is unpredictable. On a climbing route, if one part of the system fails, there is usually some sort of back-up and you only fall a bit further. If a jackstay fails in conditions where you feel the need to use jackstays, is somebody going to die?

Climbing materials are now incredibly more advanced than they were when I was pushing the boat out on rock, but the cost of them makes them unrealistic for jackstays, given that they don't last an awful lot longer than the old stuff.

Ask lorry drivers how long their chunky webbing straps last. In my experience, they're replaced every year _ and they never rely on just one.

Stainless wire is obviously a cheaper option taken over the years, but when do you replace it?

 

[Miker]

Re: Life of webbing

Interesting point about the life of wire jackstays. My wire jackstays are six years old and that is one reason why I thought of changing. Also they run right upto the rear of the boat, and it struck me that unless the harness got hooked onto a stanchion rail, anyone overboard would slide along and possibly go under the prop.
I intend to fit new jackstays only upto the cockpit and rely on D bolts when in the cockpit.

 

[Mirelle]

Re: Life of webbing

I am in exactly your position and was thinking the same thoughts, but have now been persuaded, by this thread, to stay with the wire. Besides, the cost of webbing is fearsome - I have been asked for Pds 2.10p per metre in two different chandlers. We have D rings in the cockpit and one under the companiuon hatch which you can clip to when entering or leaving the cabin.

 

[Miker]

Re: Life of webbing

Webbing £2.00 per metre at Jimmy Green. My local chandler/sail maker is quoting £1.00 for 2 ton breaking strain webbing (will that be sufficient?) plus the cost of end stitching. On top it is 4*£16.95 for eye pads (I don't fancy D bolts) and, say, 4*£3 for shackles. Total around £100.

 

[Guest]

Re: Life of webbing

Two tons breaking strain would probably be ok, but it would b best to know both its static and dynamic or shock-load capacities. Material with a static capacity of two tons could fail much sooner if shock-loaded. But we're still probably talking about figures where a person would break before the webbing.

It's much cheaper for me as I'm only looking at 12 metres of webbing

 

[Miker]

Re: Life of webbing

Thanks. Its not the webbing that costs the money but the attachments to secure it.