Saggy guard wire

[dalex]

Hello folks,
The guard wires running through the stanchions on my boat have either stretched in use, or in other words, are now too big for the boat...
Is it a simple matter to shorten these? Do I need special tools?
The ends look to be a s/s fitting of some kind, with a flat, just before the eye on the end. Do these simply unscrew so I can chop it shorter and put back together?
I don't want to break anything, so need advice please....
Cheers in anticipation.

 

[William_H]

The guard wires have probably become too long because the stanchions have been bent inward near the midships. So reducing the curve making the wire longer.
If this is the case and it is obvious then you may want to try to bend the stanchions back. If it is however acceptable then you need to shorten the wire. The end fitting of the wire may be swaged on but it sounds a little like a stalock or similar compression type fitting which can indeed be unscrewed the wire shortened and the fitting clamped on.
I am not familiar with these replaceable fittings but sometimes I think you have to replace a cone inside when you redo. This type of fitting is used because the terminal must be fitted on the boat and the swage type need a heavy machine to roll the swage in a workshop.
good luck olewilll

 

[scarlett]

Some say it is because boats shrink when they get wet. You know the thing. The boat is huge when you are anti-fouling but as soon as you put it in the water it goes the size you find is about a metre too short. A sort of reverse Tardis.

My advice is to replace them with new guard wire. They have probably stretched. Many people use them to attach fenders which also strains them. If it is inside plastic it will weaken over the years anyway. On my 9 year old 30 footer 3 years ago it cost 30 Euro for just the tops.

 

[narooma]

If the stanchions have bent , as suggested byWilliamH, perhaps they could be removed from their base and turned through 180.

 

[scarlett]

I straightened a stainless stanchion as follows. I removed it and put it in the socket next to a cabin top winch turned through 180 degrees. Watching the stresses on the base, I gently pulled it back to rights.