Sta-lok Are they really that easy?

[Gixer]

I'm replacing my standing rigging and struggling to get a rigger to come down to me without charging what I think in a lot of money. I guess a little 27 foot yacht is not worth their while. The mast is down and the rigging is off, i'm going to take it down to a guy to get replaced.
The forestay will have to be refitted using a Norseman or Sta-Lok fitting due to threading though the furler. On line videos show these to be really easy to fit safely, are they really that easy?
We've only talking a 5mm forestay.

 

[billyfish]

Yes easy

 

[Wansworth]

Follow instructions even I did it

 

[seumask]

I did the Starlock forestay on our 37' and it was easy to follow the instructions

 

[Blueboatman]

Yes

 

[Tradewinds]

Arranging the wires around the split in the wedge can be a PIA sometimes especially on heavier wire. But otherwise fine - I did the entire rig on my ketch last year. Measure twice, cut once .

 

[Minerva]

How did you accurately cut the wire? Hacksaw or Angle grinder?

 

[Wansworth]

Lots o electrical tape around the cut and using a hacksaw

 

[vyv_cox]

Easy in smaller sizes where the wires are thin and easy to bend around the cone. I rerigged a 55 ft ketch many years ago, all shrouds and stays with Sta!-lok. The forestay was 14 mm and proved to be quite a challenge

 

[Poey50]

How did you accurately cut the wire? Hacksaw or Angle grinder?

I made a cutting guide to get a completely square cut. A softwood block with a groove to hold the wire running lengthways with the grain and a saw-cut perpendicular to the groove to guide the hacksaw blade. Avoid a grinder as it hardens the wire making a square cut unlikely.

 

[MikeBz]

I fitted the Sta-Lok to a new forestay on our 32-footer - very easy. The wire needs a clean cut - luckily I was loaned some professional quality cutters by a rigger.

 

[srm]

I have re-rigged two of my own boats and one new build for a friend with Norseman or Stalock. No problems and quite a few thousand miles of hard usage to confirm they work. My rigging was all with 7 or 8mm 1x19. Have also used these terminals on flexible wire, they just use a different cone.
Nothing to worry about other than getting the wire length right. Go for it, it gets easier with practice.

 

[Kelpie]

The first time I re-rigged a boat, it was a similar size to the OP. I ended up buying two forestays because I hadn't realised it was 6mm, whereas everything else was 5mm. Oops! I would say, lesson learned, except last year I re-rigged my current boat with 8mm all round, and then found the forestay was 10mm.

 

[ctva]

Dead easy, I did it on a 34 Jeanneau. This is a really good video that I used to learn how to.

As to the forestay specifically, there is a trick for threading through the furler foil which I will dig out out my pm's.

Angle grinder, nicer cleaner cut. And quicker.

 

[Refueler]

How did you accurately cut the wire? Hacksaw or Angle grinder?

The old 'correct' way to cut wire if you don't have the 'riggers hydraulic cutter' (stranded and single) was a sharp edged axe head and mallet. The cut to be in one hard whack on a hard surface such as anvil or similar. But it must be a SINGLE stroke cut ..
Why ? By using a saw - you tend to spread the strands and open up the lay. This may not be a bad thing with a Sta-Lok - but not if you are going to embed with Swage / Talurit etc. where you need end still laid up and clean.

I have a piece of H metal beam in the barn and a sharp edge that I use for various 'wire' items around my place ... place wire on ... place sharp edge at mark - BHAM ... job done.

 

[srm]

Never had a problem with fine tooth hacksaw blades and a vice mounted on a board to hold everything steady, but then I usually bound the wire tight with pvc (insulation) tape and cut through the tape.

A colleague instructing EDH courses used a big hammer, sharp cold chisel and steel block, but those guys were learning hand splices.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The old 'correct' way to cut wire if you don't have the 'riggers hydraulic cutter' (stranded and single) was a sharp edged axe head and mallet. The cut to be in one hard whack on a hard surface such as anvil or similar. But it must be a SINGLE stroke cut ..
Why ? By using a saw - you tend to spread the strands and open up the lay. This may not be a bad thing with a Sta-Lok - but not if you are going to embed with Swage / Talurit etc. where you need end still laid up and clean.

I have a piece of H metal beam in the barn and a sharp edge that I use for various 'wire' items around my place ... place wire on ... place sharp edge at mark - BHAM ... job done.

I guess something like this CACT-CO A-1 CARTRIDGE ACTUATED CABLE CUTTER OPEN FRAME W/ Case & Cardtridges. | eBay would be ideal?

 

[lustyd]

They are very easy to install. Less easy to uninstall and re-use, at least in a Furlex furler where it's built in. Wouldn't hesitate to use them again if I couldn't get swages done.

 

[Dipper]

I had a new mast supplied by Z Spars for my 26ft fractionally rigged yacht. It came with overlength 6mm standing rigging with Sta-Lok terminals that I had to fit myself. I had to do it all on the first day of the club lift in. After the morning lift, my mast was stepped by the crane using the running rigging. With the mast up, I could work out the length of wires I needed and fitted all the terminals (5) in the afternoon so that my boat could be lifted in the following morning. To cut the wires I wrapped them very tightly with insulation tape at the cutting point then used a Junior hacksaw with new blades. So in answer to the OP's question, easy for anyone with basic DIY skills.

 

[srm]

With the mast up, I could work out the length of wires I needed and fitted all the terminals.

As far as I am aware that is the usual method to ensure that the wires are the correct length.