Stainless eye bolt failure

[pugwash60]

Inconveniently I lost my mast mid Atlantic, it was an eye bolt failure on the Port Lower. I’d noticed, post failure, a skim of rust on the surface of the nut below deck and had expected to see crevice corrosion on the fitting which failed mid way through the deck. The fittings are probably all original and are about 16mm diameter and from 1982.
Looking at it now it looks like it just failed with no corrosion.
What does the jury think; am I missing something on cause of failure? Should these things be Replaced every few years or was it just unlucky. I don’t see any manufacturing fault.
Hopefully picture attached.

 

[penfold]

Can't see a picture?

 

[Neeves]

Insurance companies seem to demand that rigging, all of it, is replaced every 7 years.

Your rigging or parts of it, were or are, 40 years old.

I suspect much rigging would last, or does last, longer, and much longer than 7 years. I don't know of what basis insurance companies devise their 7 year figure but you were lucky it lasted 40 years and unlucky it failed crossing the Atlantic.

I must admit I would have been very twitchy on a yacht crossing the Atlantic with 40 year old rigging and I assume you have an uninsured yacht - or you would be well aware of the demands of the insurance companies.

Jonathan

 

[vyv_cox]

Two posts of this topic. The other, to which I commented, includes the photo.