[Public-list] Bronze turnbuckles - inspection/failure

[Michael Connolly]

Thanks all for the responses,
Kinda what I thought.  The rig is stout enough as designed, even though it may be 38 years old.  It is more a matter of using your head and doing routine inspections and maintenance.  Good to know about the weakness in the spreaders.  My are oak wood and appear fine, no cracks or damage to the sockets either.
 
I was surprised to learn that most in the Chesapeake Bay Area leave their masts stepped year round.  It is common practice around the Great Lakes to unstep the mast during storage on the hard for the winter.  Great advantage of this is that one gets the opportunity to inspect the rig and make needed repairs on a yearly basis.
 
BTW, I thought Boesheild  sp? was a corrosion preventative not a lubricant?
 
Michael