[Public-List] Check that standing rigging-- especially this kind of terminal

[Randy Katz via Public-List]

Greetings, All,

Besides the painting upgrade, I was able to meet up with Don Yager of Yager
Sails  (in Spokane, WA. at http://www.yagersails.com/). He makes occasional
trips to Bellingham where we keep the boat, this time to deliver a new sail
to a customer there. He generously offered to take a look at my Profurl set
up to advise re: the life expectancy of the forestay.

The forestay's good for a few more years, but he pointed out one thing that
I was REALLY glad to hear about-- this is especially relevant to some of us
with older boats. (Well, I guess that's ALL of us, eh?)

While the lower ends of all the rigging had a variation of a Norseman
mechanical compression fitting, the upper ends nearly all consist of wire
wrapped around a SS thimble and crimped with Nico-press types of fitting.
Don declared these to be no-no's and dangerous, to replace right away. This
thought was seconded by Pete, the rigging expert at Fishery Supply in
Seattle. Raised eyebrows all around!

So, we're dropping the mast tomorrow in order to remove all that stuff and
replace it with wire from Fisheries Supply. Chinese-made wire is,
apparently, to be completely avoided. US-made is best, though it can be
hard to find. (I checked with a dozen places in western WA and found one or
two sources: West Marine-- expensive-- and NW Rigging in Anacortes at about
half the price. Let me know if you'd like a copy of my notes about this. Or
photos of the fittings.)

We're going with Fishery Supplies Korean wire made by KOS but stranded
together in the US. A good reputation, supposedly.

You may want to check you own rigging to be sure you don't have those
crimped terminals. (The rigging is not original; it spent some years in
Portland, OR. before I bought it in 2000.)

This puts the sailing trip back another week, but heck, I'm glad to know of
it. I can only imagine how lucky we've been, having sailed through all
kinds of weather with those fittings over the last dozen years!

Best Regards,

Randy Katz
#249 Simple Gifts
Bellingham/Seattle