Wires break. Usually it is an indication of some rigging problem, not the
materials used. 1-19 stainless wire is fine, and the reason it predominates
in rigging. For example: rigging is designed for loads two and a half to
four times the expected. Breaking of one wire, 5% of the ultimate load
bearing, is of little consequence. Half broken probably won't loose the rig
in moderate sailing.

I have found broken wires, usually one to three, and determined the cause
always to be an improper swage or more common, lack of universal action at
each end of the cable at the attachment points. There should be a double
shackle or two-way freedom at each attachment point of the cable to allow
movement through all axes. This is particularly true for the cable
supporting the roller furling. With the weight of sail furled, the rig does
a lot of swinging through 360-particularly motoring in swells. If it is
restrained by not having universal action at both ends, the cable will
attempt to swivel or bend at the point where the cable goes into the swaged
fitting. Check the lead of the chainplate or tangs. There should be no
angular difference between these and the cable swaged fitting.

Further, I discovered that if the cable is not cut square, with all
wire-ends of equal length, when inserted into the terminal fitting for
swaging, longer wires can bottom out and thus be unloaded while the shorter
wires will carry all the loads.

Finally, replacement wire cables are generally easy to replace worldwide.
And a person can do their own repairs with the Norseman or like kits. Not
true with rod.

Tom

MOONSHADOW

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Received on Sat Jul 22 10:22:16 2006