Quote:
Originally Posted by benz
Rope is just another of the options I'm considering, along with SS wire and Galvanised wire, for the rig. Weighing the options, as it were. Though SS wire costs roughly the same as HM rope, there's then the problem of terminals; the swageless ones are expensive, and the splicing of wire, SS or galvanised, is daunting to me. But rope can be spliced with incredible ease, and it can be spliced in the midst of bad weather, without the need of a special vise, and spare rope stores easily, and a spare HM shroud can be set up within hours, anywhere in the world, if necessary. And while I like the precourt deadeyes, those too are terribly expensive, compared to the nice domestic galvanised turnbuckles I can get for $25 at the hardware store. While I'm not rejecting any rig options right now, I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row so I can make the best and most responsible decision.
|
All that makes sense. I'm in a similar position where I should be weighing options perhaps more thoroughly than I have. I'm planning to fundamentally keep the existing gaff rig on the pinky schooner I just got and am also planing to splice the wire for it. The utilitarian galvanized wire and hardware I'm most familiar with seems to make sense for a PacNW cruiser. You raise some good points though that I'm going to give some thought to.
Here's a question: If creeping is the main drawback to cordage in standing rigging what about whipped eyes that could be easily cut apart and redone to shorten the lines? Anyone have destruction test results of whipped eyes in line like this? A splice is stronger but is whipping strong enough to stay within a reasonable safety factor? Or would you just use a finger trap type splice and bury some more tail to shorten?