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Don:
I am a welder of only modest experience, but have a TIG machine and can address your issue. TIG rod is bright and uncoated and commonly would come in one pound tubes of 3' (?) pieces. The salesman you worked with was either very inexperienced, lazy, or dishonest.

Common sizes that might be of interest to you are 1/16", 3/32", and 1/8". A tube of 3/32" will have maybe 15 pieces, only 8 in the 1/8" size. TIG rod comes in various alloys, most commonly 304 and 316, but also 308, 309, an many others. You should specify 316 for most boating applications.

I have used it for one piece turnbuckle cotters and it works fine. My preferred solution for turnbuckles, though, is a cotter (not bent) hand-stitched to a piece of bisexual velcro, which can be quickly removed and installed.and won;t snag sheets. The two-sided velcro only lasts for a year or two in the sun, though.
Craig