Galvanized Life And Maintenance

[atavist]

I was just wondering what kind of maintenance routine some of the members with a galvanized rig have?

After installing it how long, on your routine, did you get before it started bleeding/rusting enough to mark decks?

cheers,

J

[redbopeep]

Hey there, looking at that rigging project huh?

The boats that I know of with galvanized rigging have it served with synthetic marlin. After serving, they paint the serving with a mixture of paint/terp/linseed oil every 6 months to 1 year. With such serving and maintenance, a rig can last safely for half a decade and your sails won't be stained because this mixture is more like paint than oil. However, the whole thing is not really suitable to the boat that you have. Suggest that you stick with stainless steel in that it is in keeping with your boat.

If you don't serve the rig, you'll still have to lube it up with a linseed oil (or other oil) mixture every 3 to 6 months and it will stain your sails if they rub the shrouds and you'll eventually end up with a bit of rust because the rig is not protected with serving...and it might only last the same 10 years that a stainless steel rig would last.

[MMNETSEA]

Just to add to Brenda's recommendation :-

J, I seem to remember that you had a furling system on the forestay, if you go for galvanised wire and you want to retain the furling gear then you will have to replace the present S/S 3/8" forestay also with S/S 3/8' wire.

The other issue to consider is the different combinations of galvanized wire available and trying in find appropriate terminals for each stay and shroud will be a hastle - not to forget turnbuckles and tangs that will match the mast and chain plates. Talking about chain plates. before you do anything else check these thoroughly - especially where they come through the deck - I remember seeing bad plate corrosion on a Pearson during a survey course I attended in New England.

[atavist]

Yeah I figure one day I'll build a boat, something very traditional and I'll rig that with galvanized... but for my pearson I agree it would be too much of a project to switch to galvanized... chainplates, tangs, all would make fora very big project... as I replace th erigging I'll pull the chainplates which are mostly pretty accessible and give them a good inspection...

just to keep the thread going, One treatment I read about from and old naval manual said to use a mixture of 50% burnt engine oil and 50% diesel to rub down the rigging every 3 months and to each stay every year and pass it through a bath of the same mixture.

[Brent Swain]

They last ten years or more here with no coating . Coated with epoxy they can last much longer than stainless safe working life.

[Brent Swain]

The bottom ends, under the thimbles, are a bad spot for rust. Best just give the ends a vinegar, then water rinse to get the oxide off, dry them, and dip them in epoxy. The same rinse works well for the rest of your galvanized gear.
After crossing the Pacific, my rigging was caked with salt for the first 15 feet above the waterline, an area you can mostly reach with a paint brush from deck, from time to time. Above that it was OK. The mast head sees very little corrosion, given it experiences mostly, fresh water only.

[Macka17]

Originally Posted by atavist

I was just wondering what kind of maintenance routine some of the members with a galvanized rig have?

After installing it how long, on your routine, did you get before it started bleeding/rusting enough to mark decks?

cheers,

J

Hey. I'm old enuff to have sailed with Galv and rope rigging Also a dabhand at Caulking 50 ft Fishing boats in the early '50's.
I had 2 x sailing boats with galv, 20ft then 30ft. We used to take boats out in Winter back in N.E UK because of ice and weather. I used to roll and soak rigging wires in a drum of oil off season. Then hang them to drain out a coupla weeks b4 rerigging. Stretching them between 2 points and using a small ratchet winch.
They had a hemp core in those days and that kept rust at bay for a loong while. Prividing you sent one of the kids up the stick occasionally and poured some oil down them from Mastcap and spreaders. Thank god for Stainless we all sighed.
You lot don't even realise how good you got it. We had Planks. Cotton. Putty Linseed to keep water out. With originally dowels then nails/screws. Timber sticks with rope or Galv and Cotton sails.

PS. Galv rig. She an OOOld girl. a coupla extra Stains on/in deck both improves looks. and helps preserve the timber. Don't knock it.
I'd much rather look/own an old girl that's been around. Well Maintained and showing it. Thay some toy that sits on a mooring Paint stripped. Polished and Varnished and looking like somebody's toy to take out on Sundays. Sorry.
I'm old school sailor.

[Brent Swain]

Originally Posted by MMNETSEA

Just to add to Brenda's recommendation :-

J, I seem to remember that you had a furling system on the forestay, if you go for galvanised wire and you want to retain the furling gear then you will have to replace the present S/S 3/8" forestay also with S/S 3/8' wire.

The other issue to consider is the different combinations of galvanized wire available and trying in find appropriate terminals for each stay and shroud will be a hastle - not to forget turnbuckles and tangs that will match the mast and chain plates. Talking about chain plates. before you do anything else check these thoroughly - especially where they come through the deck - I remember seeing bad plate corrosion on a Pearson during a survey course I attended in New England.

I have found matching glav rigging with galv turnbuckles and chainplates zero problem. Industrial supplies will put an industrially rated eye in the ends, for cheap. Poured sockets, the kind shown in my book, are quick and easy to weld up.
The bigger the strands, the better the galv sticks, and the longer it lasts.
That's why I prefer high tensile sch 180 1x7, galv, f0r my rigging wire. Make sure you use only the springy high tensile stuff , not the easy to bend, low tensile soft stuff, which has 1/3rd the tensiie strength. My current galv rig has been there since the early 90s, and has done 4 Pacific crossings, with no sign of needing replacement. My whole rig cost me $23 for the wire , and $25 each, for the 5/8th turnbuckles.
I coated it with epoxy tar, then wrapped it in hockey tape, then more epoxy tar.
My galv 1/4 inch 7x19 halyards were put on in Tonga in 2003 ,and are still going strong. A friend, who used stainless , only got 3 years out of his, before they needed replacing, due to broken strands. Structurally, galv is far, far more reliable.