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rust on swaged rigging

3K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  sailingdog 
#1 ·
SO last year i paid my local rigger to replace all the standing rigging on my C&C 30. ( I noticed a few cracks in the swages, and the rig was at least 12 years old as the PO told me).


It has been just about one year, maybe a month or two more, and I am noticing significant rust around the top of the side stays swage where the wire rope enters the fitting. even the 12+ year old cracked swages didnt look like this! these are the deck level upper and lower stays.


is something wrong here? the riggers bill says he used 316 SS, could he maybe have been mistaken/lied and used 304? or would this happen on either grade of SS?


i am concerned mainly because this rigging is only one year old, and expecting many more years out of it. but at the rate its going it does not look good.
 
#2 ·
I'd talk to your rigger about it. BTW, I generally recommend going with SWAGES for the TOP terminals, and mechanical fittings, specifically Hayn Hi-Mods, for the lower terminals.
 
#8 ·
BTW, the SpotlessStainless.com stuff that gets advertised on this site is pretty good stuff. I wrote a review of it a while back.

Anytime SS has been worked it needs to be re-passivated. In another words just polish it with some good acidic cleaner and don't worry about it. Even the iron from the crimping tool will get passed over to the SS during the crimp.

Not to worry. ;)
 
#10 ·
You'll need to get close up and personal on the rigging to find out just what is rusting and whether it is a problem. I'd be the last one to say someone wasn't trying to cheat...but it is totally possible that your rigger was buying parts from a low-cost bidder, who in turn had no idea they were getting intentionally counterfeit or sub-quality parts from the lowest priced source in China.
So by all means, call the rigger, ask him to come over and take a look, and see what he has to say about it.

There are ways to test for the alloy type, but it may be cheaper to send a piece out for testing, or to have someone else test it, than to DIY:

http://koslow.com/metal_test_kits/1542c.html
At $300+ for a kit, a bit much for one shot.
 
#11 ·
some pictures

upon further inspection its not only in the swage it looks like theres scattered locations on the wire rope itself (though not severe).

again my main concern is this is one year old, and i have wire rope on the life lines that is equally exposed and at least 10 years old and doesnt have even 1/4 as much rust rust as this.

the picture of the wire rope by itself is at about eye level...
 

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#13 ·
so i e-mailed the rigger and sent him those pictures, before he even replied to my email the next day, he went out to the boat himself to have a look.

he said he went aloft and saw nothing like this up at the top of the masthead. and that he beleives it is staining from the wire being processed on the same equipment that had carbon steel run on it.

he also said he ordered about 250 500' rolls of the wire rope from this manufacturer (in korea - he says they are reputable) and has not had this issue on anyone else to date. he also insists everything he uses is 316 SS and that if i do test it and find it to be otherwise to let him know.


i suggested that i will clean/polish the rust off of locations i can see, and see if it returns. and i will monitor the condition and see if it gets worse.


while i obviously would rather not have this happen at all, it is good to have a local rigger who will stand behind his work.
 
#15 ·
Fixxer—

I'd recommend using something like SpotlessStainless.com's product to clean up the wire. It will passivate the stainless and remove the iron rust as well.
 
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