Rigging Matters

We can read that two ways but the fact is our masts are held in place with a whole range of stays and related fittings,when did you last look at yours with more than a passing glance?

A nice sized toggle to the lower end of a rigging screw.

The same toggle on a rigging screw that has a Noresman terminal,those studs and terminal ends are worth their weight in gold when we need to do changes on the boat when at sea.

A swaged stud end,it can also be supplied as a fork end,depending on the application.These ends can only be swaged by a rigger with a swage machine.You can of course remove your existing wire stays one or two at a time and take them to a rigger for replacement.Be sure to replace the stay removed with a secure halyard while the rigging stay is removed.

Cast bronze toggles made by Lewmar,very nice too,some rigging screw bodies have a bronze with chrome plating,they can look like stainless.They are better when a stainless stud or fork end screws into it,the two metals tend not to seize,while stainless on stainless does.

A closed body rigging screw,very strong and easy to clean,there is little choice between the two,excepting we can not see whats going on inside this type.

Open body screws,these are chrome on bronze and made by Noresman,very nice quality.

Cleaning stainless rigging is painless and easy to do,dismantle the parts,degrease with water soluable cleaner,then place the parts in a bath of Oxalic Acid fluid.Oxalic Acid can be bought from any decent painters store.It comes in a dry powder,mix a cup full to about three liters of hot water,then when the powder has disolved,place the parts (this can include the 316 stainless wire also) into the mix and leave untill its clean.

Note,if the parts have been chromed,the acid will remove the chrome,so be sure to check before you  start.A re chrome job is not expensive though and does make your rigging screws look new again.

Inspect all parts before you repalce the parts and screws using a lubricant such as Fluid Film or Tef-Gel,we can supply you with either.

R McB