Cracks in swage fittings

A survey done by the previous owner noted cracks in the cap shroud swage fittings. The insurance company wants me to replace those shrouds before they will insure the boat for navigation. I think the surveyor indicated the wrong shrouds. The intermediate shrouds have cracks, but I can't find any cracks in the cap shroud fittings. I have attached a couple of pics. It's kind of hard to see, but the red circle shows a very small half inch crack in the intermediate shroud fitting; the cap shroud is right next to it in the same pic. The other two pics are the lower shroud fittings, and the only thing I can see are some marks around the circumference of the swage barrel. Are those cracks? They look more like tool marks than cracks, since there is no apparent separation in the metal.

Why not replace them all? The amount of rust on that wire does not look good and your surveyor should have suggested a complete refit. Get rid of the wire covers. They only trap in moisture and salt which leads to premature failure.

As for your question, yes, those are tool marks. But be aware that you cannot always see cracks with the naked eye.

You say this was a survey by the previous owner. What did your surveyor say?

I looked at the fittings with a 10x pocket microscope and couldn't see any cracks in the lowers or the cap shrouds.

Forgot to ask if anyone has ever had rigging made up by Rigging Only:

http://www.riggingonly.com/index.htm

I spoke with them on Friday and they seemed very nice and knowledgeable. Their prices seem to be very good, too.

A good rule of thumb for rigging aged beyond a decade is to replace all when you find a meathook or a crack in a swage. All that visible corrosion is also a bad sign, too.

Loren

mherrcat said:

I looked at the fittings with a 10x pocket microscope and couldn't see any cracks in the lowers or the cap shrouds.

Forgot to ask if anyone has ever had rigging made up by Rigging Only:

http://www.riggingonly.com/index.htm

I spoke with them on Friday and they seemed very nice and knowledgeable. Their prices seem to be very good, too.

Click to expand...

Even with that pocket microscope, you could still not see cracks. That is why good surveyors and riggers will use a blue dye to see the cracks better.

I have heard good things about riggingonly and they were very nice on the phone when I spoke to them once but I use a local rigger for all my work. I am currently replacing all standing rigging except the head stay. I know the previous owner did not do any rigging work and he owned the boat for 8 years. All of it inspected good but I am replacing anyway. The headstay was replaced with a new Furlex furler last year.

Rigging Only has a very good rep here. I almost used them since they are fairly local to me but decided to use the rigger just across the harbor instead.

Replace the standing rigging if you have any concerns. Its cheap insurance compared to loosing a rig.

RT

Time to replace it ALL

Like has already been said, it is time to replace it all.

All of the standing rigging is the same age. The crack shows most likely an expansion due to corrosion inside the swage. (Yes it could have been a bad swage to start out with, but that does not change the argument at all). The same corrosion is happening inside all of the swages. To replace only those that show visable signs of compromise, (Your photos show other visual signs of severe comprimise by the way), would only be waiting for the mast to go by the boards to confirm the facts that we already knew.

Guy

Rigging Only is a fine operation but they are not on your coast. Best bet is to use a reputable rigging shop in your area as correct measurement is critical. I'm sure there are folks on this board who could suggest someone in your locale. Standing rigging, like sails, IMHO, is not something you buy mailorder or over the internet.

Replace them all

The guys at Rigging Only have been good to me. I have used them for standing and running stuff as well as some hardware. Seem like knowledgeable folks. If they are coming to a show in your area soon you might be able to save shipping costs by asking them to bring your new stuff with them.

So, if anyone knows a good rigger in the Ventura/Oxnard, California vicinity...

Anyone????