Treating galvanized standing rigging - linseed oil?

[orchidius]

Hi there,

So I finally got my hands on the brand spankin' new galvanized stays for the mast. In order to further protect it from the elements, I would like to treat the stays before they go up. The oldtimers would probably call for a proper "worm, parcel and serve", but this is too much hassle.

An alternative I read about is regular varnish (not too sure about that...) or (boiled) linseed oil. I just learned though that boiled linseed oil is not really a boiled version of raw linseed oil, but rather raw linseed oil with curing additives mixed into it.

What process would you guys suggest? What have you used yourself?

Cheers!

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
I've tried so many things, including fish oil, paint,Stockholm tar, boiled linsed oil, varnish, Marvel Mystery Oil, Penetrol, and many more, usually in some combination. Jst about anything is better than nothing, but if I had to do it now, I would probably stick with the recipe in the "Apprentice," for a traditional coating, but would prefer a contemporary industrial coating like Sheen-Free.
Fair Leads,
Brion Toss

[orchidius]

Hey Brion,

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to my question! I got the idea for galvanized rigging from "the apprentice", and have had to refer to it many times since trying to explain to fellow yachties that I've not gone mad choosing for galvanized over shiny SS .

I can't really remember reading anything about a recipe in the apprentice, other than the guide on worm, parcel and serving. Do you know by any chance what chapter/part the recipe can be found in?

Lastly, ever since getting the first quotes on galvanized wire and its terminals, I've been stuck with a question. Even though I was eventually able to source the right galvanized wire construction at a decent price (like you mentioned in the book, about a third of the cost of SS), the fitting of thimbles/crimps/... made the final price of the entire rig only a few 100$ cheaper than the cheapest quote I got for SS with swaged fittings (the guy wouldn't disclose where his wire came from though). It's money saved, but in the scope of the entire restauration not all that much. I stand by my choice for galv wire, but the financial benefit seems to have evaporated along the way a little... Would you still choose galv over SS considering this?

[Brion Toss]

Hi again,
And first, congratulations on finding good galvanized. Care to say where? As for the relative pricing, while the cost of terminals can be leveler, it is likely that in this case the comparison isn't balanced. So if, for instance, the terminals for the galvanized option was needlessly high, and that for the stainless was for low-quality as well as low price, one could get the results you describe. To get an accurate comparison, the same pricing for terminals should apply. Splices are the best terminals for galvanized, as they are the easiest to seal against corrosion, among other virtues.
Next, we don't know anything about the quality of that stainless. Might be execrable.
Next, the largest potential cost savings for galvanized would be in the long run, as it is possible, at least, for it to outlive stainless several times over. Getting back to your original question about preserving wire, this is best done with full-length service, properly maintained. If you don't do this, the longevity advantage is reduced, even with careful maintenance. But at worst, you should get a rig that lasts at least as long as a stainless one.
I still like galvanized, but I suppose that my enthusiasm is a bit qualified these days. Mostly that is because of the difficulty in finding good material. Partly it is because the galvanizing process is very toxic, with old facilities at the heart of a lot of Superfund sites. Both of these issues can be addressed, of course. The hardest part has always been convincing people to choose this material, as you have alluded to. It requires an ongoing commitment in time and skill to receive the full benefits, and most people want boats they can leave parked in the marina until they can escape for some time on the water. The traditional alternative is not a good fit here.
Spectra rigging provides a third alternative, and is getting price competitive, so you might look into that.
For a slush recipe, see pages 276-277 of the "Apprentice."
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[alieen]

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to my question! I got the idea for galvanized rigging from "the apprentice", and have had to refer to it many times since trying to explain to fellow yachties that I've not gone mad choosing for galvanized over shiny SS .

[orchidius]

Hey Brion,

The wire rope was sourced from the same company that supplies the entire Belgian commercial fishing fleet. Not sure if that is of any use to you though

As I noted earlier, the price of the terminals for galv wire was completely out of my control and a bit unsettling... I had a harder time finding a place to terminate the stays than I had finding a supplier for the wire. The company I got the wire from couldn't even terminate it, and it's only 8mm, go figure.