Sand, galvanised forestays and sail hanks.

[Vtlli]

Hi to the community of riggers
As a new member here let me introduce myself. At current time I finishing to build 35ft steel gaff cutter which took for me eight years. Now I started works with rig. As a traditional boat I went for galvanised wire. I have to say big thanks to the book of Brion Toss, because it is leading me through whole process from choosing wire, splicing till tarring.
Anyway I have one unclear question about forestays. Recently I've got msg over FB from fellow boatbuilder who cruising now in Caribbeans. He says his galv forestays rusts very quickly down there due to wind filled with the very fine sand. And it sounds logical for me when sand or dust from land traps between stay and sail hanks and grinds off zinc from wire like sandpaper/oilstone. So I'm a bit puzzled now. How it possible to prepare forestays for (at least) twenty years life? I like the idea of extended life of galv rigging and do not want to go for ss forestays as it was advised at another forum.

Vitaliy