Dbl Jaw SS and "T" Bolt strap Toggles

[Douglas]

Do these type toggles, have many failures ? What could be the average lifespan in Tropical salt water ?

If most surveyors reccommend changing out your SS rigging and structural fittings after 10 years, that are used in Tropical salt water, this includes SS chainplates, would this mean that the toggles would have to be replaced, too ?

If you changed these SS toggles, to the Merriman bronze eye to jaw toggle, would you have to replace them at the same intervel ?

What is the lifespan of bronze turnbuckles as compared to SS turnbuckles ?

Can you , fabricate your own Dbl Jaw and "T" Bolt toggles, out of say, silicone bronze plate stock ?


Douglas

[benz]

Hi Douglas,

It is my understanding that Bronze is far more long-lasting than Stainless, and an imminent failure is easier to detect, since there is no crevice corrosion concern. The bronze turnbuckles on my first boat are 40 years old and still taking pretty stiff weather in Down east Maine with her current owner.
With the right tools and ingenuity, there's probably no limit to what you can fab out of bronze plate--it's more limited to your ability than the bronze. I made all my chainplates and many fittings out of bronze plate and rod stock, and even figured out how to torch weld 3/8" plate, though I wouldn't use that for a high-load application. It's been fun, and it'll even be rewarding if I ever get to sea and my whole boat doesn't fall apart.
Time will tell....