Life Line Replacement

Jun 21, 2004
2,532
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
My life lines are 13 years old and showing signs of corrosion at the interface of the wire and terminals. Has anyone replaced theirs recently who can recommend a reputable rigging company? I want to replace terminal studs and toggles and of course, the wire. Plan to reuse pelican hooks & turnbuckles. I want the terminal and toggles swaged with a rotary machine.
 
Feb 8, 2017
107
MacGregor MacGregor 25 Middle River
I replaced mine a few years ago. I got a quote from the local West Marine rigging shop and a couple of other places locally (Baltimore) but decided they were all more than I wanted to pay. Don't know if they still do this, but West Marine had all the tools, and of course parts, that you need and I made them all myself up right there in the store, and IMHO they look great. You just have to take careful measurements. Since I was replacing everything (30 years old), didn't ask if I could use my own parts. Good luck!
 
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Jan 11, 2014
11,319
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Try Rigging Only in New Bedford, MA. Good work, reasonable prices, quick turn around. You'll send them your life lines and they will match them and send the old and new ones back. Mine are going there this fall or next spring.

If the wires are coated, look for corrosion beneath the vinyl coating near stanchions. The vinyl cracks, salt water gets under the vinyl and the wire corrodes out of sight and out of mind.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Good idea BigEasy...It might help to keep you on the boat in an emergency... Nothing like keeping good sailors aboard their boat.

Did mine 3 years ago.. WM offered to do SS316 all new fittings. 2 gates that I elected to make the gates with Dyneema using the Johnson pelican hook designed for Dyneema. Job completed in 1 week. Think WM has sites (maybe 6) with the equipment. Seattle was one.

So far very pleased.

For those interested, the gate was easy. A brummel lock splice with a long bury. The gate ends up double thickness. Easy to grab yet supple to fall rather than trying to semi bend SS wire somewhere in or near the cockpit.
 
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Mar 20, 2011
623
Hunter 31_83-87 New Orleans
Big Easy, there are several rigging shops in the Houston (Styx n Rigging or Hayes Rigging or All Points Rigging) and also West Marine, Kemah has a full blown rigging shop. They can provide quotes given the measurements. Also may want to try Benz with North Sails in Metairie. I think he is doing rigging work.
 
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JRacer

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Aug 9, 2011
1,331
Beneteau 310 Cheney KS (Wichita)
Big Easy, there are several rigging shops in the Houston (Styx n Rigging or Hayes Rigging or All Points Rigging) and also West Marine, Kemah has a full blown rigging shop. They can provide quotes given the measurements. Also may want to try Benz with North Sails in Metairie. I think he is doing rigging work.
I sent mine, complete - all lines and parts - to Stix N Rig'n and told them to match them and to reuse any of the parts that were serviceable. Happy with their cost and turnaround. Gave me a quote before they proceeded with the work.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Good idea BigEasy...It might help to keep you on the boat in an emergency... Nothing like keeping good sailors aboard their boat.

Did mine 3 years ago.. WM offered to do SS316 all new fittings. 2 gates that I elected to make the gates with Dyneema using the Johnson pelican hook designed for Dyneema. Job completed in 1 week. Think WM has sites (maybe 6) with the equipment. Seattle was one.

So far very pleased.

For those interested, the gate was easy. A brummel lock splice with a long bury. The gate ends up double thickness. Easy to grab yet supple to fall rather than trying to semi bend SS wire somewhere in or near the cockpit.
A great idea using dyneema for the gate! Splicing note, if you use a brummel lock in the slice, there is no need for a long bury. The Brummel carries 100% of the load before it gets to the bury, which with older splices needed to be long for constriction locking.
 
Jun 21, 2004
2,532
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
Thanks for all your recommendations. Will prepare specs and forward to all of the vendors for quotes. Plan to ultimately send the old lifelines for duplication.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
You are correct Jackdaw. The Long bury from each side just makes the thickness of the dyneema look and feel better as I move up the side deck. It also hides the end of the dyneema. It does not melt very easily.
 

Blitz

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Jul 10, 2007
672
Seidelmann 34 Atlantic Highlands, NJ
I had Defender do mine. Sent them the old ones (Defender rigging is in Florida) with any notes on adjustment of length and they sent me back new ones. No problem. They walked through the process. Very satisfied
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
You are correct Jackdaw. The Long bury from each side just makes the thickness of the dyneema look and feel better as I move up the side deck. It also hides the end of the dyneema. It does not melt very easily.
OK cool re the look. But ‘hides the end’? Will not any length bury do that?
 
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dmax

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Jul 29, 2018
969
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
I just had Defender do mine as well - good quality and price.
 
Dec 23, 2016
191
Catalina 27 Clinton CT
I had Defender to mine as well. A third of the price of the price the local rigger qouted
 
Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
Just replaced lifelines with 3/16" diameter bare Suncor lifelines. High quality, cost effective, easy to install, fully maintainable and the closed turnbuckles mitigate corrosion. The link below shows how to install them.

 
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Apr 22, 2011
865
Hunter 27 Pecan Grove, Oriental, NC
A great idea using dyneema for the gate! Splicing note, if you use a brummel lock in the slice, there is no need for a long bury. The Brummel carries 100% of the load before it gets to the bury, which with older splices needed to be long for constriction locking.
Practical Sailor claims that the Brummel lock carries most of the strain on a lightly loaded line, but when fully loaded the bury carries most of the load. https://www.practical-sailor.com/is...plice-Failure-Linked-to-Fatality_12514-1.html. I can imagine that the strain on a lifeline if a person is thrown against it might exceed the holding strength of a Brummel lock with a very short tail bury.
 
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Nov 6, 2006
9,884
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Dyneema is not a good option on the gulf coast because our boats do not ever get out of the sun.(no off season and the UV exposure is really high). . the chafe and UV effects on the fiber lifelines is not acceptable here unless you are racing competitively, or just want to spend a lot of boat bucks..
 
Jun 21, 2004
2,532
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
I really like the idea of the Suncor quick attach mechanical swedged fittings; however, the Initial cost is fairly expensive. The cost is effective over a long period of time as the mechanical fasteners can be reused with only replacing the interior fitment that retains the wire. To redo my lifelines, without replacing turnbuckles and pelican hooks, the cost would be over $800 with my labor.
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,399
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
...Splicing note, if you use a brummel lock in the slice, there is no need for a long bury. The Brummel carries 100% of the load before it gets to the bury, which with older splices needed to be long for constriction locking.
This is a common but dangerous misunderstanding. The brummel stabilizes the splice at low load, and like extensive lock stitching, allows for a reduced bury length (about 30-40:1 instead of 70:1, based on testing), but alone it is much weaker than a bury splice, about on a par with a knot (not surprising if you look at the structure). A more correct statement is that a brummel can carry 20-40% of the load before the bury.
 
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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
This is a common but dangerous misunderstanding. The brummel stabilizes the splice at low load, and like extensive lock stitching, allows for a reduced bury length (about 30-40:1 instead of 70:1, based on testing), but alone it is much weaker than a bury splice, about on a par with a knot (not surprising if you look at the structure). A more correct statement is that a brummel can carry 20-40% of the load before the bury.
Good to know. Thanks for the clarification!
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
@thinwater ,

A little thought into the matter and that makes sense... but here is another question.

Does this mean that the practice of using a Brummel in this type of application is unsafe? Do to its nature, I would assume that it would pass very little or none of the load onto the bury while it held; bearing the entire load. Failure means breaking the line, which means any bury (long or short) is rendered useless. Thoughts?