Anybody want a boat . . . . cheap!

[Ed Schenck]

Got up at 0530 to be at the boat by 0800. Figured I had about six more hours of work on the mast after tweny-four the previous Monday and Tuesday. The picture tells the story. How stupid to install and not measure first. But the rigging was made as a copy, I had sent them the original.

The good news is that with a keel-stepped mast and tight uppers, backstay, and forestay that it might not fall on the Swan next to me.

The other good news is that my measurements for the forestay and new Harken furler were right. So after two hours of beating in the mast seal I went home. And I don't plan to return anytime soon.

 

[whatfiero]

Calm down Ed you'll get it . They're better to be too long than too short just call your rigger and get him to sell ya new shivs at cost and lend ya there hand crimp-er if ya lived near the Chesapeake I'd loan ya mine .

 

[Ed Schenck]

Fortunately the marina has a real swage machine. But who is going to pay for going up the mast twice? It was a bear getting those cotter pins in the clevis' standing on the ground. Now someone has to remove and reinstall four of those hanging up there.

One good thing about being old? I'll never have to do this again.

 

[whatfiero]

yea the should have a hydrolic pump type hand held or they now make a battery powered one milwalky makes it uses the same battri that battri drill uses just cut cable at bottom and hand swage new on end

 

[richk]

Ed
Hang in there.
I feel your pain. I was on mine last night running wires for an ST40 depth system. This was my 3rd attempt. Lotsa sweat and finally joy! Now only gotta install inline fuse then mount the display head.
Rich

 

[kloudie1]

Sorry to hear, Ed.. A mechanical terminal on the lowers? Supplied by the folks who made the shroud the wrong length from the old?

 

[jconnor3]

Take a deep breath and let it be for a bit. You'll find the answer and it will reinvigorate you when you solve the issue. It happens to me all the time. Solving issues keeps it interesting and I am awed by the solutions sailors come up with daily.

 

[Charles Erwin]

Consider measure, trim, and install Norseman (or other swageless fitting) at bottom only? That way no need to go aloft. Simple, tough, reliable.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Claude and Charles, I like your thinking. . . . kind of. I have heard the mechanicals are a tough install. And when I made the forestay I was surprised how hard it is to cut 9/32" wire. But I will definitely bring it up with the rigger when he/she calls back.

Issues like this would not be so bad if they happened one at a time. I was under pressure to get the mast out of the parking lot. My new LED anchor bulb was wrong, banjo type with the wrong pins. Mine are offset. And I was certain I ordered the right one. In testing the lights I realized that the marina that took out the mast in St. Pete simply cut the anemometer wire. Didn't want to follow it and unplug from the server. Then with the mast already hanging in the crane I noticed that I had the running backstays on the wrong side of the spreaders! After the mast was in a yard worker rode the crane up and pulled them over.

All I want to do is sail. I have missed so many good south breeze days.

 

[kloudie1]

You arre right, Ed, I have heard that the installation of Norseman or StaLoc or other mechanical fittings is kind of tedious.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AsEXFr8NrU I have never done one so I can't speak from experience.. Looking at the instructions, it looked do-able,just kinda tedious.. Cutting the wire, it is easiest to use a 4.5" side grinder and cut off wheel or a Dremel or equivalent with a little cut off wheel..

 

[Bill1565]

sorry to hear about your troubles Ed. You need a while off and maybe something with rum in it.

Never installed norseman or swagelocks myself, but Chet P ordered all his new shrouds long, cut them and installed the terminal fittings for what is now our boat. I've had best results cutting wire with a hack saw while the wire was held in a vice.

 

[Jim Legere]

Sorry for your tribulations, Ed. I had new lifelines made up out of 1/4" 1 x 19 (essentially shroud wire) last year. Took the rigger less than half an hour to make up four Norseman terminals. Mind you, he had good wire cutters. Anyway, from everything I have read, Norseman or StaLoc terminals are better and more reliable than rolled swages, especially for the lower terminals that can collect water and salt. They can even be opened up for inspection. Maybe the goofs who mis-made your lower shrouds will pay for that solution rather than being on the hook for new shrouds and mast stepping charges (which is what a reputable rigger who makes a mistake like that should pay for!). Keep us posted!

 

[rardiH36]

Ed: Not going according to best efforts happens. As you are doing, step back and re-group.

Any body want my swimming pool?

rardi

 

[Ed Schenck]

Well now for some better news. The rigging company said I would have four Norseman terminals by next Wednesday or Thursday. So maybe the 90+ weather will abate by then. They were very apologetic and I do like the company.

I have a 4" Ryobi grinder that does not have a cutting wheel option. So I will mount my vise on a piece of 2x6 and take my best hacksaw blades. I cut my 9/32" forestay with a hacksaw and it came out OK. I'll take the grinder for cleaning up the cut.

It's been a week. I left the house for the yacht club around 17:00. I was going for that rum that Bill mentioned. At 17:30 I was sitting in traffic two miles from the house, three lanes at a dead stop. I had the radio on and the report was that I-77 was closed because of a fire. The fire was five miles south of where I was sitting. I edged up to a crossover, made an illegal U-turn, and went for Chinese takeout.

 

[seadaddler]

Great

Hey Ed we are out at Pelican Bay tonight with PGSC and lightening all around us but far away and some wind and rain thank goodness helping to cool things off but we did get a great sail out here today.
Glad to hear things looking better.
Nick

 

[joelvannorsdel]

Ed,
I have been where you are. I actually made a little jig to cut the wire. What you do is take a 2x4 and a saw and cut the end across the long way to make a slot, the drill a hole that is the diameter of the wire, push the wire through the hole and put the hacksaw in the slot. This keeps the wire bundled together and gives you an easy to hold on. I then used Quick Attach terminals. I have had my rig up 10+ years in a few big blows. The Quick Attach are very easy to use and you can't make a mistake with them like I have about some of the other terminals that require cones or un-laying the wire itself.=

 

[Bill1565]

It's been a week. I left the house for the yacht club around 17:00. I was going for that rum that Bill mentioned. At 17:30 I was sitting in traffic two miles from the house, three lanes at a dead stop. I had the radio on and the report was that I-77 was closed because of a fire. The fire was five miles south of where I was sitting. I edged up to a crossover, made an illegal U-turn, and went for Chinese takeout.

Light rum is better with Chinese. Glad you're feeling better

Bill and Mary

 

[Ed Schenck]

Great tip about the cutting Joel, thanks. But too late on the terminals, the Norseman are in the mail. And I had to settle for a couple of Yuenglings with the Chinese Bill.

 

[Sailorjack]

Ed

Please excuse me ignorance but what is a yeungling?

I am replacing my staysail stay and went with the mechanical fitting on the lower end of the wire. I will find out next week how well it works. Good luck with yours.

 

[Ed Schenck]

I am not surprised that you have not seen a Yeungling where you are. Many states here in the U.S. still don't see it. We only got it here in Ohio in the last year. The answer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuengling .

I too hope to have a report on the Norseman installs by the end of the week. Claude's link to the YouTube video was helpful.