We brushed a bridge and damaged a shroud on my 1985 Mac 25. After a local sail-maker estimated $100 to fabricate a new shroud, I researched making it myself and then thought I would take the opportunity to replace all the standing rigging at the same time. The shrouds and forestay were made of 5/32” diameter twisted stainless steel wire rope. They terminated at each end in a loop turned around a stainless steel thimble secured with two copper ferrules or sleeves swaged to the standing part. I could not find a design length for the shrouds and stays for a Mac 25 and determined instead to match the length and configuration of the originals.
I could buy the needed materials, including wire rope, ferrules and thimbles, but I lacked the necessary tool to swage the loops. It turned out the local marine store sold wire rope and swaging materials and even maintained a swaging station complete with bench swaging tool for DIY use. They readily allowed me to use the station, even with my own materials.
E-bay supplied the materials, including twenty 5/32” nicopress-type zinc-plated copper oval swaging sleeves ($16.60), twenty 5/32” stainless steel thimbles ($10.50), and 100’ of twisted 5/32” stainless steel wire rope (corrosion-resistant alloy 316), formed 1x19 (a single inner core of seven twisted wires surrounded by twelve twisted wires) ($57).
My son and I brought tools and materials to the marine store, measured each shroud and stay with a long tape on the floor, cut the wire rope to length with a bolt cutter, and duplicated the rigging at the swaging station. I had watched swaging videos on YouTube to learn the simple but important technique. A few notes and tips:
1. The swaging tool exerts tremendous pressure on the copper ferrules as it conforms them and secures them to the wire rope. Under the pressure, the jaws of a worn or maladjusted swaging tool can lose vertical alignment and produce distorted “saw-tooth” compressions. At the outset, sacrifice a new sleeve and confirm proper compressions on scrap wire rope. My first effort failed this way, but the tool at another store worked fine.
2. I thought I bought the wrong copper sleeves because they measured 1/8” shorter than the sleeves swaged on the old shrouds. Later I discovered the swaging operation lengthens the sleeves as it crimps them around the wire rope.
3. Twisted wire rope made of stainless steel alloy 316 is stiff, and it is difficult to thread it around the thimble and through a ferrule snugged up close. A narrow-jaw pliers helped us squeeze the rope around the thimble, thread it through the ferrule, and slide it to proper position.
4. Length is important. We marked and hand-bent the wire at the point where it would pass the top of the thimble to maintain the wire in correct position as we secured it in the ferrules. We cut the wire four inches past the mark to leave a tail for the second ferrule.
5. Remember that some loops require swaging with the toggle, turnbuckle end, or other attachment plate already inside the thimble.
6. Outside thimble end to outside thimble end, the long shrouds measured 22’ 8 ½” long. The short (baby) stays measured 11’ 10 ½” long. The fore stay measured 23’ 9 ½” long. This will change according to different hardware attachments.
7. Mark the original rigging adjustments before removing the old rigging for duplication. It should help with the re-rigging.
8. The bench swaging tool may have different size jaws for different diameter wire rope. Be sure to use the correct size jaw.
9. Of course, follow instructions, including number of crimps and gauging, to produce safe and strong swage connections.
This was a fun and educational project, well within the capabilities of any careful Do-it Yourselfer. It produced five safe new shrouds and stays for my boat at a cost savings of more than 80% from estimate. Good luck and savor the savings. Happy sailing.
I could buy the needed materials, including wire rope, ferrules and thimbles, but I lacked the necessary tool to swage the loops. It turned out the local marine store sold wire rope and swaging materials and even maintained a swaging station complete with bench swaging tool for DIY use. They readily allowed me to use the station, even with my own materials.
E-bay supplied the materials, including twenty 5/32” nicopress-type zinc-plated copper oval swaging sleeves ($16.60), twenty 5/32” stainless steel thimbles ($10.50), and 100’ of twisted 5/32” stainless steel wire rope (corrosion-resistant alloy 316), formed 1x19 (a single inner core of seven twisted wires surrounded by twelve twisted wires) ($57).
My son and I brought tools and materials to the marine store, measured each shroud and stay with a long tape on the floor, cut the wire rope to length with a bolt cutter, and duplicated the rigging at the swaging station. I had watched swaging videos on YouTube to learn the simple but important technique. A few notes and tips:
1. The swaging tool exerts tremendous pressure on the copper ferrules as it conforms them and secures them to the wire rope. Under the pressure, the jaws of a worn or maladjusted swaging tool can lose vertical alignment and produce distorted “saw-tooth” compressions. At the outset, sacrifice a new sleeve and confirm proper compressions on scrap wire rope. My first effort failed this way, but the tool at another store worked fine.
2. I thought I bought the wrong copper sleeves because they measured 1/8” shorter than the sleeves swaged on the old shrouds. Later I discovered the swaging operation lengthens the sleeves as it crimps them around the wire rope.
3. Twisted wire rope made of stainless steel alloy 316 is stiff, and it is difficult to thread it around the thimble and through a ferrule snugged up close. A narrow-jaw pliers helped us squeeze the rope around the thimble, thread it through the ferrule, and slide it to proper position.
4. Length is important. We marked and hand-bent the wire at the point where it would pass the top of the thimble to maintain the wire in correct position as we secured it in the ferrules. We cut the wire four inches past the mark to leave a tail for the second ferrule.
5. Remember that some loops require swaging with the toggle, turnbuckle end, or other attachment plate already inside the thimble.
6. Outside thimble end to outside thimble end, the long shrouds measured 22’ 8 ½” long. The short (baby) stays measured 11’ 10 ½” long. The fore stay measured 23’ 9 ½” long. This will change according to different hardware attachments.
7. Mark the original rigging adjustments before removing the old rigging for duplication. It should help with the re-rigging.
8. The bench swaging tool may have different size jaws for different diameter wire rope. Be sure to use the correct size jaw.
9. Of course, follow instructions, including number of crimps and gauging, to produce safe and strong swage connections.
This was a fun and educational project, well within the capabilities of any careful Do-it Yourselfer. It produced five safe new shrouds and stays for my boat at a cost savings of more than 80% from estimate. Good luck and savor the savings. Happy sailing.
