New rear stay ruined already?

[Ward H]

Part of my spring prep for my first full season with my 1980 O'day 25 was to install new standing rigging. The old rear stay had a couple of neat SS spring clips clipped to it so I used them on the new stay to fly my O'day pennant.
Well, that was a mistake! Not sure what went wrong, if the clips were too tight or the new wire weaker than the 1980 wire? Were they meant for dedicated lines to fly a pennant?
Scary!
Will be installing a new stay again this spring.

 

[Joe]

Ouch... that sucks. I definitely wouldn't use the clips again... I have one of these Johnson flag halyard rigs on my backstay for my ensign. It's fixed mount... i.e. mini U bolt with small block for the halyard and shroud cleat. I think your clips rotating around the stay with the flying flag is the problem. The clips were designed to attach to a halyard, rather than to a static wire.

 

[CalebD]

Sorry to hear & see this Ward.
On the bright side you already know how to replace that stay so it shouldn't be a huge effort.
Chalk this one up to the laws of unintended consequences.

Another possible way to hang a flag off your aft stay would be to use this product: http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|118|2358491|2358503&id=678925

Note that this product contains a fitting which clamps the stay that the wheel part rides on top of. All you would need is the fitting to hold your flag up. Better to make your loops that go around the stay out of webbing or sail tie material that won't hurt the stay.
Better yet, can you set up a traditional flag halyard set up off a spreader?
Some boats also have a flag pole mount on the stern.

 

[rgranger]

Is the nick from abrasion or erosion? I guess a question I have is did you get some sort of electrolysis reaction between the two metals or did the flying flag just make the crimp rub and rub all summer long?

 

[kloudie1]

Looks like "fretting" damage from stainless on stainless.. without a microscope, it is hard to say exactly but that is my best guess.. I wouldn't put anything on that stay that is not static. The little back and forth movements of the clip is what wipes the protective coating off the stainless .. almost anything that flutters on the stay will do that..

 

[Ross]

Apply some service in the form of very tightly wrapped tarred line and lash your pennants to that.

 

[Gudenuph]

Rather than the complications of flag halyards we secure the flag to the stay or shroud with rolling hitches. Secure a l/8" braided dacron line about 6-8" long on each flag grommet.
If you don't have a book on knots perhaps the following will help. Lead the line away from the flag and along the stay. Make two wraps around the stay and under the line. Take the bitter end further along the stay and over the top of the two wraps and in the same direction as the wraps. Secure with a half-hitch and make up snug. Do likewise from the other grommet, in the opposite direction of course. To position the flag beyond your reach, us the boat hook and work the hitches along the stay leaving them with enough tension between them to keep the flag luff straight.
George