Time to replace lifelines?

[skunther]

I’m curious what folks think about these. I’ve noticed some rust bleeding at a few points of the lifeline coating (as well as one or two collars), and don’t know if it’s time to switch them out or if I may be able to safely use them for years to come.

We have many projects and I’d rather not add to the list unless necessary.

These images represent all the spots of bleeding rust I can see on the lifelines.

 

[dlochner]

Replace them. Those are only the spots that bled. You do not know how far or deep the corrosion is. The issue is crevice corrosion, SS in an oxygen deprived environment will corrode and crack. The lifelines once the coating is violated will absorb moisture and promote crevice corrosion. Replace the lines with bare SS wire and you won't have to do it again. You can reuse some of the fittings to save some money.

 

[sail sfbay]

Yep..........time to replace. You have options on type of line material. One option is bare 316 stainless steel kit Suncor® Quick Attach™ Lifeline Kit With Closed Gate (sailrite.com). The only special tool you need is a 3/16" diameter stainless steel wire cutter and NO wire crimper. Easy installation. That is what I installed a couple of years ago. Of course, you can can also remove the lifelines and take them to your local rigging shop to make new ones to match existing dimensions.

 

[jssailem]

Skunther, I consider the purpose of things on my boat. LifeLines, are labeled as the tool that saves your life from falling overboard. In the Pacific NW Falling overboard is often a death sentence.

The rust that is hidden beneath the plastic covers is evidence that the stainless wire no longer has the original design strength.

I would recommend you look at replacing the lifelines.
Several options are available.

1. You can try the DYI approach. If that is the direction I think spending the money to get dyneema lines and dyneema fixtures could make sense. Dyneema is relatively easy to make secure. It is strong. It has a shorter life than stainless steel wire. Do it right. Learn the proper knots to make these Life Lines you can trust!
2. You can have the lines made for you. In the PacificNW you can get lifelines made by Fisheries and West Marine. Both have hydraulic machines that compress the swage fittings on the wire. This is the most secure method. I paid about $660 5 years ago to replace the lifelines on my 35ft boat. Wait was 9 days from ordering to installation. I called both sites, and learned one would be 4 plus weeks and the other would be about 7. They matched the price and I chose the shorter wait. I took the old lines to the store and tey used them to create the new ones. When I got them to the boat (6 days from ordering) one of the lines was not correct. I took it back and the store corrected the error with a new line.
3. The last option is a DIY approach. All of this is good except the swaging of the fittings on the wire. Unless you have done this you can make mistakes and the swage is not properly fitted to last the expected time. The failings are not getting the wires properly formed in the swage, the swage not properly secured to form a single bond around the wire, gaps in the swage that capture water and degrade the fittng. These are a few of the challenges. The advantage is sometimes cheaper cost.

You get to decide how to best address this. Note this is a critical system on your boat. Not a problem if your boat is always at the dock. If you plan to take her out into the PacificNW waters, then you and your crew are at risk when they go to grab a "Life Line".

 

[thinwater]

Yes, I have had lines like that go suddenly. It is an unknowable quantity.

But I'm not gettin' into what to replace them with!

 

[PaulK]

OP's question is case in point why plastic covers on lifelines are no longer allowed on racing boats. Bare SS wire or line is required, so that it can be checked for possible problems.

 

[JohnShannon]

Bare stainless is easily inspectable. Dyneema is super cool but it would seem needs more attention paid to it. Coated stainless isn't good, you can't tell what is going on under the plastic

 

[Joe]

Dyneema can cost more than wire and it will degrade faster. It looks cool, though. It is much lighter and less prone to abrasive contact. I replaced my lifelines a couple years back. I purchased the higher quality cable from this picture's imbedded site :

I used a cordless jigsaw with metal cutting blade to create the various sections. You could also use a grinder and cut off-wheel.

I could not figure out how to "un-swage" the fitting from the wire, so I also purchased DIY replacements.
I used the Johnson Hand-Crimp" DIY lifeline system. It requires purchasing (for about $30 at the picture's imbedded link) a special hand-held tool for crimping the fitting onto the wire. I've linked another source for this piece, but you can also get it at the first one for a different price.
Tool(different source)

typical fitting:

Please note that this project included replacing all the old single hole stanchions with new Garhaurer custom, heavy duty 2 hole models, including a "gate" stanchion, so I had a much larger number of fittings and connections than just replacing the old single wire rig. The price of the tool, therefore, was quickly recovered and the convenience of doing everything right there at the boat is beyond convenient and worry free.

If you replace only the wire and necessary fittings yourself, it can be done relatively cheaply using this system.
Good Luck, Have Fun Please feel free to contact me via Private Message if you have questions, I like helping folks.

 

[Joe Blizzard]

Mine looked similar to yours when I replaced them. Besides the breakage potential, that discolored coating was really ugly. I used Suncor fittings and coated wire for my replacements. The Suncors are reusable and wire is relatively cheap, so I figure I can replace the wires before they get ugly next time.

 

[Charles Erwin]

Strip the vinyl cover. Take sharp stiff sturdy knife and strip the covering. This exposes the interior (the wire) to oxygen and will also show whether the interior is seriously degraded. Probably it is not so bad as you might think.

This is so because cable structure strength (no matter whether stainless or even other plain iron recipes) are very resistant to corrosion (witness suspension cable used in gondolas all over the world). And that is so because crevice corrosion is many times more threatening in rigid stainless components not in flexible items like cable.

Still - for the future if you replace - then naked non-covered wire or Dynema are the better choice.

Charles

 

[dlochner]

Strip the vinyl cover. Take sharp stiff sturdy knife and strip that covering. This exposes the interior (the wire) to oxygen - moreover this will show whether the interior is degraded. Probably it is not so bad as you think.

For the future - if you replace - then naked non covered wire or Dynema are far better.

Charles

This will only allow inspection of the outer strands. The wire is constructed with a 7 strand core with with 6 7 strand wires wrapped around the core. The core of the wire can also be corroded, but can't be inspected.

 

[sail sfbay]

Has anyone been successful stripping the viny sheath? If you do and/or only want to remove the rust, try this "CitriSurf 2310 Gel Stainless Steel Rust Remover and Passivation Cleaner".

 

[Jumpstart]

Cleaning the surface does not eliminate crevice corrosion. Why take a chance? Bare wire is the most prudent decision. In high UV areas I wouldn’t trust dyneema for more than 3-4 years. On my boat with large A sails chafe would definitely be a concern. My uppers are bare stainless. I replaced my vinyl coated lowers last year was surprised to see the corrosion at the fittings and where the wire passed through the stanchions. And that is on a fresh water boat.

 

[Joe]

This will only allow inspection of the outer strands. The wire is constructed with a 7 strand core with with 6 7 strand wires wrapped around the core. The core of the wire can also be corroded, but can't be inspected.

I used 1 x 19 3/16 type 316 bare wire, it is highly corrosion resistant. Flexibility, needed for running through sheaves, requires the 7x7 configuration, but not needed for static lifelines.

 

[dlochner]

I used 1 x 19 3/16 type 316 bare wire, it is highly corrosion resistant. Flexibility, needed for running through sheaves, requires the 7x7 configuration, but not needed for static lifelines.

With bare wire a stiffer wire than 7x7 is probably a better idea. Vinyl sheathed wire is usually 7x7 wire, probably because the vinyl sheathing stiffens the wire and sheathing 1 x19 might make it too stiff.

 

[FastOlson]

Like your standing rigging, replacement needs to be done on a regular basis. About 20 years is the max. Ten years in warm salt air climates.

Cost can vary some. Besides the big names places, most cities will have industrial rigging shops, and we have a local one that has the tools for sailboat rigging as a sideline to their industrial and logging work.
Do not neglect this work; think of it as a life insurance premium.

 

[jnorten]

I pulled a MOB out of the water in my marina two summers ago. The cause? Rusted lifelines.

Replace them.

Folks have given you many great ideas. Dyneema is very viable and gaining popularity. I redid my stainless lifelines with UNcoated stainless a couple summers ago. Uncoated allows you to more easily see corrosion forming. I did the DIY approach using hand swage tools shown in some of the other posts.

 

[Dalliance]

Time to replace them. I did when mine started to look like that. Went with bare stainless and added a gates on each side of the cockpit. Had the work done by my rigger.

EDIT: Just noticed this post is from back in January. I’m a little late. So what did you decide on?

 

[higgs]

My lifelines were about 25 years old, showed no signs of rust. I am assuming the PO did not replace them. Leaned on one and it broke. No warning. Add me to the chorus: Replace them.