Turnbuckle covers

[Boat Babe]

I just purchased a 1987 Cal 28 and my surveyer said that the turnbuckle covers (plastic) on my shrouds should be removed to allow the stainless steel to "breath" and discourage rusting. Is this good advise? Should I cut them off and leave them naked or cover with leather? Thanks, Steph

 

[Calif. Ted]

The theory is that stainless must have air

to be resistant to rust. Question then becomes do the covers really prevent sufficient air from reaching turnbuckles? Beats me, I'd put this in the take it or leave it file. If you take them off will the Genny chafe ? If you use riggers tape for chafe protection you are back to the "no air" thing.

 

[Kevin]

There are different grades of stainless steel.

There is some stainless which will not rust at all. Some grades will rust if subjected to the wrong situation. (constantly damp with saltwater) I have some stainless pliers ( a couple of different pairs) that, if you get saltwater on them, and do not wash it off, and then put them back into the toolbox while wet, they will develop rust. High grade stainless will not develop rust. The surveyor has, no doubt, seen some rust develop in those situations where the stainless is under plastic and holds moisture. Whether or not that will happen on your boat is dependent upon the grade of stainless on your shrouds. If the plastic has been there all this time, since '87, and there is no rust there now, I don't see any reason to expect it to develop now, unless the boat is moving from a fresh water lake to saltwater.

 

[Don]

Another consideration

In addition to the previous replies, the plastic covers can prevent you from seeing an otherwise obvious problem with the shrouds. If you did have some broken strands for example inside, you'd never notice until...If you really want to cover anything, cover the turnbuckles with leather which will breath, allow inspection and look better too.Don

 

[Roger1250]

somewhat unorthodox

but try using those golf club sleeves you have in your golf bag. They are cheap and are not UV resistant so you will have to switch them out every few years, but they are large allowing lots of air flow, and can be slid up easily for inspection of the turnbuckle and pins. You can cut them on the spiral if you don't want to dismantle your shroud to install them.

 

[Les Blackwell]

Why the need for turnbuckle covers?

I am a late arrival on this subject but I do have some questions. I've sailed for a long time and have used turnbuckle covers on some of my sailboats. And surveyors and others told me the same thing that stainless needs air in order NOT to rust. So I thought what would be appropriate in this case.The reason to use covers is to not let the pins catch on to the sail and pull out or tear the sail. As someone has already mentioned you can use circle rings but they pull out as well although they don't normally tear the sail.The solution was presented to me by Brion Toss when he used stainless steel welding rods in my turnbuckles. He makes a large square C shape, pushes them through and folds them back in. It looks good and I don't have to use covers. Besides I prefer to look at my turnbuckles from time to time.You might get more information from Bion Toss' website. He's a west coast rigger with a number of books and DVDs. I think he was a guest expert on this forum about a year ago. A really nice and knowledgeable guy....Les

 

[Rich]

Theory met practice

I happen to have the same boat as Steph, a 1987 Cal 28, so my experience may prove helpful since I should have the same brand/grade of cable for rigging. My turnbuckles were all dutifully wrapped and there was some kind of tube attached to the lower backstay to protect it from handprints. When I unwrapped them I found a light layer of rust in the folds between the strands of cable. End of story for me--the only wrapping I'll do from here on will be a single piece of rigging tape over the cotter pins.

 

[Ken]

PVC

I use thin wall PVC that I cut with a very thin circular blade. This allow them to be snapped in place and removed at will. The sail rolls nicely over the PVC. If the winds pipe up I put a round or two of white electrical tape (scotch 33 leaves no residue) on the top and bottom of the rollers, mine are 4' 3' 1' from froward to aft. The turnbuckles get plenty of air and the sail doesn't come in contact with any cotter pins.

 

[John Shullo]

another consideration

I have covers on my Cal-2-27 and have since it was new. I have never had a problem with rust on the rigging or turnbuckles, but I have had a problem with rusting cotter pins. I installed new stainless Cotter pins from West Marine when I made some adjustments and wrappped them with tape. The next year, I discover by accident that the "stainless pins" had turned to red dust.I replaced them again with stainless cotter pins from a hardware store and so far there is no rust.The boat is in fresh water.

 

[Capn Dave]

Everything you wanted to know about stainless

Ahoy Steph,It depends on the temp and the type of stainless used.The following general rules apply:304 may be used for fully exposed components, frequently washed with fresh water; 316 may be used for all hull and deck fitting applications above the water line; S31803 offers higher strength and, therefore, lighter weight components for the same applications as 316 and can additionally be used up to 60çC in wet exhaust systems and in fully submersed applications; and S32750 offers even higher strength and weight savings, and can handle all marine applications with no risk of corrosion even in tropical waters and hot, wet exhaust applications.While stainless steel grades 304, 316 and duplex steels can all be used in marine applications, they do provide varying degrees of corrosion resistance and durability. The key to their successful application is, therefore, being aware of the strengths and limitations of each grade and how they can be used to their optimum potential.The corrosion resistance of all stainless steels also improves if they are kept clean. The build up of salt encrustations, grease or dirt allows corrosion to occur in these regions. After use in marine situations, it is good practice to wash down with clean water and to remove any deposits on the surface.Fair WindsCap'n Dave