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Broken turnbuckle

  • January 16, 2013 2:30 PM
    Quote
    Message # 1181579
    Anonymous member

    Westsail 32

    The lower aft shroud turnbuckle on the starboard side broke around the bottom clevis pin.  It was a bronze 1/2-in fork-fork type.  The wind was calm at the time and I was at the dock.  The turnbuckle had a added eye-fork toggle at the bottom.  It looks like the turnbuckle might be from 1975--a good vintage!  I had "tuned up" the rig a couple days before and set the tension to "15" on the Loos gauge or about 900lb.  That's below the recommended load of 1,000 lb for the 1x19 9/32-in 302/304 wire.

    Now the question is this: should I replace the other turnbuckles?  How long do they last in normal service?  They had been recently cleaned and inspected and they all look OK to me.

    --Steve
  • January 16, 2013 5:37 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 1181663 on 1181579
    Anonymous member

    It is hard to say why the bronze fork let go, but none of the turnbuckle manufacturers use bronze forks anymore.  They all have stainless toggle ends.

    If you want to eliminate the worry of another breaking, I would recommend changing all of the forks for stainless toggle ends.  The center bodies are probably still fine.

    I can get them for you if you cannot find them locally at a good price.  Send me an email if you want  btaplin@westsail.com
  • January 18, 2013 4:56 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 1183391 on 1181579
    Anonymous member

    Thanks.  I guess I'll be replacing some of them.  I have a local source in Seattle.

    --Steve
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