Here's a maintenance tip to all of you trailer sailors.  Actually, this
applies to anyone with stainless steel standing rigging, but especially
trailerables.  If you have stainless steel turnbuckles with s.s. toggles
or swage stud ends on your shrouds, you are at risk of having the
threads seize in the turnbuckle.  This is because stainless steel
threads have a tendancy to gall from friction with repeated useage, and
trailerable sailboats see a lot of adjustment of the standing rigging.
This just cost cost me a pair of new shrouds, even though the wire is
still in serviceable condition.  The previous owners of this Catalina 25
did not inspect or maintain the rigging adequately, and worse, when the
turnbuckles got sticky and hard to turn, they were forced with pliers
and wrenches, resulting in stripping the threads off the swage studs on
both of the upper shrouds.  The four lower shrouds and the fore-and-back
stays seem to be OK, probably because they were not adjusted under as
much tension as the upper shrouds usually have on them.  Here's the
maintenance tip: 1. Keep your turnbuckles clean, especially if they are
the "closed barrel" type, which can accumulate a lot of gunk, grit,
and salt crystals through the vent hole even though it is pretty small.
Flush out the turnbuckles with fresh water periodically and gently brush
any dirt off of the male threads on the toggles with a small stainless
steel bristle brush.  DO NOT use a regular non stainless steel wire
brush!!! This will leave particles of carbon steel on the threads which
will rust and cause more problems than if you done nothing.
2.  When the turnbuckles are clean and dry, lubricate the threads on the
toggles or  swage studs with a small amount of silicone grease, or
other such long lasting thread lubricant as your local chandlery
recommends.
3. Remember that the type 304 or 316 stainless steel alloy used for
rigging components is relatively "soft" and malleable, compared to high
strength carbon steel alloys like tool steel and SAE grade 8 fasteners.
This means that it is relatively easy to deform the threads in your
turnbuckles if you crank down too hard on them. Go easy, a few inch
pounds of torque on the locknuts is sufficient, or better yet, replace
the locknuts with cotter rings or pins in the ends of the studs or
toggles (if you have open-body turnbuckles).
Larry Charlot - Catalina 25, hull number 1205 (no name yet).
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