[C320-list] Lifeline Replacement Guidelines - Pelican Hooks Forward

[Warren Updike]

Our lifelines had cracked vinyl covers and rust stains bleeding through the cracks. I looked into replacing them and found a place online that would make them for less that $500. I had to send them my existing lines. Our marina quoted a price of about $800. Over the Winter, I took the lines home and with a hammer and a bench anvil, I gently cracked the vinyl covers and broke them off by twisting lightly with pliers. The vinyl was so dried, old, and brittle, that it broke easily and came off. It probably took me all of an hour or so to remove all the covers. I then cleaned the SS lines with a rust remover/lubricant and left them till Spring. That was several years ago and now the lines are clean with no signs of rust. I did treat them each year with a lubricant. HOWEVER, if you have rust appearing at the cable entrance to the swages, do not continue to use them. The crevice-corrosion will continue and the connection will, eventually, fail. 

El Frugal: 
Warren and Pattie Updike
1994 C320 "Warr de Mar" #62
Middle River, MD (Chesapeake Bay)

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Calisti [mailto:mjcalisti at msn.com] 
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2018 8:29 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Lifeline Replacement Guidelines - Pelican Hooks Forward

Danny - We have a 2000 and although the lines seemed in decent shape (albeit with rust marks), we went ahead changed them out before splash down this season.  Seemed prudent after 18 years.  We had three gates, so decided to add a fourth as we go into our slip bow first and needed a gate on the starboard side. One issue we had with our existing port forward gate is that when releasing it, the entire life line on that side lost its tension. So, now, we have stoppers that keep the tension on both sides.  And having gates on both sides gives us flexibility for transient slips with finger piers.


I also looked at Catalina Direct, but decided to just let the marina do it as it was too much risk if our measurements were wrong (this actually happened with the marina and they had to reorder from their supplier).  When I looked at the kit, I recall that it did not have the extra pelican hooks and stoppers, so I figured another ~$200 above the $650 (we just wanted everything changed out, including the hooks).  We paid around $1250 (probably a bit high), but having no experience doing this and the risk on an inaccurate measurement as well as the possibility of a mistake during installation, it was worth it for us to just pay the labor and eat whatever markup was charged for the materials.  In the end, the job was excellent, and we are now confident in the strength in the life lines and hopefully never have to test it out. And we did go with the PVC coated.


Mark Calisti

#749

Solomons, MD


________________________________
From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> on behalf of danny jensen <danny at jensenshouse.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2018 10:29 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Lifeline Replacement Guidelines - Pelican Hooks Forward

Group,
I have a 2004 C320. My life lines Forward are showing some wear. I also
launch my inflatable from the deck and have stressed the forward life lines
a bit. I am considering purchasing the Catalina Direct (CD) lifeline kit
https://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm/product/1489_704/lifeline-kit-double-deluxe-c-30-c-310-c-320.cfm

. Also I'm going to rig Pelican hooks on the port side so I can slide my
dingy off the deck and I won't need to put the dingy over the life lines.
The CD

Questions:

   1. What is the approximate time range for lifelines? 15 years? I'm
   seeing a bit of rust in the swages.
   2. Stainless or PVC coated? Why to you like Stainless?
   3. Have any of you used the CD ~$650.00 life line kit? What other source
   do you recommend?
   4. Since the CD lifeline kit has Pelican's included, I can use my old
   Pelicans Forward
   5. How much time shall I allocate for the job?
   6. Have any of you rigged Pelican hooks forward. What was your
   experience?

Danny
#972