Titanium in the Marine Chandlery

A range of marine products already use the metal

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Titanium in the Marine Chandlery

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Titanium’s high price is only one thing that is keeping in the realm of mega-yachts and Cup boats. Some of the essential roles that lightweight metals once played in deck hardware are now being taken by high tech fibers like Spectra or Vectran. Carbon fiber laminates are also taking the place of metal fittings, at a slightly lower cost. Nevertheless many manufacturers see a bright future for titanium. Here is some feedback we got from manufacturers on this topic.

John Franta (Colligo Marine, www.colligomarine.com): “Titanium has all the benefits of a metal, machineability, drilling, etc. and no corrosion. Particularly Grade 2 which has about the same yield strength as 316 and is not much more expensive. We make custom chain-plates out of it all the time. Our mast brackets are made from Grade 2 titanium also.”

Tony De Lima (Forte Carbon, www.fortecarbon.com): “Titanium is a specialty material that requires an experienced machinist to cut, and titanium experienced welding shop to stick it together. Here in Ledyard, CT we are next to Electric Boat (the submarine guys) so are spoiled with experienced titanium welders. Most of our custom titanium parts are only machined and so we rely on our regular machine shop for milling. The most common parts we have made of titanium here are milled from strait bar stock and tube these include, joining ferrules and spreader bars.”

John Myerchin (Myerchin Knives, www.myerchin.com): “By using pure titanium handles in our new folding rigging knives we have reduced the total weight of the knife, added a pocket clip and greatly reduced corrosion problem. . . .Since titanium is not a good choice for blades or marlin spikes, these components are still marine-grade stainless steel.”

Russell Belben (Ronstan, www.ronstan.com): “We used titanium in the 1990s for the cheek plates of our runner blocks, especially for the Americas Cup boats. We rarely use titanium now for the following reasons: many classes now stop the use of titanium due to the high cost ; titanium is notoriously unreliable to weld; and titanium is very expensive relative to conventional alloys. . . . Titanium has been used effectively as a needle bearing on high load blocks making use of the materials strength advantage over the more conventional needle material Torlon.”

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him at darrellnicholson.com.