A Decade-long Norseman Fitting Sea Trial

PS compares hardware from Sta-Lok, Norseman, and Hi-Mod.

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Ericson 41

A couple of months ago, PS Technical Editor Ralph Naranjo disassembled a headstay that he had used aboard his Ericson 41 sloop, Wind Shadow, for nearly a decade. It was set up with Norseman fittings as terminals for 3/8-inch diameter, 1×19 stainless-steel wire that had supported a Harken roller-furling system. During disassembly, neither the wire nor the end fittings showed signs of corrosion or physical wear. And when the fittings themselves were taken apart-requiring heat to free the sealant in the terminal-the wire bundle was pristine and showed no sign of any slippage or corrosion.

Looking back at how he made up the terminals a decade earlier, Naranjo recalled some difficult decision making over commingling thread-lock (such as Loctite) and socket sealant. Good fortune prevailed, and what he settled on has obviously stood the test of time, not to mention sea-induced wear and tear.

Naranjo had used a viscous polyurethane sealant (3M 4000 UV is a good choice), rather than silicone and made a significant effort during the dry-fit stage to get some Loctite 242 on the male stainless-steel threads. During the initial tightening to form the wire over the head of the cone, the Loctite transferred itself to the female threads, and as soon as he had backed off and checked how the outer strands had evenly shaped around the cone, he loaded the socket and coated the wire with sealant-readying things for final assembly.

Threaded stainless-steel hardware under compression is prone to galling, a process that can, in effect, weld the threaded components together. In order to be absolutely sure this would not occur, Naranjo added more 242 Loctite, which also helped to keep the hardware from loosening. He also found that assembly took less torque than one might imagine, and he finished up each installation with a lot less vigor than you would use on an automotive lug nut. A couple of threads usually remained showing, and sealant oozed out of the upper end of each terminal.

Looking closely at the 10-year old hardware revealed no sign of deterioration from water intrusion. The geometry of the wires surrounding cones was just as it should be. Many riggers use silicone sealant as their preferred bedding compound for the interior of the terminal, but aboard Wind Shadow, polyurethane sealant worked well. Some pros use red Loctite 262 while others prefer blue 242; both seem to deliver the goods.

The polyurethane sealant 3M 4000 UV is also excellent, as it adheres better to metal than other sealants. We do not recommend 3M 5200, on the other hand, as it does not stick well to stainless steel.

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.

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