It's partly that and partly the 'typical' wire used in yacht rigging.
1x19 is naturally stiff and its bending radius is something like 40x
the wire diameter. 7x7 or 6x19 or other lays are a lot more flexible.
Then again 316 s/s simply doesn't have the same resistance to work
hardening that carbon steels do.

With the flex comes stretch. A good thing if you want cable to take
shock loads, not so good if you want a bar taut stay. Why racing boats
have gone to rod rigging - essentially 1x1 cable :-)

A supplier fitted a lifting cable to my ship. It was 7x7 s/steel
running over a turning block of less than 20x the dia of the wire.
Lasted less than one season. Got replaced with spectra which got its
outer braid chafed thru in a single cruise. It's now rigged with galv
cable. Wasn't enough physical room to increase the block dia.

Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice. Shackles & lifting hooks are
another story, similar. See how many s/steel shackles & hooks that are
stamped with a SWL.

PDW

In article , Scott Vernon
wrote:

I would guess that SS isn't as flexible and wouldn't stand up to the
constant turning of a drum?

SV


OzOne wrote in message
...
On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 19:26:45 -0400, "Scott Vernon"
scribbled thusly:

Was watching a History Channel show where they were searching for
the
sunk 'Derbyshire'(?) and they lost a very expensive sonar piece of
equipment when the tow cable broke.

SV
Yeah, that's why they don't use SS ....they'd lose lots more!


Oz1...of the 3 twins.

I welcome you to crackerbox palace,We've been expecting you.