I'm sure there will be a lot of serious, well-meaning naysayers for the
following, but backstay insulators have virtually become obsolete on most
offshore racing boats in this area. The subsitute is a kevlar backtay with
a ordinary wire(e.g., #14 stranded, tinned) either encased in the protective
cover or taped to the exterior. I just completed a 1220 nmi race with this
arrangement, and I know of several other boats which used the same setup.
The kevlar rigging line is available in a protective pvc casing and is
standard rigging material for modern race boats. It is typically stronger
than the wire or rod that it replaces, much lighter, and has similar life
expectancy. Oh, and the price of my new backstay was approximately half of
the cost of addition of insulators to my existing rod backstay.

Now I will admit that there is a difference between replacing a backstay
with kevlar and replacing a shroud, but I would consult with a professional
rigging service on this possibliity. This might be another alternative, and
less expensive.


"Rusty O" wrote in message
ink.net...
Hayn has just introduced a rigging insulator that has a 'failsafe'
feature.
If the insulating portion fails, the fitting stays together at full
strength. It will loosen a bit, and you will have to tighten your
turnbuckle, but it doesn't come apart. I haven't seen these yet, but their
other fittings are very high quality. You can see the new insulator at
http://www.hayn.com/marine/rigging/insulator.html. This may take away some
of your riggers frowns.

Rusty O