Need some help from the Brits
 

This week I had to install my only spare forestay turnbuckle on my Westerly Cirrus which parted due
to corrosion of the turnbuckle barrel.

I emailed several British chandlers inquiring about replacements and got no reply. I usually get a
better response from companies and retailers in Britain. Does anyone know of any sources I can turn
to for a replacement turnbuckle? I really would like to get the same kind currently on the boat.
This was the first failure of a turnbuckle in 35 years of owning this boat, and was probably due to
all the salt water
splashed on the fore deck and sitting inside the barrel. This is a Gibb closed barrel
turnbuckle for 3/8 inch wire, but this model was set up to take 5/16 inch clevis pins.
Navtec (the inheritor of Gibb) tells me they haven't made this type for 20 years. My
hope is to find it in somebody's stockroom. I live in the USA and Seco/Navtec here
also cannot supply it.

Sherwin D.