Broken Halyard Sheath

[poiu]

I don't know if my halyards are getting old, but I've had two headsail halyards break the rope sheath. On both occasions I forgot to keep them on the winches. Once in strong wind and a second time in very light winds. The halyards were on just spinlock clutches on the mast. I don't know if they broke because the rope is old, and UV damaged or if is because I should have kept them on the mast winches to protect them - what do you guys do?

[perchance]

Don't let yer halyards slap.

[Sailmonkey]

Where did the sheath break?
if it's not at the clutch.....or some other chafe prone area you probably have old halyards.

[poiu]

They broke at the clutch. No sign of chafe or of looseness, just pop they went.

[Sailmonkey]

It could really be any number of causes, some lines have a polypro jacket that degrades rapidly in the sun, also could be that you've got some zero stretch cores that don't take well to clutches and the clutch is only gripping the jacket.....more than likely a combination of both though.