StaSet vs. Sta Set X

[Morgan3820]

I have a main halyard made out of 1/2 in. Sta set X. Problem is the stuff is stiff. It coils like wire. I am thinking of switching to Sta Set to get more flexability. All of my lines lead to the cockpit and it is a pia to coil. Am I really losing much by going with the greater stretch of the Sta Set?

[cabo_sailor]

All my sheets and halyards are Sta-Set and I don't notice a problem. Perhaps a hard core racer might but I never found it worth the money to go to Sta-Set X.

Rich

[cal40john]

According to the specs at New England ropes, Sta SetX has 30% less stretch, and 20% greater tensile strength.

Go here:
New England Ropes - Cruising

select rope of interest, pdf at bottom has details on tensile strength and % stretch.

[cabo_sailor]

Originally Posted by cal40john

According to the specs at New England ropes, Sta SetX has 30% less stretch, and 20% greater tensile strength.

Go here:
New England Ropes - Cruising

select rope of interest, pdf at bottom has details on tensile strength and % stretch.

I'm sure that's true but what does 30% less stretch translate into in inches? My main halyard is 110 ft long, if it stretches an inch then the Sta-Set X would stretch 3/4 in. For all the extra hassle and expense I would save 1/4 in of stretch? I wouldn't even notice it. As to the tensile strength being higher? OK, but I don't need it. The conventional Sta-Set is already strong enough. In many cases we are using larger diameter lines not for the strength but for ease of handing. Most of our lines are probably overkill to begin with. I've never had a halyard or a sheet snap.

In the end, its a "pays your money and take your choice" deal. If someone feels strongly, they should go with it. It doesn't hurt.

Regards,
Rich

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

I'm sure that's true but what does 30% less stretch translate into in inches? My main halyard is 110 ft long, if it stretches an inch then the Sta-Set X would stretch 3/4 in. For all the extra hassle and expense I would save 1/4 in of stretch? I wouldn't even notice it. As to the tensile strength being higher? OK, but I don't need it. The conventional Sta-Set is already strong enough. In many cases we are using larger diameter lines not for the strength but for ease of handing. Most of our lines are probably overkill to begin with. I've never had a halyard or a sheet snap.

In the end, its a "pays your money and take your choice" deal. If someone feels strongly, they should go with it. It doesn't hurt.

Regards,
Rich

I wasn't advocating to stay with Sta Set X, I was just reporting the difference. I didn't give any advice at all.

That said, here is my take on it.
I use Samson LS, pretty much the same as Sta Set. I wouldn't use Sta Set X, it is too similar in stretch to Sta Set. If I was going to upgrade I'd go to Spectra or Vectran and play all those games with stripping or adding covers as my friends that race do.

I can put at least 100 lbs of force using my legs on the quick sheet end of my mainsheet through a 5:1 purchase, so ignoring losses and the angle of the leech that's around 500 lbs of load on the main halyard, I have 1/2" LS so that's around 5% of breaking load, assuming relatively linear stretch in their table we're talking about 6" of stretch on my 100' of halyard. Not a big deal as I'm probably taking most of that out when I initially raise the sail. I notice quite often I have to retension after a few minutes. After that I can just play the cunningham as needed for the conditions.

John

[cabo_sailor]

Sorry John,

I misunderstood your post.

Rich

[Unicorn Dreams]

We use Sta-Set on our boat.
I can't see the additional expense, when all you might need to do is an additional turn on a winch the next day.

[Jim Cate]

All depends on how much it hurts YOU to have scallops in the luff! Even with the spectra-cored double braid we use some creep sneaks in and we have to re-tension the main halyard now and then. Can't stand a saggy luff...

Cheers,
Jim

[Catamount]

Yale Yacht Braid has the lower-stretch and higher-strength characteristics of Sta-SetX but the lower price and easier handling of regular StaSet.

[savoir]

You might be better off with VPC which is much softer than sta Set X. It is stronger than Sta Set so you can drop down a size. It's plenty cheaper than anything spectra too.

According to Westmarine 1/2" Sta set costs $1.97 and 10 mm VPC costs $1.35.

[thinwater]

I've had Stay-set, Stay-set X, Kevlar, and Spectra Halyards.

IMHO Stay-set X is a poor compromise. It is not a big improvement over Stay-set and does not have the life and characteristics of high-tech lines. The handling, as noted, is poor.

I wouldn't change it out; I'm too cheap. But I would always suggest either Stay-set (good product) or one of the high-tech lines.

[SV Demeter]

Yeah Im with Thinwater on this one. If you open up sta set x and look at how its made you will laugh. It is just sta set with some crappy bit of tape material added to the core. For halyards I use Endurabraid. But I cant stand stretchy halyards.

Endura Braid from Rope inc.

For my genoa halyard I make a two part halyard. Since it lives on a furler there is no good reason to keep 60' of coiled up line just sitting out in the sun. Make one part from Endurabraid or what ever high quality line of your choice. Make this part just long enough so that when the sail is fully hoisted on the furler you have enough line to reach the winch or clutch or what ever. Just enough so you can make adjustments to tension when you want. Put a good eye splice in the sail end and a simple reeving splice in the bottom end. Then use a piece of 3/16 sta set or what ever as a messenger for the other half of the halyard for raising and lowering. When the sail is hoisted you can untie the messenger and stow it. Since the sail is on the furler you never lower it except in the fall. If you need to drop the jib in an emergency oh well you lose the halyard, or get the messenger out in time. You have a spare jib halyard right? I have found this method cleans up the cockpit and since I only have to buy 1/2 of a high tech halyard is cheaper. You could do this same thing with plain old sta set too.

[Mark Johnson]

Originally Posted by SV Escape Plan

Yeah Im with Thinwater on this one. If you open up sta set x and look at how its made you will laugh. It is just sta set with some crappy bit of tape material added to the core. For halyards I use Endurabraid. But I cant stand stretchy halyards.

Endura Braid from Rope inc.

For my genoa halyard I make a two part halyard. Since it lives on a furler there is no good reason to keep 60' of coiled up line just sitting out in the sun. Make one part from Endurabraid or what ever high quality line of your choice. Make this part just long enough so that when the sail is fully hoisted on the furler you have enough line to reach the winch or clutch or what ever. Just enough so you can make adjustments to tension when you want. Put a good eye splice in the sail end and a simple reeving splice in the bottom end. Then use a piece of 3/16 sta set or what ever as a messenger for the other half of the halyard for raising and lowering. When the sail is hoisted you can untie the messenger and stow it. Since the sail is on the furler you never lower it except in the fall. If you need to drop the jib in an emergency oh well you lose the halyard, or get the messenger out in time. You have a spare jib halyard right? I have found this method cleans up the cockpit and since I only have to buy 1/2 of a high tech halyard is cheaper. You could do this same thing with plain old sta set too.

I use Stay Set X and get about 10 years out of it easily. (I do wash my halyards in detergent followed by Downy every year or two).

In no way does its core resemble Stay Set. The difference is not just the fabric over the core... On Stay Set, the core is braided and on "Sta Set X" the core is non braided parallel strands, held together only by the fabric wrapping. It is considerably more dense for its dia.

It is an OK performance/price compromise, but I hate the handling. The yearly "treatment" does help a bit however. I would like to find a substitute that is equally low streatch, handles like Sta Set, doesn't creep, and doesn't cost much more!

On my roller furling headsail, which I leave up all season, I switched to 8MM T-900. It is very low streatch, and its small dia allows the splice to go into the masthead sheave a bit like it needs too. The stiff handling on this one is irrelivent, as I leave it alone all season.

Mark

[GorillaToast]

I wish I'd seen this thread before I order 200' of Sta-SetX for halyards. They're sitting on my front porch as we speak waiting for me to get home and open the package.

When looking at the descriptions of ropes and their suggested uses in the catalog, Sta-Set was not recommended for halyards, whereas X was.

Hopefully the stiffness factor is in the eye of the beholder. My old halyards are like a snake charmers rope, even after washing with fabric softener.

Live...and learn...and waste $$

[CarlF]

Sta-set X is pretty old technology. There are much better alternatives.

I"d give another vote for New England Ropes VPC. This is a lovely line at a very good price. It has a wonderful knobby cover (but not fuzzy like Trophy) that grabs winches and stoppers well. The Vectran blend in the core has minimal stretch and doesn't creep. The cover is polyester so it lasts fine in the sun. Flexible and hockle free when running.


Carl