Synthetic standing rigging

[Jmolan]

I will just copy and paste a post I did about halyards. It was from this thread.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ons-21405.html



If you read Brion Toss's letter about this stuff, you will see it is silly to have a whole pile of very expensive rope laying at the bottom of the mast after you have hoisted a sail. I have tried to solve this by going with a much cheaper tail of some easy to handle stuff, and using small dynex in the hoist part. Like a wire/rope halyard. So far only disadvantage is the 3/16" halyard really gets to singing when going to winward...:-)




I had a lot of 3/16" or maybe 1/4" (5mm/6mm) Dyneema around so I used it for halyards. I took some larger double braid and took out the core and slipped the Dyneema up inside for abut ten feet and just black taped the entry and top of the the bury some. I made the cover braid long enough to tail the halyard and have it start at the Dynex just as the sail is part way up. Just like a wire/rope halyard, except the wire is Dynex.

. The only problem I have encounterd so far was we had a 16' runabout upside down along side of us. All full of water, 50HP outboard the whole shebang.....I rigged a bridal to roll it back over, and I used the the shoelace size halyard to hoist on it. The owner of the skiff was screaming it would would break.....and I was thinking, so what if it does, I want to try this stuff out. hahahah....... Well I got the skiff half way around, (this is on a 22' wide trimaran, so lots of stability, in fact we barley heeled at all) and the tail let go. (the entire bay of water front homes is watching of course...great entertainment..... Nothing harmed, but I knew I was pushing it as the halyard had to go so much farther than normal to reach the water. So I was using only tail on the winch, not even tail with the Dynex inside. normally the tail is at my feet before I really get a load at all on the Dynex.
The only other bother is is is really small and you need to pay attention to the wraps as they come on the drum, easy to override it being so small. I wonder if an old rope to wire drum would be better? Probably a million of those around.
I just cannot see using 9mm or 11mm stuff full length just because it easy on your hands. I mean I understand why, But he stuff is WAY to strong at those sizes, I know 9mm Dux is 26,000 Lbs......pretty oversized and expensive way to pull a sail up....:-) I will try to find a read from Brion Toss on the new questions the sythetic lines are giving us. Things like, well this 5mm line may be plenty for a mainsheet (strength wise) but what happens when you jibe and the thing melts from running thru the blocks too fast.
I would like to see a good splice to get my rope buried and secure.

This was written in 2004
Brion Toss Yacht Riggers Fairleads Newsletter

[Rann]

Jack,

I'm with you; let's merge the two rigging sub groups into one. It would be easier to follow that way, IMHO.

I am also with you on the weight savings on the standing rigging. I can't wait to get ETAK's done. However, doing it in about 11 hours total time won't be possible for me, not with the limited practice I have had with synthetics.

Rann

[Jmolan]

Originally Posted by Rann

Jack,

I'm with you; let's merge the two rigging sub groups into one. It would be easier to follow that way, IMHO.

I am also with you on the weight savings on the standing rigging. I can't wait to get ETAK's done. However, doing it in about 11 hours total time won't be possible for me, not with the limited practice I have had with synthetics.

Rann

MAy 22nd I will be in LA. maybe before or after that day I can come give you a hand if you are ready then...:-)

[Jmolan]

I just posted some photos of my mast we stepped today.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post238853