Wire halyard vs. low stretch rope

[RSB333]

I need to replace my wire main halyard on out '84 Pearson 34. Does anyone have advice on the new low stretch rope to replace the old wire portion?
RSB

[Orion Jim]

You are a short ride from Fairhaven. Go to Rigging Only and make your decision based on what Danny recommends and you feel like spending. "Hand" is important with rope halyards, as is stretch. I personally prefer 7/16 halyards because anything smaller is difficult to grasp.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Good info in the below threads, & or, if you do a search. But were it me, I'd switch to 3/8" Warpspeed without a second's thought. Just clean any scoring & burrs off of the sheave or anywhere else that the halyard may touch. And if you read the below theads, you'll see that a purely cordage halyard is actually cheaper, when the price of splicing is factored in.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...rd-182029.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ly-181803.html

[savoir]

Use whichever dyneema cored line is the best value at your local chandlery. 3/8" Endurabraid or Warpspeed would both do the job. At the same time both are expensive. If the budget is tight then use 11mm VPC which will be around $1.50/foot cheaper.

It would be a good idea to check the sheave at the masthead for damage from the wire. You want everything up there to be smooth.

[Jim Cate]

The OP says "wire main halyard", not "wire/rope halyard". so, I'm wondering if he has an all wire setup now with a reel type winch? If so, the 10 mm Warpspeed etc replacement won't work. However, I believe that substituting straight sk78 Dyneema (bare) in a size not much bigger than the original wire should be ok.

Jim

[Adelie]

The OP also said he wants "to replace the old wire portion". That implies a mixed fiber and wire halyard.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Adelie

The OP also said he wants "to replace the old wire portion". That implies a mixed fiber and wire halyard.

True, that! Another case of poorly defined questions bringing diverse answers. Maybe the OP will clarify...

Jim

[Movinon1]

Also, when inspecting sheave, make sure replacement halyard fits in sheave valley correctly. I found mine was narrow to accept the wire halyard.

Bob

[RSB333]

Sorry for the poorly worded question - the old halyards are wire spliced to 3/8"rope. It won't be easy to check on the sheaves as the mast is installed and removing the cap from a bos'un's chair would be beyond my capability.RSB

[KP44]

I replace mine with sta-set-x. I also had new sheaves fabricated and replaced them while the mast was down. If you're a cruiser, any low stretch will do and larger is easier on your hands but makes a larger wrap on a cleat.