|
|
26-02-2017, 07:19
|
#1
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 105
|
Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Last November I ordered a new Achilles dinghy and had it delivered to me in India. I consider the Achilles dinghy to be the best overall yacht tender available today, BUT....the dinghy came with a painter made of about 3/8 inch, white synthetic rope. It looked to be high quality rope and I would have left it on the dinghy except that I prefer a longer painter. After putting my own painter on the dinghy, I used the original, supplied rope to make a new safety rope for our Monitor vane steering oar. Yesterday I gave the safety line a sharp tug to test the knot, and the line disintegrated in my hands. Less than three months in the tropical sun had completely rotted the rope. Had I used the supplied rope, we would have lost our tender in one of the many blustery nights at anchor in the Maldives. As the skeleton at "Pirates of the Caribbean" says, "Fairly warned ya be, sez I."
|
|
|
26-02-2017, 14:04
|
#2
|
Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea
Boat: FP Belize Maestro 43 and OPBs
Posts: 12,888
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Almost certainly polyethylene and sounds like it didn't have UV inhibitors. polyethylene has poor UV resistance.
A good rule of thumb is that if a line floats and is "stretchy" (i.e. it's not HMPE - Dyneema etc) then it's probably polyethylene so don't use it in places where it is permanently exposed to direct sunlight, especially in the tropics.
|
|
|
26-02-2017, 20:39
|
#3
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Back in Montt.
Boat: Westerly Sealord
Posts: 8,178
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Thanks for the heads up... thats what happens when you shift manufacturing to China I guess...
|
|
|
26-02-2017, 22:31
|
#4
|
Moderator
Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,135
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Quote:
Originally Posted by StuM
Almost certainly polyethylene and sounds like it didn't have UV inhibitors. polyethylene has poor UV resistance.
A good rule of thumb is that if a line floats and is "stretchy" (i.e. it's not HMPE - Dyneema etc) then it's probably polyethylene so don't use it in places where it is permanently exposed to direct sunlight, especially in the tropics.
|
Maybe polypropylene, Stu?
Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
|
|
|
26-02-2017, 22:59
|
#5
|
CF Adviser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Boat: Van Helleman Schooner 65ft StarGazer
Posts: 10,280
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Thanks for the heads up as I will be replacing my original 18 yr Achilles soon.
Never thought about it till now as she had a long spliced nylon painter with thimble, but do people prefer a floating or heavy painter?
|
|
|
26-02-2017, 23:31
|
#6
|
Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea
Boat: FP Belize Maestro 43 and OPBs
Posts: 12,888
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Cate
Maybe polypropylene, Stu?
Jim
|
Doh! You are of course correct. A brain fart.
Just spend the weekend helping replace the wire standing rigging on a Farr 1/2 tonner with High Molecular Density Polyethylene (HMDPE aka Dyneema) and making up a batch of soft shackles. Guess I had "ethylene" on my mind.
|
|
|
26-02-2017, 23:39
|
#7
|
Moderator
Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,135
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pelagic
Thanks for the heads up as I will be replacing my original 18 yr Achilles soon.
Never thought about it till now as she had a long spliced nylon painter with thimble, but do people prefer a floating or heavy painter?
|
I prefer a floating painter. Not foolproof, but it helps keep it from doing something wicked!
Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
|
|
|
27-02-2017, 00:38
|
#8
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 29
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
To the best of my knowledge, polypropylene floats, doesn't stretch and degrades
quickly from sunlight.,,it's also strong and inexpensive.
|
|
|
27-02-2017, 01:18
|
#9
|
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Boat: Island Packet 40
Posts: 6,416
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
I have been told sometime in the past that polyprops UV resistance is related to how much aluminium they put into it at manufacture. I have some locally manufactured which must be getting close to 30 years old as an anchor line in my dingy and it is still good. After an experience with anchor chain where the gal turned black and flaked off in the locker I have avoided Chinese stuff as much as possible but it is not the easiest.
|
|
|
27-02-2017, 02:01
|
#10
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Back in Montt.
Boat: Westerly Sealord
Posts: 8,178
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim van Cleve
To the best of my knowledge, polypropylene floats, doesn't stretch and degrades
quickly from sunlight.,,it's also strong and inexpensive.
|
Dunno about that ... it is the standard mooring line on big ships... and I have polyprop shore lines ( not dock lines... shore lines ) on my boat that are 12 years old and still going strong. The bags I keep my shore lines in ... 'bolsas para verduras'... are most probably woven polyethylene... they last about 12 months..
|
|
|
27-02-2017, 02:51
|
#11
|
Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea
Boat: FP Belize Maestro 43 and OPBs
Posts: 12,888
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim van Cleve
To the best of my knowledge, polypropylene floats, doesn't stretch and degrades
quickly from sunlight.,,it's also strong and inexpensive.
|
1 and 3 are correct. But it does stretch - about 1/2 as much as nylon, but quite a bit more than polyester.
And it's only about 60% of the strength of nylon and polyester
|
|
|
27-02-2017, 05:44
|
#12
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Ireland
Posts: 69
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Huge variance in chinese rope. I bought some 24mm PP rope a few years ago and it's still going strong. Bought some last year from the same supplier and it fell apart after 6 months under an Irish sun (which isn't very bright).
Sent from my SM-G920F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
|
|
|
27-02-2017, 05:53
|
#13
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Up the mast, looking for clean wind.
Boat: Currently Shopping, & Heavily in LUST!
Posts: 5,629
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Polypro such as the yellow stuff used in waterski tow ropes is about a much of a fan of sunlight as Dracula.
When it comes to painters for dinghies & the like, there are some blended lines that are purpose designed for such, having some UV resistance, while floating as well. And also, a lot of sail control lines that are used in sailing dinghies float as well. Plus there are big boat lines which float. Some being blends of polypro & spectra, with others having a spectra core, & blended polypro cover.
__________________
The Uncommon Thing, The Hard Thing, The Important Thing (in Life): Making Promises to Yourself, And Keeping Them.
|
|
|
27-02-2017, 08:40
|
#14
|
Registered User
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 15
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
Achilles are no longer made in Japan, rather they are now manufactured in Wehai China. They have been manufactured there for at least 10 years, that is the last time I visited that factory.
When I asked the owner about them claiming it is made in
Japan he showed me the ID plate and said "This is made in Japan."
This is the same story from one of the well known marine stainless distributors here in the USA. On notably uses a blue green cardboard and boldly states "Made in the USA". The cardboard packing is made here, the rest of their stuff comes from Asia.
I know this because I have been to the foundries and seen their product made with their name cast into it.
|
|
|
27-02-2017, 09:45
|
#15
|
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Winter Harbor Maine
Boat: Catalina 22
Posts: 27
|
Re: Warning about sub-standard dinghy painter
This rope is double braided nylon over polypropylene - floats, spliceable, and holds knots very well.
https://shop.hamiltonmarine.com/prod...el--42846.html
|
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Rate This Thread |
Linear Mode
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Advertise Here
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vendor Spotlight |
|
|
|