Lifelines - Vinyl vs Uncoated

[s/v Jedi]

For leaning on them, synthetics are much better than covered steel.

Cutting synthetics with a sharp object: I find that a positive. Also, you can quickly cut the lashings in just a bit less urgent situations.

But my wife has the ultimate argument for synthetics: double duty as laundry drying lines.. no more rust spots!

ciao!
Nick.

[cal40john]

Found an interesting article arguing for dyneema or dynex dux lifelines.

http://www.colligomarine.com/docs/re...pe/RTRDyn1.pdf

Sounds good except for the part that says inspect frequently for chafe or UV damage. I don't have anything against modern synthetics, but I'll stay with steel for now because I do worry about not noticing abraded lines.

John

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Johnathon123

I looked at a boat a while ago, had uncoated (obviously) SS tubing.

It was brilliant, strong, secure, felt right the whole lot, the bottom strand was uncoated wire.

But that top rail was sensational!

+1

Also makes hauling an inflatable dinghy onboard easier.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by daddle

Lifeline danger!

So there I am a few months ago in steamy Malakal Harbor. Party on the neighbor boat. I decide to cool off with a swim so I've climbed over the bare stainless steel lifeline. Got my baggies on and hanging onto the shrouds about to dive in. Gotta make it a 10 because friends are watching. So give a big jump. Except the hem of the baggies are snagged somehow on the lifeline. I'm horizontal. Stopped dead in mid air six feet up. The baggies pulled down a foot. Then the magnificent painful perfect 10 bellyflop. Man did that hurt. Friends cheered though.

Best post in the thread goes to... Daddle!

[Seahunter]

Originally Posted by Amgine

How well does the halyard material withstand the abrasion from the edges of the stanchion holes? is there a suggested method to avoid friction there?

There's no friction there, they're static (IE they don't move) and lifelines should not be taut as a bow but should have some slack.

[gonesail]

we don't coat standing rigging .. why coat lifelines ??

[donradcliffe]

Nothing here has changed my mind, and I'm sticking with coated SS lifelines. More comfortable, doesn't rust the laundry, and less chance of cutting me or being cut by the things I haul across them.

I do replace them every 5 years due to the corrosion issues.

I would guess that if I went with the synthetic line, I would have to carry enough material to replace at least half the lines. My question is--would that material also serve as backup to my standing rigging, which is 12 mil SS??

[Extemporaneous]

Originally Posted by Seahunter

and lifelines should not be taut as a bow but should have some slack.

Why the Slack?

Regards,
Extemp.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Nothing here has changed my mind, and I'm sticking with coated SS lifelines. More comfortable, doesn't rust the laundry, and less chance of cutting me or being cut by the things I haul across them.

I do replace them every 5 years due to the corrosion issues.

I would guess that if I went with the synthetic line, I would have to carry enough material to replace at least half the lines. My question is--would that material also serve as backup to my standing rigging, which is 12 mil SS??

If you go with Amsteel and use the same diameter as coated lines, it will still be as strong after 5 years as the SS was when new. 1/4" Amsteel is way strong.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Extemporaneous

Why the Slack?

Regards,
Extemp.

If they are very tight and you calculate the tight rope effect, on some installations you will instantly bend a stauncian and have some slack again anyway. There are far more slightly bent staunchians out there than is realized.

Just a smidgen of slack is needed, at most. An inch or so of deflection. This depends on the geometry.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by gonesail

we don't coat standing rigging .. why coat lifelines ??

Posts 17, 20, 21, 30, 31. 3/16-inch SS is brutal on the hands, 1/4-inch coated or Amsteel is comfortable. We don't generally hold standing rigging, and on most boats when we do, it is larger than 1/4-inch.

Standing rigging is repeatedly loaded to a very high fraction of it's rated strength. Lifelines see no significant cyclic loads.

So really, a different thing with different compromises to consider. I'm no fan of coated lines (broken a few, but in accessory rigging applications, not lifelines), but I'm always interested in new discussion.

[gonesail]

uncoated ss feels fine to me .. and i hold standing rigging all the time. i like being able to see the corrosion to guage whether the lifeline is really going to work when i am falling overboard .. plus i think it looks better

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by gonesail

uncoated ss feels fine to me .. and i hold standing rigging all the time. i like being able to see the corrosion to guage whether the lifeline is really going to work when i am falling overboard .. plus i think it looks better

The first and last reasons are quite subjective, this will always be like an anchor thread... and I will follow it!

[Greggegner]

I changed lifeline this year...I went with bare SS. It was cheaper and had 1000 pounds more breaking strength than the vinyl. It is also easier to get a good rip on...

[spostamento nobile]

Want the comfort of coated, with the strength & (inspection) safety of bare wire?
SWIM NOODLES!
Buy a couple, split them lengthwise and Presto. Instant comfort, cheap solution, and removable an end to end inspection.
If you know heavy weather is over the horizon, a couple well placed zip ties, and it will take breaking the wire for them to fly off.
//$0.02