Lashing for the HMPE Lifelines

[delmarrey]

Here's what I did with mine. They've gone slack once and are easy to make the adjustments. The fuzzy on the top turnbuckle end is just frayed whipping ends.

To prevent chaffing, I put plastic sleeves where they pass thru the stanchions.

[thinwater]

HMPE does not creep on lifelines because there is no appreciable tension. What you are seeing is constructional stretch (the splices setling and the braid settling). If you give them a good hard pull with a winch for ~ 5 minutes you will not have this problem, other than a little settling in the lashing.

Also, remember that tight lifelines is the short road to bend stanchions and leaks (stress approaches infinity with no slack). Limit slack, but remember some is allowed.

[Suijin]

If you're using synthetic lifelines you should as mentioned not over tension them. Stretch is limited and very likely the result of the lashings in my experience.

For chafe protection you can buy grommets from a lamp supply store that slot into the holes in stanchions from both ends of the hole. They work great.

That said, I'm not a fan of synthetic lifelines. In my opinion the only valid reason to use them is weight savings.

I've spent a fair amount of time on ocean race boats, a good number of which have amsteel lines, and the downside is that, because it has low stiffness, grabbing ahold of it, no matter how well it is tensioned, is akin to gripping a wet noodle. Granted, you should not use lifelines as handholds but I think everyone who's spent time at sea knows that you inevitably do, on occasion, and usually those occasions are precisely when you want them to offer steadying support. Synthetic lifelines do not offer that at all.

The value equation does not favor synthetic lines either, I don't think, although I'm not sure. Uncoated stainless steel twisted wire will not cut or chafe or suffer UV degradation. I do know that most racers replace their synthetic lifelines every 5 years or so.

If you're not racing, it makes sense to me to go with uncoated twisted wire, 1/4" for the top (for better stiffness and hand) and 1/8" for the lowers.

If you shop around, new SS lifelines for a 40' mono should run around $800 including new turnbuckles and gate hooks. There are outfits that you send your old lines to and within a week you'll have your new ones back.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by SVNeko

What are the new and pricey ones for synthetics? I have not come across turnbuckles for synthetics before.

Page 14 of CSJohnson e-catalogue.

Johnson Marine Hardware Online Virtual Catalog: Page 14

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Suijin

If you're using synthetic lifelines you should as mentioned not over tension them. Stretch is limited and very likely the result of the lashings in my experience.

For chafe protection you can buy grommets from a lamp supply store that slot into the holes in stanchions from both ends of the hole. They work great.

That said, I'm not a fan of synthetic lifelines. In my opinion the only valid reason to use them is weight savings.

I've spent a fair amount of time on ocean race boats, a good number of which have amsteel lines, and the downside is that, because it has low stiffness, grabbing ahold of it, no matter how well it is tensioned, is akin to gripping a wet noodle. Granted, you should not use lifelines as handholds but I think everyone who's spent time at sea knows that you inevitably do, on occasion, and usually those occasions are precisely when you want them to offer steadying support. Synthetic lifelines do not offer that at all.

The value equation does not favor synthetic lines either, I don't think, although I'm not sure. Uncoated stainless steel twisted wire will not cut or chafe or suffer UV degradation. I do know that most racers replace their synthetic lifelines every 5 years or so.

If you're not racing, it makes sense to me to go with uncoated twisted wire, 1/4" for the top (for better stiffness and hand) and 1/8" for the lowers.

If you shop around, new SS lifelines for a 40' mono should run around $800 including new turnbuckles and gate hooks. There are outfits that you send your old lines to and within a week you'll have your new ones back.

That's all fine and dandy for a boat with a lot of people aboard, but someone that is a owner and builder who sails short handed & knows their own boat, synthetic works just fine. All lines lead to the cockpit and spend little time on deck in bad weather.

Also, I almost paid as much for the 4 wire gates at West Marine (wanted stiff gates) as I did for the whole rest of the boat using my own design in syn.


And thanks SVTatia for the link. I did not realize there were turnbuckles for syn. Maybe there wasn't 3 years ago? Donno!