Replacing with synthetic standing rigging?

[Anzo]

I'm probably due for new standing rigging, given the age of what is on Zerk now, and since every other damn thing on the boat is new-ish, I'd hate to assume it's ok. Yea, I should get it inspected to see if it's serviceable, but....

Given the weight savings and the strength-gaining, is there any downside to synthetic rigging like Powerlite other than the extra cost? Originally they ("they" are the people reviewing it a couple of yrs ago) were talking about a four year life span, but it also mentioned that may be because there wasn't a very long history with the product, so the 4 yr figure wasn't particularly useful.

Happy day, all

[Stumble]

Anzo,

I like synthetic rigging. The primary choices are PBO ( powerlight), carbon fiber, and Dynex Duc.

They all have adherents, and all are massive performance steps forward from stainless. But they also all have problems that you have to either accept or deal with.

PBO MUST be kept out of the sun. And uv damage at all will destroy it in short order. The lifespan is really a question of how long they can keep the protective coating together, not how long the material inside will last.

Carbon fiber is great, but it does not accept shock loads very well. One bad jibe where the boom slams into the rigging could shatter it. It is unlikely, but has happened.

Dynex Dux is pretty much the odd man out, since it is really just rope... Basically a heat annealed dyneema line that is very creep and stretch resistant. Because it is used in other industries it has a mass appeal, and is therefore not anymore expensive than 316 wire rigging. But it can be cut by someone wielding a knife, and an earnest intent to cut down your rig. It is typically built with a huge safety margin because they size it to creep, not breaking strength, so even a significant gash won't bring the rig down.


Any way you go figure on saving 80% or more of the weight aloft. Depending on the boat, this can be significant enough to make the boat stiffer, with a faster rolling motion.