Broken strands in Sta Set cover

[tsell]

Last August I took advantage of West Marine’s 1/2 off rope sale to purchase a bunch of Sta Set fornew running rigging. Being the end of the season I stored everything until this spring, when I opened the boxes to start working. As I was flaking the line for the main halyard I came across 2 broken strands in the cover, almost exactly mid rope. I plan on bringing it back to our local WM, but since I bought it in August I am not expecting them to honor any replacement as defective. Assuming WM doesn’t replace it, should I bite the bullet and buy new?

[wholybee]

Where are the broken strands while rigged? Mid rope might be at the sheave while the sail is down and halyard stowed. Or, it might be at a clutch while the sail is up.

Make sure the damage is not at a chafe point which could have caused it or make it worse, and make sure there isn't defective gear that caused it. Otherwise, I don't think a couple broken strands in the cover will significantly impact the strength or reliability of the rope.

[tsell]

Thanks for the reply. I am not sure exactly where the broken strands will land n relation to the sheaves, as the line is brand new and unused. I could potentially test fit it as the mast is currently down.

[Jim Cate]

Halyards are usually sized relative to stretch, not strength, and are nowhere near SWL in use. A couple of broken strands should not affect stretch too much, so in your place I
would likely use the halyard without worry.

Jim

[The Yacht Rigger]

Can you upload a picture of the damaged area?
I'm curious if its two complete "plaits" on the cover, or just a couple strands that are broken.
As others have mentioned it's possibly going to be fine depending on where the break is, as well as exactly how much material is compromised. It might not even be loaded at all once the sail is hoisted - worth experimenting. You might well end up just melting the broken ends down and leaving it be.

[psk125]

Broken strands in the cover will not affect the loading capability of the line much, if at all. The cover is essentially just to protect the core from UV and to provide a better hand to the line for coiling and for rope clutches. As YR suggests above, the best thing to do might be to melt the strands together with a flame and forget about them.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by psk125

Broken strands in the cover will not affect the loading capability of the line much, if at all. The cover is essentially just to protect the core from UV and to provide a better hand to the line for coiling and for rope clutches. As YR suggests above, the best thing to do might be to melt the strands together with a flame and forget about them.

For Sta-set, the cover provides about half the strength of the rope.

[s/v Jedi]

Yes, there’s misinformation in this thread again. Staset needs the cover for 50% of its strength.

You should take it back, it is unused and has a manufacturing defect. If WM says no then ask for the manager or have it escalated higher up. You can also call New England Ropes directly.

[psk125]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Yes, there’s misinformation in this thread again. Staset needs the cover for 50% of its strength.

You should take it back, it is unused and has a manufacturing defect. If WM says no then ask for the manager or have it escalated higher up. You can also call New England Ropes directly.

Was so surprised by the above that I called New England Ropes to find out more. The sales manager, Peter, advised me that Staset - and any cored line- derives most of its strength from the core and that while the cover may provide some additional loading capabilities, it is not something they have any numbers on.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by psk125

Was so surprised by the above that I called New England Ropes to find out more. The sales manager, Peter, advised me that Staset - and any cored line- derives most of its strength from the core and that while the cover may provide some additional loading capabilities, it is not something they have any numbers on.

Doesn’t surprise me, however they should fire their sales manager. Below why this is so:


New England Ropes Staset double braid line. Their sales manager claims that the core provides the bulk of its strength and the cover only a minor part.

Others tell me that the cover provides 50% of the strength and think that the sales manager is confused about ropes with a Dyneema or Vectran core where indeed the core provides all the strength.

You’re right to question this, because the contribution of the cover and core to strength in double braid lines depends heavily on the construction and materials used.

For New England Ropes Sta-Set (polyester core and polyester cover):
• It’s a balanced double braid line, meaning the core and cover share the load.
• Typically, the cover provides about 40–50% of the line’s strength in this type of construction.
• The exact split can vary depending on tension, splicing, and loading conditions, but it’s safe to say that both components contribute substantially.

Where confusion arises:
• In high-performance lines like those with Dyneema, Vectran, or Technora cores and a polyester or other less strong cover, the core carries nearly all the load (sometimes 100%). In those cases, the cover is mostly for abrasion resistance, UV protection, and handling comfort.

So, the sales manager is incorrect if they’re referring to Sta-Set. The cover does provide a significant portion of the strength, and Sta-Set is engineered that way. They might have been thinking of high-modulus core-dependent ropes like Endura Braid or V-100 instead.

Would you like manufacturer documentation or test data that supports this?

[s/v Jedi]

To be clear, I am using AI support for these kind of answers. This is the paid for version of the full ChatGPT 4o

Let’s continue to get this all worked out:

So if a brand new line comes with broken strands in its cover,clearly a manufacturing defect, halfway down its length… would this qualify for warranty replacement?

Yes, that should absolutely qualify for warranty replacement—especially on a brand-new Sta-Set line.

Here’s why:
1. Sta-Set is a balanced double braid, so broken cover strands can reduce the line’s strength—potentially by up to 40–50%. It’s not cosmetic.
2. Mid-line defects are not wear-related. If the damage is not near a splice or chafe point, and the line is new and unused or lightly handled, that points directly to a manufacturing defect, not user error.
3. Most rope manufacturers, including New England Ropes, offer warranties against manufacturing defects, particularly for visible flaws that affect performance.

Take clear photos of the damage, note any purchase details (vendor, date, batch if available), and reach out to the vendor or New England Ropes directly. With the sales manager already engaged, it may help to politely but firmly assert that cover integrity matters in Sta-Set and request a replacement or refund.

Would you like a sample message you can send to the manufacturer or vendor?

[psk125]

On another thread someone used AI to answer a question about a C&C keel being cast iron or lead and came up with the answer:cast iron. Has anyone ever seen a cast iron keel on a C&C?
The New England Ropes sales manager is quite aware that Sta-Set is an all-polyester double-braid (not Dyneema or Vectran) and would not say that most of its strength derives from the core if this was not the case. He was also careful to say that they don't have numbers on the breakdown: they have not tested the core breaking strength without any cover. AI looks online for data, and online "data" can be wrong. This thread repeats several times that the cover carries half the load of the line. Ai sees each such mention as a "vote" for it being true. Even when the manufacturer says it is not. AI doesn't weigh the validity of its "data". It leaves that to the person using the AI by suggesting " Would you like manufacturer documentation or test data that supports this?" New England Ropes has already said they have no documentation on this 50% claim, so where is the chatbot getting its information? Maybe it's just guessing. GIGO.
You can't believe everything you see.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by psk125

AI looks online for data, and online "data" can be wrong. This thread repeats several times that the cover carries half the load of the line.

I'm not using AI.

Look at the Samson website: https://www.samsonrope.com/resources...the-right-line

From which I quote: "In addition to carrying up to one-half of the load, the cover serves to protect the core from abrasion or ultraviolet degradation, to provide grip on winches or in clutches and stoppers, and to provide protection from friction- generated heat."

The construction of Samson XLS3 and New England Ropes Sta-set is nearly identical. Other similar products from Marlow and others in the industry, are also nearly identical, as double-braid polyester ropes are a mature technology.

See also Brian Toss's description of the Class 1 eye splice in the "working rope" series that was later anthologized into book form in "The Rigger's Apprentice," where he says, "Double braid possesses its advantages .... if the cover and core share the load equally. If there is slack in either one, the strength of the rope can drop by 50%"

If you don't want to believe either of them, get a load cell and measure the tension on some ropes when they break. Cut away the cover and see. Then cut away the core.

[s/v Jedi]

The epitome of digging the hole deeper…

[sinnerman]

I would contact first WM, and New England Ropes .


One of them should be able to address this.



Send them pix