Dyneema Control Lines

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Yes, a huge benefit with a virtuous circle is downsizing lines when switching to dyneema. You get the same or greater strength with far less stretch and far, far less weight, and even the cost isn't dramatically greater, when you downsize.

Your lines sound small, however! I downsized my jib sheets to 14mm racing dyneema from 16mm poly, and my main sheet from 14mm poly to 12mm racing dyneema. My 12mm poly furling lines went to 10mm racing dyneema.

What a difference! The new lines are half or less the weight, run better over blocks, much easier to handle, more flexible. My main sheet is extremely long because of multiple purchase and the way it runs; I could hardly pick it up myself in the old version. Now it's a snap.

The only line I didn't downsize was my vang -- it was 12mm poly and I used 12mm racing dyneema with cover stripped.

My staysail sheet, running backstays, and outhaul were all Dyneema as the boat was originally built, and I left them that way (the running backs are actually still original). I lengthened my outhaul by splicing on single braid dyneema, and the bare dyneema is what runs in the clew block and boom car -- which is great.

You are sloop or cutter rigged so with 54’ everything is bigger than on my 64’ ketch. My main is comparable to a 46’ sloop.

About stripping and covers: I still have a little “cover-only” available from Yale Cordage. They don’t sell it anymore. Very handy with a messenger line that I re-use as well :-)

You have another option with stripping: buy Warpspeed II and strip but save the stripped cover. Now you can use that cover with bare Amsteel Blue and get the exact same look and product without throwing anything away.

Also, think about splicing amsteel to xls3 when you have a hauling part that isn’t loaded. Example: the running tails of running backstays. You only need Dyneema to the winch self tailer, the rest is only used for storing the backstay forward. I cut the Dyneema a couple feet longer past the self tailer, then take xls3, remove something like 100” of core and splice the Amsteel to the xls3 core. Then milk the cover back over the splice and the part of Amsteel that engages the winch. Then I retract the backstay and cut the xls3 to length.

Some pictures for illustration. Note the rings replacing blocks.

[wgerstmyer]

Great thread—would love more pics as I’m not up to speed on stripping to the core.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by wgerstmyer

Great thread—would love more pics as I’m not up to speed on stripping to the core.

It’s very easy to do, you pull the core from the rope, which bulks up the outer braid. The first picture (messed up, probably last picture) shows the white core of the xls3 connected to the Amsteel Blue with a Brummel lock. The second picture shows how the two tails have been buried on each side of the brummel lock. After that you have to milk the cover back over the splice and part of the Amsteel Blue.

To finish the other side, where the outer cover stops and bare Amsteel continues, you open up the outer braid about 12” from the end and pull the Amsteel through that opening as can be seen in the picture. Now you have 12” of outer cover that you can taper and bury inside the Amsteel.

Edit: here is a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aohGiTNCMQE

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

It’s very easy to do, you pull the core from the rope, which bulks up the outer braid. The first picture (messed up, probably last picture) shows the white core of the xls3 connected to the Amsteel Blue with a Brummel lock. The second picture shows how the two tails have been buried on each side of the brummel lock. After that you have to milk the cover back over the splice and part of the Amsteel Blue.

To finish the other side, where the outer cover stops and bare Amsteel continues, you open up the outer braid about 12” from the end and pull the Amsteel through that opening as can be seen in the picture. Now you have 12” of outer cover that you can taper and bury inside the Amsteel.

Edit: here is a video:

An advantage of doing it this way is that you can use single braid with good coatings -- the core of double braid is not usually well coated.


Another advantage is it's cheaper. And it's very easy to do.