Spectra rigging? What do you think

[Jesse]

A few years ago one of the "Tall Ships" replaced standing rigging with dyneema and the weight difference was an eye opener. I think it was the Hawaiian Chieftain.

[fxykty]

We’re due to re-rig our forestay and the two main shrouds sometime in the next two years, currently all 14mm SS.

Can a forestay, basically encapsulated by a furling system, be changed to synthetic? As for the shrouds, we often have one or more of the mainsail battens and the sail of course laying against them, particularly during reefing. So do we need to worry about chafe with synthetic shrouds or can that be managed with a decent cover?

The only other stays on the mast to the deck are the running back stays - I imagine no issues changing to synthetic for them?

What about for the diamonds that keep the mast in column - can those be synthetic? We have two sets of spreaders, each with three arms (forward and to each side), so 6 stays, three of which terminate at the lower spreaders.

[44'cruisingcat]

With a furler, I'd be inclined to keep the forestay SS. I understand that spectra will work there, but having the multiple abrasion points that can't be inspected would worry me too much.

Abrasion from the sail is more easily avoided, and more easily seen. You'd be more interested in protecting the sail from abrasion by the stay anyway.

You can certainly replace diamond stays with synthetic.

[charliehows]

Interesting – a leap from a modern and tested (and thereby shown to be wanting) form of rigging (stainless steel) to an ancient form (rope, but of a new and timewise untested type) without the least consideration of the intermediate iteration – galvanised steel wire, which material is cheap, reliable, obtainable anywhere, easily applied using clamps and well and truly tested over more than a century and a half of use. I'm yet to be convinced that this new generation of rope has the 'legs' to justify the sort of expense to replace s/s, irrelevant in my case 'cos I'm still using galvanised steel on both the KISS and 'if it aint broke...' principles.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by double u

"...who've never even used the stuff..."
I mightn't have seen "the stuff", but I've seen plenty of ropes & rigging in my time, & quite a few "unfriendly" places on our 3 rtws, plenty...maybe some that you haven't seen?

So on your RTWs on the Wharram, how often were your rudder lashings, or hull to beam lashings cut by vandals?

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by charliehows

Interesting – a leap from a modern and tested (and thereby shown to be wanting) form of rigging (stainless steel) to an ancient form (rope, but of a new and timewise untested type) without the least consideration of the intermediate iteration – galvanised steel wire, which material is cheap, reliable, obtainable anywhere, easily applied using clamps and well and truly tested over more than a century and a half of use. I'm yet to be convinced that this new generation of rope has the 'legs' to justify the sort of expense to replace s/s, irrelevant in my case 'cos I'm still using galvanised steel on both the KISS and 'if it aint broke...' principles.

Synthetic rigging has been around long enough to establish that it lasts as long as stainless.

Price is similar, but you can save by DIYing, and there are significant weight savings, and in an area where saving weight is most beneficial.

[roland stockham]

I have been experimenting with synthetic rigging for a while using it for no critical areas. Once you get used to splicing it it is definitely OK for DIY. Seems to stand up to the elements well including tropical sun. Not noticed any more stretch when settling in than I get with wire so I would say yes, anything that does not have a sail hanked on. Does give the option of fitting bigger diameters without weight penalty.

The only bit I am not sure about is that reducing the rig weight also reduces rolling resistance so you are going to get a faster rolling motion and possibly less resistance to capsize (on a mono only of course!). Don't know how significant that will be and don't know any way of finding out except by trying it.
On my boat it would think it would be cheaper, The line is dearer than the wire but does not need as many fittings so if the bottle screws etc are due for replacement that could save quite a bit. I like the idea of changing to dead eyes which you can do with synthetics.

[billgewater]

I have recently installed synthetic rigging and the weight savings are really noticeable. I do not have headsail furlers nor for the inner stay-sail. The two fore-stays are parallel and separated by about about 5 inches - 130 mm. (double fore-stays work well for me. When cruising downwind I pole out two yankees - one on each side.)

On the previous rig these three stays were all SS and I used nylon piston hanks to attach the sails to the fore stays.

An acquaintance has used dyneema loops after removing all his piston hanks. He suggested that I try using the nylon hanks which are still on my sails.

Does anyone have experience with this problem or any informed opinions? I would hate to damage these new fore-stays! Any advice appreciated.

[charliehows]

not to worry - there'll be an app to fix yer rigging from the comfort of yer hammock soon enough...

[qwert]

Has anyone experienced a lightning strike ? Is the burst of heat enough to damage/melt the dyneema or is it too rapid ? Wire does keep your mast up.

[Rigdaddy]

Originally Posted by sailon46

FYI All the French Tri's sailing around the Globe, have no standing rigging just dyneema's.
Ernie on the Mary Jane

They have dyneema what?

[roland stockham]

Originally Posted by billgewater

I have recently installed synthetic rigging and the weight savings are really noticeable. I do not have headsail furlers nor for the inner stay-sail. The two fore-stays are parallel and separated by about about 5 inches - 130 mm. (double fore-stays work well for me. When cruising downwind I pole out two yankees - one on each side.)

On the previous rig these three stays were all SS and I used nylon piston hanks to attach the sails to the fore stays.

An acquaintance has used dyneema loops after removing all his piston hanks. He suggested that I try using the nylon hanks which are still on my sails.

Does anyone have experience with this problem or any informed opinions? I would hate to damage these new fore-stays! Any advice appreciated.

I have not tried hanks on synthetic rigging but from my climbing and caving days it was an absolute no to running chord against chord under any circumstances due to heat build up from friction. Unless I had very good proof that it was OK I would not do this. Most HMP has a very low melt point so even a small buid up of heat will substantially weaken it.

[Pauls]

One thing you should be aware of is that Dynex Dux, Dyneema, etc has a negative thermal expansion. That means that it gets longer when cold and shorter when hot. This is the opposite of what your mast is doing. So standing rigging with the synthetics looses tension when cold and tightens up when hot. The amount of change is very noticeable. You can address this with enough pre-tension, but it is something to be very aware of. Seasonal rigging adjustments are typically necessary.

On my boat, because of the thermal expansion issues, I used Dynex Dux where I needed its properties. These were the bobstay and bowsprit shrouds and the runners (my bowsprit is retractable, the flexible Dux is great here). The rest of the standing rigging is galvanized steel, which with the protective coatings I applied I expect to last for a lifetime.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

I have not tried hanks on synthetic rigging but from my climbing and caving days it was an absolute no to running chord against chord under any circumstances due to heat build up from friction. Unless I had very good proof that it was OK I would not do this. Most HMP has a very low melt point so even a small buid up of heat will substantially weaken it.

IIRC, Evans Starzinger reported using a hanked on sail on a Dux stay with no chafe or melting issues.

Jim

[olaf hart]

Originally Posted by charliehows

Interesting – a leap from a modern and tested (and thereby shown to be wanting) form of rigging (stainless steel) to an ancient form (rope, but of a new and timewise untested type) without the least consideration of the intermediate iteration – galvanised steel wire, which material is cheap, reliable, obtainable anywhere, easily applied using clamps and well and truly tested over more than a century and a half of use. I'm yet to be convinced that this new generation of rope has the 'legs' to justify the sort of expense to replace s/s, irrelevant in my case 'cos I'm still using galvanised steel on both the KISS and 'if it aint broke...' principles.

A mate with gal rigging tells me there are problems accessing good gal wire these days.
Do you have any good sources?