Best line for clam cleat?

[massnspace]

Rebuilding the retractable centerboard system on a trailerable boat.

Any opinions on the best line to use that:

-is extremely non-stretch, and
-will hold firmly in a clam cleat.

I guess I am looking for a brand and series name. My local shop carries Marlow, Robline, Samson, and New England Ropes.

Thank you….

[flee27]

you would have narrowed it down to a double braid with a HMPE core IMO.

New England Ropes Viper braid or Sampson MLX3 should work.

Foster

[wingssail]

I'm not going to give you brand and series name from among the four brands. Maybe a rope salesperson can do that; it's quite a lot of research just to be helpful.

But assuming the clamcleat is of the type which has two rows of groves in a 'V' which narrows at the bottom, then I think you need to find a slightly soft line which will compress into the narrow part of the grooves. A very hard line might not sink down into the grooves and instead slip through and even wear out the plastic groves (aluminum clamcleats are less susceptible to that).

I wish I knew how single braid dyneema holds in these type of cleats, but I don't have experience with that combination. It is the right softness and strength, but it is slippery.

On my boat where we use clamcleats I have double braid polyester such as stayset-x and I make sure that it is pressed down into the cleat while load is on it to make sure it does not slip but honestly I prefer "camcleats" with two rotating cams which jam the line for anything important. But even camcleats won't always hold a small diameter hard line.