Mainsheet

[Nico Domino]

Hi all
Which is a good mainsheet rope, low absorption, soft, easy running through sheaves. At the moment using 12mm polyester. Too heavy when wet and heavy on the boom in light air off the wind. Thanks for your opinion

[roverhi]

You don't say what the mechanical advantage of your mainsheet system. Off hand would say 1/2" anything is too large a diameter which will suffer the problems you state just because of it's size. Might consider 7/16" or even 3/8". Currently running 7/16" StaSet Dacron mainsheet on 35' boat with a long boom with a 2 speed block system for 6-1, 3-1 mechanical advantage and no problems with hand comfort.

[Nico Domino]

Originally Posted by roverhi

You don't say what the mechanical advantage of your mainsheet system. Off hand would say 1/2" anything is too large a diameter which will suffer the problems you state just because of it's size. Might consider 7/16" or even 3/8". Currently running 7/16" StaSet Dacron mainsheet on 35' boat with a long boom with a 2 speed block system for 6-1, 3-1 mechanical advantage and no problems with hand comfort.

Hi
1:6 direct as is , close haul hard on hands. When wet even harder as rope becomes heavy. This is why looking for softer - non absorbent rope. It is a 3/4 rig with big main.

[Benz]

Ropes with dyneema or polypropylene cores don't soak up water, and are lighter to begin with. Not popular on cruising boats because of the cost and the lack of stretch. Racing boats use them exclusively, but an accidental gybe puts a lot of shock load on the fittings.
You can use a short piece of nylon strop in the system to absorb shocks, and then go with the thinnest dyneema cored rope that your hands find comfortable.
My comfort range is between 3/8" and 3/4"--any sizes out of that get hard to handle. But a 3/8" dyneema mainsheet might just do the trick.

[Orion Jim]

This season I changed over from 7/16 New England Ropes double-braid to 10MM New England Ropes Viper. I really find it just as easy on older hands as 7/16. I liked it so much I changed over my staysail sheet, and my main and headsail halyards to the same stuff. It is very low stretch and easy on the hands.....perfect. It’s also easy to splice.