French spiral hitching wheel?

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Agree with Jim, leather for me too. Nice to handle in the cold with bare hands hour after hour.

Bloke down the road does mine for £50 and lots of other local yachts too.

Pete

That's a good price for someone else doing the job. I do my own using offcuts/scraps from a leather supply place. Takes some care in selecting usable bits, but quite inexpensive. The labor is not arduous... kinda fun, actually, and does not require all that much skill (witness that I can do it!). Depending on the specific type of leather used, seems to last 8-10 years before going tatty.

Jim

[girdasso]

i agree with JIm. Leather is the best solution. Lasts long. Mine has lasted over 10 years with a touch up using a leather paint it even continues to look like leather

[Donald Bryden]

I don't think it is worth your time concerning yourself with what line to use. The whole process goes quite quickly. I did my wheel on a whim one morning while waiting for my partner to make breakfast. That wrapping lasted for several years in southern California. The line was just something I had on hand.

[malbert73]

I like leather as well- and not enough to spend money on it yet. But with the unknotted paracord the wheel is really comfortable to steer and perfectly grippy

[tkeithlu]

If you are serious about the utility of paracord, here's the cheapest I've found - five and a bit cents per foot in 1,000 foot reels, and bunches of colors.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0CWHZ3...GPG?th=1&psc=1

[Djarraluda]

Plus one for leather, I love it.
Mine was badly damaged when I bought the boat so after a year or so I replaced it. I bought a kit from Clyde Marine Leather (Clyde Marine Leather | Leather Marine Products), they do different sizes and colours, it was very easy to do, took about 2 hrs to scrape the old one off first though.
Roger

[Calif.Ted]

I used to do mine with nylon mason's twine in a double french braid, then saw a post on another forum about new method where you don't have to go around with the line every time. I used parachord on mine and it went much faster, I put the knot up for grip, my wife thought I should have put it on inside. My leather one was coming apart and I just went overtop of it. See post #8 of the thread.
https://www.sailnet.com/threads/wrap.../#post-1157866

[malbert73]

Bad picture under winter cover but here’s mine wrapped without knots in paracord

[David B]

Originally Posted by michigander

Thinking of French whipping my wheel this spring. In doing some searching sounds like the tarred twisted twine is a good option. Anyone with any feedback or experience/ recommendations/ best sources for material? Also in quick searching I only found black available as color option. If I wanted to go natural or a color can anyone recommend a product and source? Thanks for any input and help!
Roger

Have you considered leather? Looks much nicer, and feels great.

[Island Time O25]

+1 for leather. Our boat came with leather wheel cover already not too newish. After 10 seasons of our use not much worse for the wear. Granted the boat is covered for 1/2 year and last 5 years I installed a hard top but only now I've started thinking of putting the new cover on. Will definitely stay with leather.