Lines, ropes, running rigging?

[Alan Wheeler]

Hey GMac, I have never been told what PBO sells for. In knew it was expensive, but I didn't realise it was that much. So what sort of prices are we talking here??
So I take it you are working in the rigging industry? or something to do with boating?? PM me if ya want.
By the way, can't wait for the big game this coming weekend. Time to kick some "pommy" butt.

[GMac]

Go the AB's, By 20 points.

We use the Samson 'Ice' (stabilised Zylon/Vectran) on some of the halyards and such for wear and heat protection. Great stuff and only $35 odd per metre..... yeah, not at the budget end but it is damn good stuff.

Our game is ropes, chains and anchors.

[Strygaldwir]

$10 a foot. That was funny! I am annoyed that I have to pay 1.35 a foot. Maybe I should have bought the whole roll!

[Strygaldwir]

Paul (Blais);

I took your advice. I ordered the remaining line I needed from Layline. They had very good prices. They are also here in Raleigh!!! Saves me some time.

Thanks much for the tip.


Keith

[Weyalan]

GMac once whispered in the wind:
G'day,
In actual use Dyneema and Spectra can be regarded as the same thing.

Fully agree with the Vectran and still struggle to see why people use Spec/Dyn on main/headsail halyards. Vectran for me.

PBO, we did some work with one of the AC syndicates and watched some halyards being load tested. Such tiny rope for such massive loads, quite astounding. Mind you the $$$'s they spent on a couple of ropes would buy most of us a very nice complete yacht.

Weyalan - Most resonable rigging outfits would do deals on big quantities. The down side of buying A whole reel is all ya ropes are the same colour.
I'm guessing your in the land of the Roo (or as we call it "The Spring Loaded Rat", in that nice trans tazzie way we do :-) ), if you want some good rope deals give me a PM and I'll put you onto a bloke who makes very nice ropes up Brizzy way. Good prices without buying whole reels. He will mention Rugby though so be ready for that and he supports that team dressed in Black :-)

Sail safe all

Generally, the most common reason for using Spectra, or even double braid for halyards as opposed to Vectran is simple price. Vectran is more expensive than Spectra and Spectra is a heap more expensive than double braid. If you aren't racing then the extra performace gained from using Vectran (or even Spectra) may not be worth the extra dollars, especially if you have a tallish rig with 2 x headsail halyards and 2 x main halyards, for example, not to mention 2 x kite halyards (which are actually fine with standard doupble braid becaus halyard tension is not an issue).

Personally I don't mind too much if all the halyards are of a similar colour - a small plastic coloured bauble at the clip end of headsail and genoa halyards (and topping lift) makes for easy identification at the mast or bow, while decent labelling or memory makes the cockpit end pretty easy.

I am based in Tasmania, so freight costs from Queensland might make your friend's prices slightly less competetive. I actually work in a marine associated industry (I design liferafts etc. for a living) so I can often get discounts either as "mates rates" or by ordering through work, but thanks for the offer. I would have no problem talking Rugby; although I live in Tassie, I spent most of my life in Scotland, who haven't been any good since the early 80's!

[GMac]

I quite like Tazzie. Its just like being in Australia without really being there. I don't think Scotland are not good, they are just in down side of the cycle like Wales not that long ago and the Wallabies now :-) Mind you next week Scotland maybe made to look a bit average going on the current AB's form. That's after we trash the Pommes first.

You're right about picking fibres for the job i.e. cruising does not need the extra tickle the new fibres give you. It's just my racing side that keeps sneeking in.

One of my play boats, a 12ft Frostbite racing dingy, has a 1.5mm main halyard, a 5mm vang with a breakload over 3500kg and a custom made Polyprop/dyneema blend mainsheet. Anyone who accuses me of being a bit over the top does know a thing or 2 :-) Damn fun to put togeather though.

Spectra and Vectran are close as the same price, just some like to 'push' the Vectran as being extra sexy and bump up the charge accordingly, we don't.

For those thinking the Samson Ice is 'up there' for a bit of rope the news gets worse. Ice is only a 'cover' to put over the halyard or whatever. It is just like a bit of 12/14mm double braid without the core. The PBO looks even more nasty now, don't ya think :-) Luckily you only need small lengths. It is fantastic as protection though and if you can save a $500 or more halyard with $20 of Ice you have to be on a win.

[Euro Cruiser]

Weyalan, a question for you since you work for a raft manufacturer: Do you folks offer gunwale inflated floats for hard dinks, or are you considering doing so? I'm referring to something like:
http://www.yachtsee.com/dinghydogs.htm
or like:
http://www.walkerbay.com/

I ask because I've run into several folks who are looking for a source and probably dissuaded from the price of the above products. I would guess you have the materials & mfg. processes to construct such tubes.

Jack

[Weyalan]

Although we have the materials and the manufacturing technology / equipment, we do not currently manufacture anything like the systems pictured. We mostly specialiase in large marine evacuation systems: Typically large capacity self-righting inflatable liferafts, ranging in size from our smallest (50 person) to our largest (128 person), with inflatable escape slides of between 9 and 20m in length (to suit vessel freeboard.

Check out www.liferaftsystems.com.au if you are interested

To be honest, I don't think the market would be large enough to justify our involvement, but I will give it some thought and maybe discuss it with our marketing guys (I am just the backroom boffin type designer who rarely sees the light of day).