DIY running rigging question....

[blueranger]

Hi all,

First let me say what a great and helpful forum this place has been. Thank you all, especially the regulars who have saved me from numerous mistakes for a first time boast owner.

I'm a new sailor following the cost-saving path of DIY( i.e. I'm poor but have to sail). I need to start replacing my running rigging, starting with the main sheet halyard. The current factory setup is wire to rope splice. I’ve read in a cruising book that this halyard should be made purely of double strand line due to failure of the rope to wire splice and the inability for a DIYer to successfully repair said splice when away from shore. Any comments or opinions pro or con? If I do go with straight double strand line any specific suggestions? It’s a small 22ft keel boat if that helps.

Thanks,
Mike

[capttb]

Rope/wire halyards were used because rope used to have a lot more stretch than modern "double braided" lines. Only problem with changing to all rope may be the masthead sheaves, replacements are available for most boats. Nothing wrong with continuing to use wire/rope, must watch for broken wires hooking you being the biggest drawback. If the splice failed in use you'd probably lose the halyard anyway, rope halyards wear greatest at the sheave and could fail if neglected as well.

[Gary M]

There is a lot of info on line. You might want to check out Layline as they will for ideas. http://www.layline.com/products.asp?dept=530

Just Google main halyards and you will find lots of info. There is nothing wrong with wire to rope halyards but for cruising you can get fairly in expensive all rope halyards. Check out sailing gear in e-bay also.

[Faster]

If your boat already has a rope-wire splice, chances are your sheaves are designed to handle wire and rope,(for when the splice goes into the mast) so you can probably change to all rope no problem.

Once you make that change you can start tying your halyards on, avoiding the weight and potential danger of the flying halyard shackle.

If space is an issue, use what I was told is called an Aussie bowline - a stopper knot trapped under a tight half hitch. It makes a very low bulk knot and still releases OK after use.

[sailingdog]

Blueranger-

One thing you have to check is to make sure that the masthead sheaves are compatible with an all-rope halyard. The sheaves for wire usually have a v-shaped groove, and are considerably smaller than those for rope of the same strength, which have a u-shaped groove. Also, wire halyards can chew up the masthead sheave box exit and may have left burrs that will quickly destroy a rope halyard. It would be wise to check the condition of the masthead sheaves if you're planning on going to an all rope halyard.

The spectra-based lines are very light, and very strong, with very little stretch... about 1-1.5%, which is about the same as wire.

If you race at all, the spectra halyards are definitely worth it, as they allow you better control over your sail shape and are lighter...

Faster-

While the bottom sheave may be okay, the top ones in a wire-to-rope setup are usually setup for wire only, as the rope splice generally doesn't ever reach the exit at the top of the mast.

[TrueBlue]

SD & Faster,
Would you say by this masthead closeup, that my sheaves are designed to take either wire and rope?

[sailingdog]

Not necessarily TB, I can't see the groove profile in that photo.

The only major difference is that v-shaped groove profile will tend to chafe a line more and cause it to wear a bit faster than a u-shaped one IIRC.

[Faster]

Yeah, the dual purpose sheaves have a rounded profile, with a deeper narrower groove for the wire. Though it's tough to tell, those look like V grooved sheaves... as SD said, probably servicable but may be harder on all-rope long term.

That said, with today's lines you can usually downsize (from a strength perspective) the line size which may wear less in the V than a larger line. However thinner lines are harder to hand.

[Giulietta]

Originally Posted by Faster

However thinner lines are harder to hand.

We used 2 different gauges of rope..the real thin strong one where your hand does not touch, spliced into thicker rope for hand handling.

[sailingdog]

I've also seen where they've pulled the core out of a rope and left the outer braid for use on a furling drum, to wrap on the drum, and left the core in the rope where it was going to have to pass through a line clutch and be held in hands....