Line for main halyard

[davidpm]

The Catalina 25 I take care of has a shot main halyard. I need to replace it.

Now I know that Sta-Setx with the parallel core is only a couple cents more than the regular Sta-Set double-braid but two things.

1. The Sta-Set is in the store ready to be bought the Sta-SetX has to be ordered.
2. I hate the feel of the Sta-SetX, it is just too stiff.

But of course Sta-SetX has much less stretch and is the recommended line.

We do not race so how much difference do you think it makes?
Should I bother with the better stuff?

[BigZ]

I don't think you'd notice any big difference if you're not racing or If you don't buy new sails every couple of years.
I switched from the standard to the X a few years ago. I didn't notice any difference, but then I don't usually have the boat out in any major wind where the line loads would be in the higher range. The stiffer X hasn't been a problem.

[olson34]

In addressing your line needs, do try to avoid being sidetracked by usage of the dreaded "R Word".....


Efficient sailing has nothing (!) to do with whether or not you ever enter a Race.

Try to avoid any influence of the equally-misused "C Word" either.........
After all, if not actually entering a race, you are probably cruising.

For a Cat 25, the loads are enough that StaSetX should do if you're skint, and otherwise go to T-900 or a modern equivalent.

Remember, that just when the wind pipes up and you really need more pointing and not more heeling, is just when halyard stretch will mess up the sail shape.

The Cat 25 can point well, and I have seen a fin keel model win a ton of races over other 'pocket cruisers' , but you need to make sure that your sail-shaping controls - like halyard tension, among others - are doing their job easily and efficiently.

Cheerio,
L

[pdqaltair]

Stay-Set X is both stiff and kink-prone. It is the kinking I hated the most. I also found it little better than Say-Set. The Kevlar, on the other hand, did very nicely and lasted much longer. In the long run, the Kevlar was about the some price (on a strength basis--it will be smaller).

Say-Set X is the only line I would never buy again.

[davidpm]

Originally Posted by pdqaltair

Stay-Set X is both stiff and kink-prone.

A agree I don't like the feel of the X at all.

[davidpm]

Originally Posted by pdqaltair

Stay-Set X is both stiff and kink-prone. It is the kinking I hated the most. I also found it little better than Say-Set. The Kevlar, on the other hand, did very nicely and lasted much longer. In the long run, the Kevlar was about the some price (on a strength basis--it will be smaller).

Say-Set X is the only line I would never buy again.

I found this about Kevlar

Flex fatigue resistance

Using Kevlar as factor of one, these are approximate fatigue life comparisons of the high tech fibers.
Kevlar 1; Technora 8; Vectran 15; Spectra 25

Svendsen's Boat Works: Rig Shop

It appears as if Kevlar has fallen out of favor.

[Gary M]

Kevlar is not popular for lines, Dyneema is a commom core material with a polyester cover. You could use some thing like Sampson's XLS Extra Line which has a core of MPF and Dyneema.

5/16 " would be fine and costs about $1 a foot. You could go with 1/4 " but it gets a little harder to handle.

[tommays]

We have all T900 on the 35' and if its matched up with a high tech sail its a great combo however on a Dacron sail its not that big of a deal as the sail moves a LOT IN COMPARSION

On the Cal 29 everything is staset or = and it still does just fine with god forbid wire rope halyards






Some of the highest load stuff on the cal like the mainsail furling line is staset and does NOT stretch or slip at 30 knots

[PalmettoSailor]

Three letters for ya'. V.P.C.

Its New England Ropes product targeted for club level racers. Tts a hybrid product with vectran and polyolefin core and a polyester cover. 90% of the peformance of a high end race product at a price much more attractive to performance oriented cruisers.

[smurphny]

+1 on the kinky nature of Sta-Set. It is also much stretchier than Dyneema or wire. The Dyneema 12 strand, although expensive, is easy to splice and can be covered with a less slippery fabric. There are many variations on this theme but halyards really need to have as little stretch as possible. Makes a big difference.