Running rigging in colors?

[Jonathan316]

We will be replacing all the running rigging on our 22'' day sailer and am attracted to using colored sheets & halyards for brain ease and looks.

Could anyone share what they might have choosen for a rigging color scheme or any reasons not too?

Thanks.

[Jeff_H]

I have used a number of color coding schemes over the year. One thing to avoid is using black line for halyards, outhauls and other lines that need to be marked to repeat settings. That said I used black for my main halyard becuase I typically whip and stitch the tension index mark and reef marks on anyway so that I can feel them at night or in the rain. I avoid using port and starboard color differenciation except for spinnaker sheets.

Jeff

Jeff

[williamjchampion]

I''ve always found it a good idea, particularly with multiple halyards. Less important with sheets, although traditionally our spin sheets and guys are different colors. (With occasional newbies on the boat, it''s sometimes easier to tell them to grab the blue line than to tell them to haul in on the cunningham.)

One word of caution, red tends to fade very quickly with UV. Turns a lovely shade of pink in less than a season. An alternative is to go with white lines with different color flecks.

[Irwin32]

I used red braided line - New England - for my pole topping lift and it has held it''s color for 2 or 3 years now.

Colored line makes running rigging easier to identify for everyone - including the skipper.

[capnjim02]

I have found over the years thats its a waste of time and money to try to color code halyards and topping lifts etc. the only lines i try to keep coded are sheets for gennie and sheets and guys for spinnaker. i do find that labels on the stoppers are a much better way to go. labels can be purchased very inexpensively or as i do, i use the good old label maker, they last about 2 years then i just make some more and stick them on. if you want to get real sexy you can use differant colors to signafy port and starboard.

[Irwin32]

I respectively disagree with captain jim, especially if non sailors are aboard.

[capnjim02]

I''ve found that even non-sailors can read.

[Jeff_H]

Date: Apr. 30 2004 6:55 AM
Author: capnjim02 (jamesrohr@msn.com)
I''ve found that even non-sailors can read.

I found that out of nervousness and not recognizing the words, that non-sailors and even novice sailors don''t read, leading to me saying pull something like "the boom vang which is the the red line on the starboard, right side, cluster of cleats."

Jeff

[paulmcquillan]

We did
--White for the everything with the main... sheet, halyards traveler, and reefing lines
-- Green for jib & genoa (halyards, sheets, genoa roller bearing cars) The spare jib halyard is on the port side w red flecks
-- Blue for Spinaker

Helps with the younger boys and guests. Even our eight and twelve year old drive our N41 and help guests with getting the right lines.
Paul