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Tie one on At the end of your rope? Well, this is the best time to get more F all is the time for rope. In a perfect world, you should always be on the lookout for weak spots and chafe damage. I know how easy it can be to toss a case of nice, cold pop into the icebox, drop the docklines, haul up some halyards and take off for the day without a care in the world. If you don’t want to be stuck on land, trapped in tourist traffic when that day finally comes, then perhaps it’s worth taking a few minutes to inspect your lines when you’re unstepping the mast. Pay particular attention to knots and lengths of rope that bend around blocks or pass through clutches and jammers. Unless the rope has been (or becomes) seriously overloaded, these are the most likely places a rope will fail. Dirt, salt and sunlight can also damage or weaken a rope over time. If the rope is picked, frayed or deformed, get a new one. It’s better to replace a rope before it breaks than after the main sheet snaps in a gust and the boom knocks Cousin Jimmy from Alberta overboard. Believe me. A polyester doublebraid is the most common type of rope for sheets and halyards. It’s a low stretch rope and it stands up reasonably well to sunlight. Low stretch is important so your sails stay where you set them. Run-of-the-mill polyester yacht braids are relatively inexpensive ($0.50/ft. for 3/8” at The Binnacle) and come in a variety of colours. That way, when Jimmy gets out of the hospital, you can just tell him to yank on the blue rope instead of asking him to quickly increase tension on the foreguy. If you’re sailing a larger vessel or if you’re interested in racing – even if you’re just really picky about the way your sails are set – you may want to step up to a brand name rope. Samson and New England Ropes are good options. (Samson XLS sells for $0.99/ft. for 3/8” at The Binnacle.) While these ropes aren’t normally any stronger than their more economical counterparts, they stretch even less. There’s also something to be said for better quality controls and manufacturing protocols. I’ve seen brand new spools of inexpensive ropes come out of the factory with an end-to-end splice hidden somewhere in the middle. High-tech ropes are becoming increasingly popular. For the widest variety of uses, Warp Speed is the crème-de-la- crème. It combines the strength of a Spectra core with an abrasion resistant cover that makes it easy to knot and jam in clutches. If I could have only one type of rope on my boat, this would be it. If you want only the best lines, Warp Speed is well worth the price ($3.60/ft. for 3/8” at The Binnacle). If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to think about replacing your lines sooner rather than later. Waiting until the spring just makes the temptation to press your luck another year too great. Plus, you can avoid some of the rigging bottleneck by getting your splicing done while the leaves are still on the trees. Jimmy will thank you for it. Jonathan Stright is the floor manager at the Binnacle. For all of your rope needs, contact him at 1-800-224-3937, 479-1518 or via email at jonathan@ binnacle.com. By Jonathan Stright atlanticboatingnews.com | September/October 2009 | 25

Tie One On: At the End of Your Rope?

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"It’s better to replace a rope before it breaks than after the main sheet snaps in a gust and the boom knocks Cousin Jimmy from Alberta overboard. Believe me." Published in Atlantic Boating News, September 2009.

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Page 1: Tie One On: At the End of Your Rope?

Tie one onAt the end of your rope?

Well, this is the best time to get more

Fall is the time for rope. In a perfect world, you should always be on the lookout for weak spots and chafe damage. I know

how easy it can be to toss a case of nice, cold pop into the icebox, drop the docklines, haul up some halyards and take off for the day without a care in the world.

If you don’t want to be stuck on land, trapped in tourist traffic when that day finally comes, then perhaps it’s worth taking a few minutes to inspect your lines when you’re unstepping the mast. Pay particular attention to knots and lengths of rope that bend around blocks or pass through clutches and jammers. Unless the rope has been (or becomes) seriously overloaded, these are the most likely places a rope will fail. Dirt, salt and sunlight can also damage or weaken a rope over time.

If the rope is picked, frayed or deformed, get a new one. It’s better to replace a rope before it breaks than after the main sheet snaps in a gust and the boom knocks Cousin Jimmy from Alberta overboard. Believe me.

A polyester doublebraid is the most common type of rope for sheets and halyards. It’s a low stretch rope and it stands up reasonably well to sunlight. Low stretch is important so your sails stay where you set them. Run-of-the-mill polyester yacht braids are relatively inexpensive ($0.50/ft. for 3/8” at The Binnacle) and come in a variety of colours. That way, when Jimmy gets out of the hospital, you can just tell him to yank on the blue rope instead of asking him to quickly increase tension on the foreguy.

If you’re sailing a larger vessel or if you’re interested in racing – even if you’re just really picky about the way your sails are set – you may want to step up to a brand name rope. Samson and New England Ropes are good options. (Samson XLS sells for $0.99/ft. for 3/8” at The Binnacle.) While these ropes aren’t normally any stronger than their more economical counterparts, they stretch even less. There’s also something to be said for better quality controls and manufacturing protocols. I’ve seen brand

new spools of inexpensive ropes come out of the factory with an end-to-end splice hidden somewhere in the middle.

High-tech ropes are becoming increasingly popular. For the widest variety of uses, Warp Speed is the crème-de-la-crème. It combines the strength of a Spectra core with an abrasion resistant cover that makes it easy to knot and jam in clutches. If I could have only one type of rope on my boat, this would be it. If you want only the best lines, Warp Speed is well worth the price ($3.60/ft. for 3/8” at The Binnacle).

If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to think about replacing your lines sooner rather than later. Waiting until the spring just makes the temptation to press your luck another year too great. Plus, you can avoid some of the rigging bottleneck by getting your splicing done while the leaves are still on the trees.

Jimmy will thank you for it.

Jonathan Stright is the floor manager at the Binnacle. For all of your rope needs, contact him at 1-800-224-3937, 479-1518 or via email at [email protected].

By Jonathan Stright

atlanticboatingnews.com | September/October 2009 | 25