what rope/line to use

Moderator: GreenLake

what rope/line to use

Postby Fly4rfun » Wed Oct 14, 2020 12:08 pm

I am going to need to replace the ropes/lines on my DS1 what should i use, material/size. I am aware of using different colors for each function? thanks
"Sail Aweigh" 1966 DS1 #2675
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Re: what rope/line to use

Postby tomodda » Wed Oct 14, 2020 12:25 pm

All depends on how much cash you want to spend vs how much performance you want/need. Basically, you're paying higher dollars for ropes that don't stretch. Anyway, take a look at this discussion here:

https://forum.daysailer.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4892

There's also a number of different online retailers that I like for rope:

(West Coast) Fisheries Supply
(East Coast) atlanticriggingsuppply.com, rwrope.com

and of course, D&R Marine sells rigging sets "premade" and premeasured for the DS:

http://www.drmarine.com/products.asp?cat=122

My advice, if you're trying to save money - get a big spool of some decent 1/4 inch rope and use it for EVERYTHING. Most retailers have "odd lots" that they sell fro cheap, look around the various sites for clearances, or even call them. 1/4 inch can be hard on your hands, so get some sailing gloves (or even just cheap mechanic's gloves.. anything that protects you hands from abrasion, you you still have some feel).

Tom
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Re: what rope/line to use

Postby GreenLake » Wed Oct 14, 2020 3:21 pm

I used a "cutoff" for my jib sheet. It came at a good price. It's ludicrously oversized, I could lift boat, trailer and towing vehicle with it, but it feels good and had the right length out of the box. Will be a while before I replace that, even though it's really too heavy for light airs.

Using the same rope everywhere makes it really hard to tell things apart. I made the mistake of buying a single color for my spinnaker sheet. Had to throw one half of it out and replace by a different color, it was just too annoying not being able to tell which was which. (Now, I run my sheets loose in the cockpit, it might be different if they each emerged from a fairlead on opposite sides of the cockpit, like jib sheets, but the way I have them, the tails can get mixed up).

Also, for spinnaker sheets I found that the "official" table of recommended lengths definitely was off. I bought a bit extra and still it was barely enough.

If you have to economize, make sure to get the most low-stretch that you can afford for your halyards - it does make a difference sailing in gusts. A stretchy halyard will allow the sail to have more belly in a gust, precisely the opposite of what you want to have a positive sailing experience. For sheet's, you are manually adjusting anyway, so it's not that critical.

As Tom noted the thread "Ropes for various lines" contains a rather detailed discussion.
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