Mainsail Halyard Recommendations

[jrupinsk]

Hi!

I'm thinking of getting a new mainsail halyard as my existing one developed a bubble.  The manual says 3/8" x 119', should I upgrade to a thicker line maybe 7/16", or stay the same?  

Thanks

Jan
s/v La Vie Dansante
C34 MKII #1311
Cape May, NJ

[Stu Jackson]

Jan

I just replaced mine with the standard 3/8.  Ron Hill suggested last year that you upgrade to the larger size, still works on the sheave and is easier on the hands.  If I had to do it all over, I'd upsize.

Stu

[chudave]

As another option, I upgraded to New England StaSet-X, and it seems a lot stiffer than the Yale stuff.  It also has a higher breaking strength.  My big problem with the Yale cordage is I keep getting snags in the cover.  The StaSet-X has been better.

Dave Chu
MeHa 1342
San Diego

[jrupinsk]

Dave,

What thickness did you use?  I'm leaning toward the Sta-Set.

Thanks to all for the help!

Jan
s/v La Vie Dansante
C34 MKII #1311
Cape May, NJ

[Dave Veenhuis]

Does anyone know if a particular size or brand of line would be better in preventing the halyard from overrides on the winch?  I raise my main winch off the cabin top with a teak pad hoping I would be able to make several wraps, but I still get overrides if I wrap more than once or twice.  My halyard is old and soft and any new line might help.

[Stu Jackson]

Dave

My experience has been that New England Ropes are basically and long-term "stiffer" than Yale and Sampson.  My experience has been that Sampson rope, in particular, has a softer feel, originally and throughout the life of the line.

I'm guessing that your "old and soft" main halyard is a product of fresh water use, because those of us who sail in salt water don't have anything that's old and soft, they seeem to get old and hard very quickly.

As for your over ride:  I assume that your fairlead from the sheetstopper is well below the bottom line of your winch.  You mentioned that you'd raised the bottom of the winch with a teak pad.

So?  What is creating the overrides?  I keep getting overrides, but only when I am releasing the line, rather than when it is under load.

Let us know where it is coming from and we can be of more help.

Best regards,  Stu