Dyneema rope, with spliced-in stainless-steel thimbles and simple lashings, makes strong, do-it-yourself standing rigging.
For small boats with standing rigging, steel was once the only choice, and it had to be ordered from a rigging shop with its fittings installed. In recent years Dynex Dux and STS, made from Dyneema SK-75 high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE), have become available. While high-strength fiber rope has been around for some time now, it was very expensive and available for large yachts only. It now costs about the same as stainless-steel cable, and the fittings used with it cost less than turnbuckles and toggles. These ropes have low-stretch characteristics similar to those of stainless-steel cable, are lightweight and soft, won’t rust or scar brightwork, and can be spliced easily without special tools. For trailer sailers, these synthetic ropes will not kink and are easier to coil up and stow when the mast is down.HMPE braided rope is stronger than steel cable, but it initially has some “constructional stretch” as the fibers are squeezed into a tighter braid as load is applied. Once the settling is complete, the rope only exhibits "material stretch," the characteristic of the fiber from which it is made. Dynex Dux and STS have had the constructional stretch removed in the manufacturing process by being subjected to heat while under tensile load. Another stretch characteristic of these ropes, called creep, is the elongation over time when under load. Creep is virtually nonexistent in steel cables, but is measurable with synthetic fiber ropes. For both Dynex Dux and STS, the amount of creep in normal usage on small boats will not be a factor. Highly stressed, tall rigs with high standing preloads may require an occasional tightening, but for most small craft with relatively floppy rigs, or trailer sailers that are tensioned every time the rig mast is set up, it is insignificant.
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Comments (10)
Wonderful article, full of practical wisdom, as I have come to expect from this great e-zine! When the rigging on my Compac 19 needs replacing I will definitely look to Dyneema. The primer on how to achieve a Brummel eye splice was very clear and seems achievable, even for a lamentable amateur such as myself. I am off to my local chandler to purchase a fid and a length of Dyneema.
I am in the planning phase of building a wooden lugger. The mission of repairing/replacing shrouds on my father-in-laws Drascombe lugger and having to secure the use of specialist equipment and services was a bit of an unnecessary irritation. I will be using this product. The illustration is very clear and easy to understand.
What is the preferred method for trailer sailors who rig and tension shrouds each time, currently with turnbuckles?
Any of the modern deadeye and lanyard systems seen above work for tensioning shrouds. With a shackle and pin in the system, or pin and rack, one can put it together quickly leaving the headstay the only adjustable bit of standing rigging needed. This can be done with deadeye and lanyard or a small tackle. Or if you would rather tension the shrouds each time you set up, it is easy to mark them with a marker or whipping.
I used Spectra for the standing rigging on my Welsford Navigator in this issue. Love the stuff. Easy to work with. Nice hand. Easy to splice. I used closed stainless turnbuckles for tensioning. Very simple and effective.
I just replaced the SS lifelines on my Ericson 27 with Dyneema. It was very easy to do and I get many compliments from the other boat owners at our marina. I purchased the entire kit and two gate kits from Defender.
Anyone know where you can get brass thimbles?
I took a look on the web and they’re not so common has they used to be. The one I used in the photos had been in my ditty box for over 30 years.
This above photos clearly show how to start a line that is free at both ends. But if you are making safety lines and have to run a free end through a series of small stanchion holes, how do you close out a thimble around a fitting at the free end?
Good question. I’ve added the steps for the modified Brummel eye splice to my notes following the article.
Christopher Cunningham
Editor, Small Boats Monthly
SBM
Wonderful article, full of practical wisdom, as I have come to expect from this great e-zine! When the rigging on my Compac 19 needs replacing I will definitely look to Dyneema. The primer on how to achieve a Brummel eye splice was very clear and seems achievable, even for a lamentable amateur such as myself. I am off to my local chandler to purchase a fid and a length of Dyneema.
I am in the planning phase of building a wooden lugger. The mission of repairing/replacing shrouds on my father-in-laws Drascombe lugger and having to secure the use of specialist equipment and services was a bit of an unnecessary irritation. I will be using this product. The illustration is very clear and easy to understand.
What is the preferred method for trailer sailors who rig and tension shrouds each time, currently with turnbuckles?
Any of the modern deadeye and lanyard systems seen above work for tensioning shrouds. With a shackle and pin in the system, or pin and rack, one can put it together quickly leaving the headstay the only adjustable bit of standing rigging needed. This can be done with deadeye and lanyard or a small tackle. Or if you would rather tension the shrouds each time you set up, it is easy to mark them with a marker or whipping.
I used Spectra for the standing rigging on my Welsford Navigator in this issue. Love the stuff. Easy to work with. Nice hand. Easy to splice. I used closed stainless turnbuckles for tensioning. Very simple and effective.
I just replaced the SS lifelines on my Ericson 27 with Dyneema. It was very easy to do and I get many compliments from the other boat owners at our marina. I purchased the entire kit and two gate kits from Defender.
Anyone know where you can get brass thimbles?
I took a look on the web and they’re not so common has they used to be. The one I used in the photos had been in my ditty box for over 30 years.
This above photos clearly show how to start a line that is free at both ends. But if you are making safety lines and have to run a free end through a series of small stanchion holes, how do you close out a thimble around a fitting at the free end?
Good question. I’ve added the steps for the modified Brummel eye splice to my notes following the article.
Christopher Cunningham
Editor, Small Boats Monthly