Had any sheets / halyards etc break in normal use?

horatio_nelson

horatio_nelson

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Just wondering. Last season I had 2 jib sheets break (separate occasions) while winching in. They were both sheets that came with the boat - reasonable condition, but a few years old, part perished (as I later noticed), and ultimately of unknown provenance (to me). Standard 10mm sheets as you'd find on many boats.

So, I've bought some beautiful silver and red 12mm line (34m for £48 at the boat show!) for this year, because I don't want it happening again.

Had any unexpected rope failures?
 
I have just snapped an 18mm Hempex topping lift, shifting my boom. It was obviously UV'd to fu ck, but there was no particular signs that it was about to break. Now I must replace the running rigging, lucky it broke in a boatyard..
 
I've seen a spinnaker halyard go but that was from chafing on a jumper stay. I've seen the sheath on double braid break a couple of times, once due to a jammer chewing through it whilst the sail was filling intermittently whilst sailing down wind and jerking the halyard against it, the other time was due to wear where the line first came to the winch.

Other than that I've seen blocks come away from the mast before the halyard got even close to breaking. Wonderful stuff modern fibres.
 
horatio_nelson said:
Just wondering. Last season I had 2 jib sheets break (separate occasions) while winching in. They were both sheets that came with the boat - reasonable condition, but a few years old, part perished (as I later noticed), and ultimately of unknown provenance (to me). Standard 10mm sheets as you'd find on many boats.

So, I've bought some beautiful silver and red 12mm line (34m for £48 at the boat show!) for this year, because I don't want it happening again.

Had any unexpected rope failures?
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Yes - genoa sheets that looked good but kept parting when driving the boat hard offwind (racing). Gradually they got shorter and shorter with more and more knots till we gave up and used some far-too-big-mooring warps. UV damage in the tropics.
 
Yep.

I've snapped quite a few... Most worrying was a main halyard that went as we were hoisting. Just snapped in the middle of the rope. Was especially worrying as the week before I'd been to the top of the stick on that halyard!

Also snapped Jib sheets, a reefing line, a tackline on an asymmetric, a kite halyard and the small line we were using to dry the washing on.
 
flaming said:
Yep.

I've snapped quite a few... Most worrying was a main halyard that went as we were hoisting. Just snapped in the middle of the rope. Was especially worrying as the week before I'd been to the top of the stick on that halyard!

Also snapped Jib sheets, a reefing line, a tackline on an asymmetric, a kite halyard and the small line we were using to dry the washing on.
Click to expand...


A hard user of the equipment, over stressing the gear..........:)
 
2 spinnaker halyards in 2 days, doing the Fastnet race at the time. When the second one went we had a new one up and the kite flying again in 10 minutes. I must have been young because I was the one who went up the mast while south of Lands End.

Also had a jib sheet fail at the knot while running downwind in a gale.

Yoda
 
I snapped 6mm Dynema on my kicker, winching it on a Harken 35.2 winch, which surprised me. I thought it would be much stronger and it was sheathed in a braid cover. 6 years exposure to UK sun.
 
Replaced my halyards last year, mainly because they weren't long enough for easy handling & connection...but the existing ones had seen plenty of use, looking worn or stretched to reduced diameter. Considering the replacements cost about £40 combined, I'm hoping they'll last quite a few years. Just how rapidly does UV diminish halyard/sheet strength?
 
Quiddle said:
I snapped 6mm Dynema on my kicker, winching it on a Harken 35.2 winch, which surprised me. I thought it would be much stronger and it was sheathed in a braid cover. 6 years exposure to UK sun.
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Yeah it was exposure to the elements, while the boat sat unused for a couple of years (and prior to that too of course I expect) before I bought her, that degraded my sheets I reckon - they didn't look worn (as you'd expect from regular use) but were nonetheless past it.
 
Only ever seen one go in anger. A jib sheet under winch to a close haul. Went off like a gun followed by much sail flapping and bodies running about the boat as we were racing!
 
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