mick
Well-Known Member
My polyester anchor rope has lain out beside the boat all winter. I know polyester is classed as 'U.V. resistant', but could my line possibly be unsafe?
Polyester and U.V.
- Thread starter mick
- Start date
William_H
Well-Known Member
No not likely however a while back I used a piece of polypropelene rope that was very faded on the outside as an anchor rope. It parted in the middle of the night. I tested it later by tieing toa pillar and to the back of the car. It parted relatively easily with a bit of go from the car proving that rope can fail from old age and UV.
With your rope if it is still the same colour don't worry. or you could test it like I did. olewill
With your rope if it is still the same colour don't worry. or you could test it like I did. olewill
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
From "A website"
[ QUOTE ]
Our Polypropylene Rope is a high grade 3 strand rope, with improved resistance to ultraviolet light. It has a very high strength to weight ratio, is easily spliced and floats, making it an excellent budget priced rope, suitable for a wide range of purposes, including mooring rope, springs etc. Break loads are very approximate. Working loads should be no more than a small fraction of the breakload.
[/ QUOTE ]The last 2 sentences beg the question "Why sell it as anchor rope?"
[ QUOTE ]
Our Polypropylene Rope is a high grade 3 strand rope, with improved resistance to ultraviolet light. It has a very high strength to weight ratio, is easily spliced and floats, making it an excellent budget priced rope, suitable for a wide range of purposes, including mooring rope, springs etc. Break loads are very approximate. Working loads should be no more than a small fraction of the breakload.
[/ QUOTE ]The last 2 sentences beg the question "Why sell it as anchor rope?"
VicS
Well-Known Member
Do not confuse polyester with polypropylene. Polypropylene is very susceptible to UV damage and it is not as strong as polyester or nylon but it is cheaper than either. It also floats.
Nylon (polyamide) and polyester are more UV resistant. Nylon is usually prefered for anchor rope (if you must use rope instead of chain) because it has a high degree of elasticity while polyester (terylene) is prefered for applications where a non stretchy rope would be prefered, eg halyards.
IMHO UV damage to any rope due to exposure to the sunlight in one winter in the UK will be small, negligible in the case of nylon or polyester. Think how much sunburn do you suffer from during the winter!
The sun does not shine during the winter in the Clyde area anyway does it? Aren't you inside the Arctic circle? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Nylon (polyamide) and polyester are more UV resistant. Nylon is usually prefered for anchor rope (if you must use rope instead of chain) because it has a high degree of elasticity while polyester (terylene) is prefered for applications where a non stretchy rope would be prefered, eg halyards.
IMHO UV damage to any rope due to exposure to the sunlight in one winter in the UK will be small, negligible in the case of nylon or polyester. Think how much sunburn do you suffer from during the winter!
The sun does not shine during the winter in the Clyde area anyway does it? Aren't you inside the Arctic circle? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
whiteoaks7
Well-Known Member
Vic, I hope you don't mind the question, aren't all plastics susceptible to UV unless protected in some way? The handed-down wisdom given to us in the cable industry was that unless plastic sheaths were loaded with something like carbon black they would all eventually degrade in strength. This was not my field and I see you are a chemist so can you educate me please.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Sorry plastics are not my field either. I am really going on what the rope makers say and personnal experience. It is worth noting though that while polyester halyards seem to last for years the stitching in a sail does not if left exposed to the sun for long.
Bajansailor
Well-Known Member
Our polyester (aka terylene I think) halyards and roller furling genoa sheets are now 15 years old, and have been exposed in the sun in the Windies for the past 10 years, and still appear to be in good shape.
I did add a fairly thick polpropylene mooring rope to our mooring buoy last year, and it has obviously been well hammered in the space of less than 9 months - will have to change it soon. No worries, it didnt cost anything - found a length of it washed up on the beach on the east coast here, and there is enough left over for another cable with eyes spliced in.
It is not the main mooring rope - that is a massive nylon cable - but because it floats, it is a good pick-up rope.
BTW, mooring warps for big ships are usually polypropylene (OK, some are wire, with rope tails), primarily because the stuff floats, and is 'relatively' cheap and lightweight to handle.
I did add a fairly thick polpropylene mooring rope to our mooring buoy last year, and it has obviously been well hammered in the space of less than 9 months - will have to change it soon. No worries, it didnt cost anything - found a length of it washed up on the beach on the east coast here, and there is enough left over for another cable with eyes spliced in.
It is not the main mooring rope - that is a massive nylon cable - but because it floats, it is a good pick-up rope.
BTW, mooring warps for big ships are usually polypropylene (OK, some are wire, with rope tails), primarily because the stuff floats, and is 'relatively' cheap and lightweight to handle.
GMac
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
BTW, mooring warps for big ships are usually polypropylene (OK, some are wire, with rope tails), primarily because the stuff floats, and is 'relatively' cheap and lightweight to handle.
[/ QUOTE ]
FYI these days most use Spectras. Light but horrendously strong (and costly)
BTW, mooring warps for big ships are usually polypropylene (OK, some are wire, with rope tails), primarily because the stuff floats, and is 'relatively' cheap and lightweight to handle.
[/ QUOTE ]
FYI these days most use Spectras. Light but horrendously strong (and costly)