Probably a silly question - headsail sheets

[14K478]

I adhere to the rule that headsail sheets should be blue. But having replaced one sheet due to chafe I now should replace the other. It has been quite handy not having the port and starboard sheets identical, but it looks odd.

I can replace the other sheet (14mm Dyneema with a braid coat) with the twin of the first one, or choose a slightly different form of blue, What would you advise?

 

[johnphilip]

I have found it useful to have different colours. When on the foredeck poling out the jib a call back to an inexperienced crew to " pull the red one" or "release the blue" adds clarity.

 

[14K478]

Thanks!

 

[scozzy]

+1 for different colours ,very useful reference for anyone else on board experienced or not if things need sorted in a rush

 

[14K478]

When I started sailing you could have any colour you wanted for halyards and sheets, as long as it was brown, you bought it by weight. you turned each line end for end at the end of a yard and replaced the lot at the end of the second year!

 

[Kwik Decision]

I also have a red and a green Genoa sheet, for the reasons others have given. The main sheet is blue, so all different...

 

[arc1]

I have all the same colour for loads of lines as buy them in sale as job lot - whilst cheaper, not without it's issues when sailing with friends, especially non-sailors!

 

[14K478]

I have all the same colour for loads of lines as buy them in sale as job lot - whilst cheaper, not without it's issues when sailing with friends, especially non-sailors!

Don't ask me how I know this!

 

[johnalison]

It has never bothered me, though I like main and jib to look different, plus the rest. The only thing I need for my jib sheets is that they should be ‘shiny’ as I have found that the matt ones don’t pass the shrouds so readily, even with rollers.

 

[PabloPicasso]

I have all the same colour for loads of lines as buy them in sale as job lot - whilst cheaper, not without it's issues when sailing with friends, especially non-sailors!

Where did you buy a job lot on the cheap?

 

[justanothersailboat]

If you have a bunch of lines to replace, it's usually cheaper to buy a whole spool or two from a rope factory rather than lots of individual bits from chandlers. Sorry chandlers. If you have labelled clutches and sew a bit of different coloured string through each loose end it's not likely to result in confusion.

 

[arc1]

Where did you buy a job lot on the cheap?

Cheap as ever is relative! Jimmy Green had end of reel bargains so now have kicker, furlong line and cruising chute lines all the same. Genoa sheets are the same. Waiting for same again as need to replace a halyard, outhaul and a reefing line.

 

[Baddox]

Where did you buy a job lot on the cheap?

There may be something of use or interest to you here...
Marine Scene

I've not used them so have no idea what the quality is like.

 

[Fantasie 19]

I adhere to the rule that headsail sheets should be blue. But having replaced one sheet due to chafe I now should replace the other. It has been quite handy not having the port and starboard sheets identical, but it looks odd.

I can replace the other sheet (14mm Dyneema with a braid coat) with the twin of the first one, or choose a slightly different form of blue, What would you advise?

You live and learn - that's the first time I've heard there was such a rule..

 

[oldmanofthehills]

You live and learn - that's the first time I've heard there was such a rule..

Seems a remarkably foolish rule to me. In the old days all ropes were brown, and the moment synthetic ropes came along people sensibly made them in various colours to enable ready visual differentiation

As an engineer adhering to CDM I flinch at the idea of deliberately increasing the risk of confusion by trying to half mimic a more primitive system

 

[Neeves]

I adhere to the rule that headsail sheets should be blue. But having replaced one sheet due to chafe I now should replace the other. It has been quite handy not having the port and starboard sheets identical, but it looks odd.

I can replace the other sheet (14mm Dyneema with a braid coat) with the twin of the first one, or choose a slightly different form of blue, What would you advise?

This concept must be new, or 'relatively' new. Sheets and all cordage used to be brown, or maybe straw coloured (and now if you have a 'traditional' yacht you will buy synthetics in the same sorts of colours to match your, genuine, CQR (with the real anchor concealed in a bow locker).

I'm too young, and hence impocuneous, to know but surely the next move was to all white polyester, unless you were flush, thus from south of the border, and it had a coloured fleck in the cover.

Changes then moved rapidly and we had flecks, commonplace and then solid colours - but surely solid colours were 60s or 70s hardly enough time in 'yachting' for it to be a rule (unless you came from the Home Counties - in which case everything had to be blue). Presumably Scots yachts from Glasgow had a different rule and everything was red, not blue. I could imagine Mt Heath would have been keen that 'working' sheets should be blue.

When Dyneema became more common place we bought reels of solid coloured rope and what we did not use, which was a lot, went to other X-99s.

Odd how 'rules' might develop.

Jonathan

 

[14K478]

Seems a remarkably foolish rule to me. In the old days all ropes were brown, and the moment synthetic ropes came along people sensibly made them in various colours to enable ready visual differentiation

As an engineer adhering to CDM I flinch at the idea of deliberately increasing the risk of confusion by trying to half mimic a more primitive system

See Jimmy Green website

Headsail sheets and halyards blue, spin sheets and halyards red, red, mainsheet and main halyard white, topping lift three strand. guys red and white, staysail sheets and halyards blue and white. Different colours for reefing lines 3 red, 2 blue, one green iirc.

 

[14K478]

This concept must be new, or 'relatively' new. Sheets and all cordage used to be brown, or maybe straw coloured (and now if you have a 'traditional' yacht you will buy synthetics in the same sorts of colours to match your, genuine, CQR (with the real anchor concealed in a bow locker).

I'm too young, and hence impocuneous, to know but surely the next move was to all white polyester, unless you were flush, thus from south of the border, and it had a coloured fleck in the cover.

Changes then moved rapidly and we had flecks, commonplace and then solid colours - but surely solid colours were 60s or 70s hardly enough time in 'yachting' for it to be a rule (unless you came from the Home Counties - in which case everything had to be blue). Presumably Scots yachts from Glasgow had a different rule and everything was red, not blue. I could imagine Mt Heath would have been keen that 'working' sheets should be blue.

When Dyneema became more common place we bought reels of solid coloured rope and what we did not use, which was a lot, went to other X-99s.

Odd how 'rules' might develop.

Jonathan

See my post 5 above. And 17. Yes I started with manila - lightly tarred. Yacht Grade for racers and Number One for hoi polloi like me. It came in "inch and quarter" or "inch and a half" and you bought it by weight.
Four strand tarred hemp for shroud lanyards and buoy ropes ( you picked up the buoy and took in on board and hauled in the rope to find the chain, which you made fast round the Samson post with a lighterman's hitch

Then we went to whilte Polyester three strand. Plastic buoys came in about this time.

The Youth of Today fret about marinas - what was a Marina?

 

[DanTribe]

I adhere to the rule that headsail sheets should be blue. But having replaced one sheet due to chafe I now should replace the other. It has been quite handy not having the port and starboard sheets identical, but it looks odd.

I can replace the other sheet (14mm Dyneema with a braid coat) with the twin of the first one, or choose a slightly different form of blue, What would you advise?

I've had boats for a few decades but never heard of the blue sheet rule.
I use continuous sheets cow hitched to the clew to reduce the bulk of knots.

 

[Boathook]

See Jimmy Green website

Headsail sheets and halyards blue, spin sheets and halyards red, red, mainsheet and main halyard white, topping lift three strand. guys red and white, staysail sheets and halyards blue and white. Different colours for reefing lines 3 red, 2 blue, one green iirc.

Seems to be suggestions from Jimmy Green.
When I sailed on a new boat in the 70's all the sheets were white and quite a few had the Marlow black fleck.
I now use any colour depending upon price, etc.