J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment quick main haylard recomendation

Need a new main halyard - don't need anything exotic or tapered, but want a solid mid-tech line that will last a while. Way over my head in sails and instruments this season so trying to save some $.

Thinking of going with 8mm or 10mm VPC. Been using this for other halyards and sheets and I really like it - not sure if its suitable for a main halyard.

Any quick opinions/recommendations?

thanks - dan

Fairly inexpensive but good low stretch performance for a halyard is New England Ropes Sta Set X - this is a parallel core design. Not good for sheets because it isn't real flexible, but very good for a halyard.

After talking to a few folks I think I'm going to stick with VPC - its not that much more than StaSet X.

Looks like I have to go with 10mm (which is a bit larger than actual 3/8) unless I want to switch out clutch parts. Hopefully the extra size is not a problem.

The site says main halyard length is 102' - anyone know if this includes the line to get back to cockpit?

102ft is a good length to route the halyard back to the cockpit. 10mm should also be a good diameter for the standard size clutches designed for 3/8" line

I am using 7/16 Samson Valadator with the cover stripped off from a few feet in front of the clutch up to the shackle. 16,500 pound test. It has been used for 5 years now and shows no wear. Even using the old wire sheeves. 103 feet total. FWIW

Originally Posted by whitedolphin

After talking to a few folks I think I'm going to stick with VPC - its not that much more than StaSet X.

Looks like I have to go with 10mm (which is a bit larger than actual 3/8) unless I want to switch out clutch parts. Hopefully the extra size is not a problem.

The site says main halyard length is 102' - anyone know if this includes the line to get back to cockpit?

We just switched to VPC basically because I needed a solid red for main halyard and staysetx didn't have it. But I am liking it better ... it is way prettier ... the 10 mm may be a bit fluffier but seems an ideal size for the main halyard. we did 100 ft, but I would have liked the extra 2.

price re ebay was 100 ft. $126 free shipping and no tax.

Just placed my order this week after talking to a couple of riggers who I consider very knowledgeable. I'm replacing my old 3/8" with 100 feet of 8mm New England Ropes Endura Braid Dyneema Double Braid. It has a much greater breaking strength and about four times less stretch. I chose Endura Euro Yellow. Also chose to go with a Vectran soft shackle.

Bob Rude
Mmmmm
#352

Rhapsody was out yesterday in winds 20 plus for a pleasure sail with our friends down the dock in a J/92s out too... so I guess since two boats were out we were racing.

Rhapsody had better point and boat speed against a boat that owes 46 seconds a mile! We had the halyard up pretty tight, and about 4 minutes after asking for more Cunningham, the halyard let go. This happened right at the sheaves in the mast crane, just above the shackle.

The halyard was 3/8" VPC with a stripped cover that I got from Layline in August 2008. I decided this time to go with 10MM (3/8") Endura Braid, and am not stripping the cover. I think the wear benefit isn't worth the reduction in weight aloft.

Went up the mast 3 times today on a Hunter 34 and swung over to Rhapsody with a bicycle chain and fishing line to drop a new messenger line. I bought 103 ft of Green Endura Braid since that is all the local West Marine had on a spool large enough to get the length needed. At least they matched the online price I found of $2 per foot. I did an eye splice and used the Wichard shackle from the old halyard.

Breaking strength Comparison for 3/8" line:
VPC - 6,500
Endura Braid - 11,000

Elongation:
VPC - up to 0.8%
Endura Braid - up to 0.3%

Weight per 100 feet:
VPC - 3.9 lbs
Endura Braid - 4.5 lbs

Core:
VPC - Vectran
Endura Braid - Dynema

similarly I stripped the cover and added back a cover for sheave protection on my last halyard set!

Nubby cover on New England Endura Braid works well in rope clutches and like Samson Warpspeed it's reasonably easy to strip the cover and splice the core. But I've found both difficult to splice as a double braid. Any tips?