[C38] Halyard question

[les]

Hi, everyone,
	I replaced the Halyards on KneeDeep when we owned her.  I used 110 feet
of Sta-SetX for all four of them.  I did keep the wirerope on the jib
halyard.  Some comments on Sta-SetX are required, I think.  

	1.  Sta-SetX competes easily with stainless, in stretch and long term
use.  Knee Deep has been on a cruise doing LOTS of sailing and to my
knowledge they have not replaced any of the halyards.  That's roughly
about 7 years continuous duty.

	2.  Sta-SetX has a very slippery core.  Getting good whippings takes
some effort, and sealing the ends with a little heat is preferred, AND
whipping to prevent core/cover creep.

	3.  Making Splices on Sta-SetX is a bit of a struggle.  The fids do not
want to penetrate the weaving of the outer braid, and the weave is very
close.  I had to do about 1/3 to 1/2 longer on knot used to mark the
point of pushing the braid back to get it to expand.  That said, once
the tucks are in and the thing smoothed out, the splices are extremely
rugged.

	4.  The braid is quite rough on hands, of course using gloves is vital.
It also doesn't grab on the winch quite as well, so I typically took an
additional turn.

	One final thing, if you like wire to rope, you may find that getting a
wire splice in Sta-SetX will be tough.  I never tried, but I suspect
that the slippery core would make getting the initial splice to bite and
hold on wire would require some additional weaves.  This would lengthen
the splice, and if you bring the splice around the winch I would be
afraid it would weaken the splice.   Taking the splice around the winch
is not really a good idea according to most line manufacturers anyway.
I know most people do it, and it works for them, so take it as you will.

	Overall, I loved the change from metal to full line, and the quiet was
nice.  I can also tell you that we used small stuff on the shrouds to
hold the halyards away from the mast to cut down on "mast slap".  The
Sta-SetX seemed to get a soft spot or something where it was bent around
the small stuff.  I don't know if this  was from wear or just working
some slack in the tight outer braid.  We sold the boat before I had a
chance to examine the line at that point.  But Like I said, I think they
are still using those halyards, so it must not have been a weak place.
I used 7/16 also as I recall.

On Sun, 2013-06-02 at 14:57 -0700, Bruce S. Liese wrote:
> Steve, that's the way I think about measuring halyards.  I'll also
> mention that I prefer New England Ropes 7/16" Sta-Set halyards.
> 
> 
> 
> To Brett and the rest of the group, I've owned, sailed, and raced two
> different Catalina 38s over the past 15 years (Freudian Sloop and
> Crusader) out of San Diego.   And I've been a member of this listserve
> for almost the same amount of time.  I rarely contribute but I read
> almost every post with great interest and gratitude.
> 
> 
> You asked for a good place to purchase halyards/sailing supplies.  I
> own a Catalina dealership, sail loft, and rigging shop in Lawrence,
> Kansas (of all places!).  I've always offered members of the Catalina
> 38 fleet deep discounts on parts, foul weather gear, rigging, deck
> hardware, safety equipment, and additional sailing supplies.  When
> possible I've been able to beat most others' prices.  I make it a
> point not to pester the group with selfish marketing efforts, but
> especially when it comes to rigging and deck hardware, we can usually
> beat other retailers and we ship for free. I'm only offering this
> information because you asked for a place to purchase halyards.
> 
> 
> Please feel free to take a look at our site,
> www.KansasCitySailing.com.  We also have an online store (on e-bay and
> a separate one) but it's best to contact me directly to get the best
> prices.  If you wish to contact me, my cell phone number is
> 913-579-5039.
> 
> 
> I hope this helps!
> 
> 
> Warm regards,
> 
> 
> Bruce