gregg wrote:

Wayne.B wrote:

On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 15:45:46 -0800, "Robert or Karen Swarts"
wrote:
I am about to replace the halyards and sheets on my 25' sailboat. I have
measured the old lines with a caliper, and had my neighbor repeat the
measurements to be sure they were consistent. The result is that the
lines measure between 5/16 and 3/8 for the halyards, and between 3/8 and
7/16 for the sheets.

Does anyone know if old, weathered lines tend to measure more or less
than their nominal diameter? I.e., are these 5/16, 3/8 or 7/16?

The best indicator would be the blocks - they are sized for a particular
line diameter. Assuming, of course, that the blocks were sized right for
the boat.

p.s. and also the block sheaves should be sized for a particular line
diameter, given a certain line material.


--
Saville

Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html

Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm

Steambending FAQ with photos:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm

Another consideration for sheets is how comfortable the line will be on
the hands when you're pulling on it. If the blocks will tolerate it,
i'd prefer 7/16". Make up a pair of 1/4" sheets for light-weather
conditions.