Old running rigging
 

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?

BS

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?

BS


Good question! I would have assumed that they would get thinner but
3/8" halyards on a 25' boat seem pretty overly large. I'd pick 5/16"
for halyards and 3/8" or 7/16" for sheets. Breaking strength isn't a
problem, but ease of fitting through sheaves is important.

Evan Gatehouse

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 loads on a 25 ft boat are not that high so anything 5/16 or
greater should have enough strength. To minimize weight aloft I'd go
with a smaller, low stretch line for the halyards, preferably Spectra.
For the sheets, get something that feels comfortable in your hands,
probably 3/8.

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.


--
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

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.

What sized sheets and halyards are recommended for a boat of about
10tons/40' long ?

Thanks,
Courtney



Evan Gatehouse wrote:

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?

BS



Good question! I would have assumed that they would get thinner but
3/8" halyards on a 25' boat seem pretty overly large. I'd pick 5/16"
for halyards and 3/8" or 7/16" for sheets. Breaking strength isn't a
problem, but ease of fitting through sheaves is important.

Evan Gatehouse


--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619

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?

BS


Just a curiosity: did you try with a metric gauge???????? Moreover, can
you make a slightly more precise measu 1/16" indeterminacy is quite
large.

Daniel

Braided line tends to run larger than the nominal diameter (Samson 7/16",
for instance, measures 1/2"), and I've never seen a synthetic line intended
for use as running rigging measure below. So your line measuring betweeh
5/16 and 3/8 is undoubtedly 5/16, and the other is undoubtedly 3/8.

Old line retains its original diameter, unless it's subjected to strains
near breaking strength.

HTH,
Tom Dacon

"Robert or Karen Swarts" wrote in message
...
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?

BS

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 13:01:55 -0500, Courtney Thomas
wrote:

What sized sheets and halyards are recommended for a boat of about
10tons/40' long ?

===============================================

Using hi-tech material like Spectra (especially worthwhile for
halyards), 5/16 for halyards, 7/16 or 1/2 inch for sheets and guys.

Otherwise you'll need wire halyards at about 5/32 or 3/16, with sheets
and guys at 5/8 dacron.