I have decided to change ropes more frequently and carry several meters in my harness for emergencies so I am looking to buy a role of good quality rope from the local boating store.

What is the correct sized rope for downhaul, outhaul and boom head?
Do all manufacturers use the same size rope (excluding north power XT)?
What is the correct rope to ask for, either by name brand or type?

Thanks.
SG

Go to a good sailing supplies shop (not windsurf) - take what came with your extension- I use one rope for out and down, but I only use wave sails so may not be applicable to big gear - they usually have a great range of differnt size and strengths that you can purchase by the metre -

be wary of anything that cant be melted on the end to stay as a single piece - some of the ropes with an outer casing and inner filament are a pain to melt a point on and then you cant feed them through the extension holes.

Not sure how helpful that is

I agree, go to a boating supply shop.
I use "spectra" for all my bits and pieces... it doesn't stretch much and is immensely strong. (and comes in cool colours)
From memory it is either four or five millimeter diameter... take your sample!

It is fairly expensive, so you will probably be put off from buying a full reel, which is generally 100m but will usually be discounted...

Good luck!

Thanks pirate, I just googled spectra, is this the right stuff?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/SPECTRA-ROPE-(-yellow-4mm-X-60mtrs)_W0QQitemZ200257846547QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20080928?IMSfp=TL0809280210001r4912

If this link doesn't you may just need to copy and paste it into the address bar.

This is 4mm spectraspeed from whitworths?

www.whitworths.com.au/rope-s-spd-2mm-multi?q=180414

Any good?

Nice find Knot board thats a good price for spectra expect to pay $2.50 at a marine shop.

Spectraspeed will last longer than standard spectra. The difference is standard spectra has the inner and outer sheath and will have movement between them but spectraspeed has no movement between the two sheaths and will wear a lot less, is is also stiffer to feel.
But be carefull were you get it, I just got 20m from tassie but is was standard spectra even though it was advertised spectraspeed. I don't know about the whitworths one, I was nearly going to get it from there but was stumped by the $17 postage charge,
It is 4mm that I use for downhaul.
If you have standard spectra you need to push the inner sheath through then cut the inner sheath short 5mm each end, pull the outer back over then melt the outer sheath down completley covering the inner,this will prevent the sheaths moving and seperating.

About 5 mths ago I got some 'formuline' from Jez at 2ndwind sailboards in Perth (one of the site sponsors I think). They posted it out to me so I didnt have to chase all over town. It was recommended by a few others so I tried it. Downhauling is so much easier, even on the big 8.5 formula sail. Its the only stuff I will use from now on.

I need to get a new outhaul, the spectra keeps shredding on the half-broken outhaul cleat (also need a new boom!)

Formuline sounds good

Boards talk about Formuline
http://www.boards.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=14262

Gun sails say: 2m Downhaul, 1m Outhaul (but heard other measurements elsewhere but can't find atm)
www.gunsails.co.uk/en/rigplus.htm

use 4mm, anything bigger is a pain to feed through pulleys ,cleats, and smaller does not cleat properly, slips when you don't want it too, yer spectra of some sort is the best.

What about that Kelvar stuff? Is it any good? I've heard mixed reports in the past.

Neil Pryde sell downhaul rope. I hate to say it, but it is by far the best product on the market. I'm sure someone else would know the official name of the rope so you can try and track it down?
It is on their web site...

I know this sounds pretty tight ha ha, but i've never actually bought rope.... Ever summer (busy time) Dad and i will find meters of rope either left by other windsurfers or sailors at all spots and theres just no need to buy it.... Have to say i've never really thought about quailty and all the rest, when it breaks it breaks and i'll replace it - never really crossed my mind much lol.

Cheers
Bubs

OB64 is right...
Formuline is excellent stuff.. Tough as old boots & slippery as Rudd..
2 metres is about right for three pulley extensions.
Kevlar cored line is good, though you can't seal the ends with heat satisfactorally. You have to use something like superglue, etc.

Cheers. Jez www.2ndwind.com.au

I like the Marlow pre stretch. no sheath, strong, no stretch, 4mm, 6mm.(white)

I got some rope the other day....non windsurfing related, sorry.
White, nylon? twine stuff to tie up an advertising banner. The ends were heat sealed, making the rope blunt on the end, and it was all white. I needed to cut it in half, and when I then melted the cut ends to seal it, it went all bubbly and the plastic/nylon melted to black.
How did they get such a nice seal on it? I'm assuming that maybe they just had some incredible heat when they sealed it. Or cut it with a heated blade or something.
Any ideas how I can get the same effect?

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surfinchick said...

I some incredible heat when they sealed it. Or cut it with a heated blade or something.
Any ideas how I can get the same effect?

Yep they used a electrically heated blade

A hot knife does the trick. I just use an old knife on my stove top - heat it up and then cut! To get a good seal on Spectra - you need to pull the sheath(outer) back slightly to expose the kevlar core. Cut the core approx 10mm back from tip (tough!!) and then slide outer sheath over the core then using a hot knife seal the outer over the end of the core completely. No more fraying..

Soldering iron.

Cut it on a bit of an angle and it'll go through holes and cleats easier

Thanks guys, I'll try the heated knife on the stove top trick.

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JEZ said...

OB64 is right...
Formuline is excellent stuff.. Tough as old boots & slippery as Rudd..

he he ... but not a slippery as slimy John... couldn't hold him in a cleat. depends I guess on whether it's cored line or not.

Yeah Formuline is wonderful stuff. I find 1.5 metres sufficient for 1 pulley on the extension, which is what you use if you don't use a tack pulley on the sail. In that case the easier downhauling of Formuline is welcome.

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baldrick said...

What about that Kelvar stuff? Is it any good? I've heard mixed reports in the past.

Thats the spectra.
I replaced 3mm stainless control wires on a wing rig with 2.5mm spectra. so much better. we once used the offcut as a tow rope and we still keep 10m handy in the toolbox

Hi Knot Board,

Yep, that is the stuff I was talking about, I did in fact get mine from Whitworths. The suggestion of sliding back the cover and cutting the core shorter is a great idea, although I certainly havent had a problem with the 4mm stuff... (spectraspeed?)

Landyacht: Spectra isn't Kevlar... quite different stuff. Spectra is a polyethylene fibre, Kevlar is an aramid... (dont mean to split hairs! )

The biggest problem with the Kevlar is that it isnt much good in the sun and suffers from internal abrasion, it also wont melt.
Spectra on the other hand doenst have that problem and you can cut it with a hot-knife.

yeah, but both spectra and kevlar squeal in a different key when run over a tensioned hot wire and i can't work out which is in a minor note.

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greenleader said...

yeah, but both spectra and kevlar squeal in a different key when run over a tensioned hot wire and i can't work out which is in a minor note.

Tell it like it is, brother!

Steve at Windforce sold me some formuline. Feels good and feeds thru the pulleys easily.
He said to use 2.0m and as soon as it starts to look a little shabby reverse it thru the downhaul system and wear out the other end as the worn end is not taking any load,you just need it to do the initial (no/low load)downhaul.
All the real stresses are taken in the last 500mm.

This topic got me thinking.
I think I need a new uphaul rope. My current one consists of sometype of thin rope with an elastic strip thing over it. This came with the boom so I'm guessing this is the standard design these days.
The problem I have is that even though I can grip it without slipping I don't have much to hold onto and it's pretty harsh on the hands.

Now when I had my old windsurfer 'one design' my uphaul was a thick, 1inch dia. approx, rope with knots tied in it to help with the uphaul. This was much better. I'm thinking that I'm going to make one for my current rig, any comments/suggestions?

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Patchk said...

This topic got me thinking.
I think I need a new uphaul rope. My current one consists of sometype of thin rope with an elastic strip thing over it. This came with the boom so I'm guessing this is the standard design these days.
The problem I have is that even though I can grip it without slipping I don't have much to hold onto and it's pretty harsh on the hands.

Now when I had my old windsurfer 'one design' my uphaul was a thick, 1inch dia. approx, rope with knots tied in it to help with the uphaul. This was much better. I'm thinking that I'm going to make one for my current rig, any comments/suggestions?

Up hauls - If its a big sail use an Easy Uphaul or jury rig something similar so you can hook it onto you harness for the initial grunt work. If its a small sail then I find the garden variety tape/tube with bungy inside adequate.

However, for a beginner (which you aren't) doing tons of uphauling will cause premature forearm failure and ruin your session. In that case I would rig up a big fat soft line. You can get such lines from equestrian supply places. Ask for "lunge lines".

The other one that comes to mind is that thick braided line with what looks like a couple of golf balls built into it. They look comfy but I don't know where you'd get them.