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March 20, 2019 3 min read
A split tail mainsheet is a useful thing to have on your boat, they are used across a number of different applications from catamarans through to dinghies which have multiple attachments on the boom.
In this article we are going to cover two ways of making a split tail mainsheet, a basic way, and then a more advanced way.
There is a really simple approach to creating a split tail mainsheet, and that is using a braid on braid rope or very similar. This could also be completed using a dyneema core rope.
This approach involves digging out the core of the rope and leaving the cover as one end and using the core as the other end of your split tail.
What you'll need:
Take your length of rope and measure it up against your boat to work out how much of the inside core you need to expose to split the rope evenly. Remember that you will want this to pull evenly on both split ends to distribute the load across the two attachment points.
Once measured, work out the point you are going to start to dig the core out of the rope, sometimes we find it useful to mark this with a marker pen.
Start by cutting the end of your rope to release the core from the cover, when you buy a new rope it's likely to be heat sealed and both parts will be sealed together. Start to bend the rope and bunch up the cover to loosen it, this will make it easier to get the fid inside.
Gently, without damaging the cover or core, work your fid into the ropes cover at the point you've marked and then attempt to grab the core of the rope and pull it out through the same hole the fid entered through. Once you have exposed the core slightly you can pull the rest out of that hole.
As soon as you have split both parts of the rope we recommend sealing the ends so they don't fray. You could wrap PVC tape around the ends first, then cut through the tape in the middle and seal with your lighter.
Work the cover back so it's no longer bunched up and the rope is back to its normal diameter and shape.
We then recommend adding a few stitches and whip to ensure the cover and core remain in place. You should do this above where the core and cover are split.
Maybe you're looking for a more lightweight mainsheet without a core running all the way through? Or maybe you have a thin mainsheet and want a thicker core connecting to your attachment points?
Here are some other options available to you:
Got questions? We're always happy to help with rope questions and we also offer a fully customisable rope splicing service if you wanted us to help create your perfect split tail mainsheet.
Simply drop us an e-mail or give the team a call.
Needed 5m of a low stretch rope to act as a mast raising / lowering tail on my Wayfarer forestay as the existing 5mm rope was a bit thick to pass under my reefing spar attachment. Now it fits snugly and the mast raises and lowers better than it did before because of less friction and "bounce".
The top cover was delivered on time as expected. The cover fits perfectly and hopefully it will last forever … Thank you
Bought this for my son so can’t personally comment as I’ve not used it. However he was very pleased with the purchase and said it’s great quality.
Always happy with my orders from Sailing Chandlery. They are quick to post and very helpful when I have had a question.
Jason delivered the boat on time at Hayling Island Sailing Club. The boat was new and all the spars were in perfect condition. Jason came to pick up the boat and return the deposit which I gave at the time of the delivery. Every interaction with Andrew and Jason were handled very professionally. I will recommend to any sailor Sailing Chandlery in the future. I really appreciated how easy it was to charter this boat. Thank you very much. Jacques Kerrest
This was a birthday present for a sailing daughter (i don't sail!) She was delighted, it hasn't been out on the water yet but she's looking forward to trying it out and says it's just what she wanted... so looks like a good choice by me after helpful advice from Sailing Chandlery staff!
I bought the 2.5mm dyneema for a special winch/pulley project which needs to pull two sides of a cradle exactly simultaneously for about a meter. Originally I was going to create loops on both the LHS and the RHS, then loop them together onto a 3mm dyneema rope. This gave me two issues : firstly the "knot" would be large and may rub on the cradle (not much room available), secondly there was no redundancy if the 3mm dyneema was to fail. So I then looked at splitting the drum on the winch into 2 halves so I could wind on both the RHS and LHS 2.5mm ropes on together. This would give redundancy if one leg was to fail but it would not guarantee simultaneous pulling.
Then I had a brainwave. I spliced the 2 x 2.5mm together and then fed a 1.5meter tail through the middle creating a combined rope of approx 3.5mm diameter. I then wound this onto the drum of the winch as a single rope. This would ensure simultaneous pulling, and also provide redundancy if say the outer sheath was abraded and failed - also there was no significant "knot" so it fitted in neatly in the space available.
It was a bit of a fiddle pulling the tail through but not really difficult with the D-splicing tool.
All in all, I am very impressed with the dyneema and I am glad I did not choose a wire rope for this application.
Quick and easy to fit on to the end of the sail and work perfectly.
Thank you 'Sailing Chandlery' for your quick service and easy website which helped me pick the correct part I needed. I am back sailing when the weather allows.
Prompt delivery, with helpful updates and time slot spot on. Perfect new sail at a great price and the number fixing service is well worth it. It even won its first race! Thank you.
This was an easy thing to sort out for my Wanderer. It's a common part for a wide range of boats. The whole thing comes complete that's the Rudder pivot bolt, wing nut and 'socket washer' for the bolt head. The whole process took just a couple of days for my order to be picked dispatched and shipped and I was ready to go sailing again.
I needed GBR letters for the ILCA Europeans and they arrived by the next post.
I bought four of these blocks to deal with Control line take away Perfect.
Great product. Very good quality and price!
Quick delivery, great item
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