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March 17, 2017 3 min read
With the sailing season about to start we thought we would give you some tips on how to look after your sailing ropes. Every boat has plenty of rope onboard and the start of the season is a good time to check your boat over including your rope and rigging systems.
The first thing we’d advise you to do is to check each and every dinghy rope very carefully, run through from one end to the other looking for any issues, fraying areas and inspect where the rope goes through cleats or sharp turns. It’s also important to check your rope work, if you’ve got splices, joins, tapers or whips check them over.
Secondly, check the ends of the ropes, if they’re not sealed then finish them off properly with a heat knife or rope hot gun. Some people prefer to cut the rope and seal with a lighter, if you’re going to take this approach then put some electrical tape round the rope before making the cut – then you can heat the end. We would recommend a rope seal hot knife, a great little tool and very handy for the dinghy park.
If the sailing ropes do come off the boat without too much hassle then why not put them into the washing machine. It might sound a bit weird but it’s the best way to get them clean. Just make sure you don’t use soap with a beaching agent.
Once the ropes are washed make sure you dry them thoroughly, it’s best to put them in a dark but warm room where the sunlight isn’t going to get to them. Sunlight is one of the biggest killers of sailing and dinghy ropes, especially those which do poke out of the boat cover.
When you go to put your sailing ropes back onto your boat check your pulleys, cleats and boat for abrasion points. If your rope is running around a sharp item or pulley that doesn’t work then it’s not going to last as long. At that point it’s probably time to replace the hardware on the boat, or add some protective tape to reduce friction.
Caring for your ropes is important, we see lots of people pulling their boat from the water to their boat parking space with a mainsheet trailing across the concrete. This is a very fast way to reduce the ropes lifetime and create weak areas.
Another important factor is to use the right rope for the job. Yes, we all love a bit of cheap string but sometimes a cheap bit of rope won’t last as long, costing you more money over time. Check what sort of load each line is going to be taking, obviously control systems, sheets and halyards are going to take the biggest loads. You’ll be fine with a bargain bit of floatline for your boats painter though!
If you use a rope which isn’t suitable you’ll see your sails start to have problems. For example if a rope can’t act correctly as a halyard you’ll see it stretching and your sail starting to drop from where it should be, no matter how much you try and tighten the halyard it won’t work. If you’re unsure of which rope you need then please just give us a call, or drop us an email – we are always more than happy to help.
If you’ve got any questions about which boat rope is going to be best for you, or if you just want to talk through the options then feel free to give us a call.
I rang to request some advice on replacement parts for my dinghy and was very impressed with the excellent advice and efficient delivery of the required parts. Many thanks
Great product, safely packaged, delivered on time, at a competitive price. One more thing - the person on the end of the phone is an actual person, informative, helpful, knowledgeable and pleasant. What more could you ask for.
The sales team were quick responding to our questions, dispatched to us promptly, and the product is a perfect replacement for our old tiller which ended up at the bottom of a lake!
It was time for me to upgrade to a newer Ilca and it was recommended that I get a Devoti. The price was competitive and the service from Andrew and his team was fantastic. I received lots of communication and the boat was delivered to me within 2 weeks. It is really great that Sailing Chandlery take the time to set up the rigging so that you can get straight on the water. I am very pleased with my new boat and am loving sailing it. Thank you Sailing Chandlery!
Ordered a dyneema RSAero halyard on the Thursday. It arrived by mid day on the Friday and was used on the Saturday. Excellent product and service. Thank you
Cover arrived after three days and is well made and completely covers the boat boom up . The straps and clips all work fine. Good product.
My local chandlery were unable to supply a white inspection hatch and so it was amatter of looking online. Sailing Chandlery had the cover I needed in stock at a good price and delivery. I had never used them before but the service I received was excellent with the delivery on time and the hatch is now fitted.
I will definitely return, especially with the discounts on offer. Thank you Sailing Chandlery!
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
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.
I needed GBR letters for the ILCA Europeans and they arrived by the next post.
I made a mistake on my order and it was put right at zero cost to me ! Amazing !
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Product exactly what I wanted
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Had the boom and mast in stock. Order processed quickly, great service and local so could pick them up. Friendly and helpful staff as always. Thank you
Delivered on time after chatting by phone to a very helpful person at Sailing chandlery. Absolutely no complaint with this Company and will continue to use them for my sailing needs.
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