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March 28, 2020 3 min read
Here at Sailing Chandlery we have over 100 different reels of rope on the wall all with their own uses and in various colours.
We understand that if you were to stand in front of them it's hard to know what is for what. In this article we are going to help you by providing advice on what the right halyard rope might be for your use.
This article is focussed on dinghy halyards but we also sell halyards for cruisers and yachts.
You can explore our halyard rope options on our website.
When we think of rope halyards we think of the following categories:
Most sailors automatically look at a dyneema rope option for halyards, but that's not always needed for your boat.
We recommend you also look at what your boats manufacturer is recommending for the job.
Believe it or not we sell a fair amount of rope to be used as flag halyards. In all instances we recommend an 8 plait standard polyester, it's a basic rope but is more than up to the job for hoisting your flags on your boat or race box.
Our main halyard rope recommendation will depend on how the sail is attached when fully hoisted. If like our catamaran the rope clips onto a hook at the top then you only need a basic rope to get the sail up, and then the load is taken on the hook and the sail is secured in place with the downhaul.
If you are using a cleat then you're going to need a rope which is grippy, and also will resist some stretch. If your boat is going to be putting minimal pressure on the halyard rope then you should look at an 8 plait pre stretched rope, if there is going to be more pressure then upgrading to a dyneema core rope would be a good idea.
In most cases with dyneema it's best to use a dyneema core rope with a harder wearing polyester cover/jacket. If you can attach your halyard through a loop then a 12 strand dyneema could be a good option as it's stronger as a pure dyneema and won't have any wear in a cleat.
Some sailors like to have a tapered spinnaker halyard, in this case you'll be looking at a dyneema core rope, or you could make up your own using 12 strand dyneema and a hollow braid rope.
Most sailors who use dyneema don't taper halyards and use the dyneema core rope with jacket as standard.
If you're not bothered about tapering, and you don't need dyneema then an 8 plait pre stretched polyester rope for smaller sails would be perfect.
Some jibs are hoisted using a wire halyard with a tail rope to follow the metal wire halyard up inside the mast. For tails we recommend a 12 strand polyester rope such as Evolution Splice, this can be easily spliced onto the wire halyard.
The same process should follow as the main halyard when picking a jib halyard. If the mast tension is taken up by the jib halyard then dyneema should be your choice of halyard rope in this instance.
8 Plait Standard Polyester -
https://www.sailingchandlery.com/products/4mm-8-plait-standard-polyester-rope
8 Plait Pre Stretched Polyester -
https://www.sailingchandlery.com/products/4mm-8-plait-pre-stretched-rope
SK78 Dyneema Core -
https://www.sailingchandlery.com/products/4mm-dyneema-kingfisher-evolution-race-rope
12 Strand Dyneema SK78 -
https://www.sailingchandlery.com/products/kingfisher-3mm-dyneema-sk78-compact-braid
All of these ropes are available in various diameters and with different colour options.
If you've got any questions about our ropes and what might be best for your boat then we are always happy to help. Simply give us a call, or drop us an email info@sailingchandlery.com.
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 !
I’ll certainly be back
Product exactly what I wanted
Excellent service and prompt delivery.
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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