Dyneema rope for check stay
Greetings everyone,

I would like to change the check stay on my 44 to Dyneema rope.

Have any of you experiences/recommendations on this?
Is it an issue to get the right terminals?

I changed the checkstays into PBO in combination , for the last part to the winches, with dynema,
It works fine.
Alexander

We have changed the wire part of the runners to dyneema in order to reduce chafing on the mainsail. The breaking load of the rope is slightly higher than that of the wire that was installed before. Instead of terminals, the rope is spliced so the bolt on the mast runs through an eye ... the rope needs to be checked every once in a while, but for the last two years (that is when we changed it) has never caused any problem. Zero. We are completely satisfied with the solution.
Fair winds,
Martin (Age of Swan, 48/039)

Dear runner replacers
Good point that rope reduces chafe, and it is also lighter.
It is recommended that the rope breaking strength be some 1.5 times higher than the wire B.S. The reason is that SWL for rope is lower than for wire.
Kind regards
Lars

Gents,
Thank you very much for the valuable information!

I had a quick cost inquiry in a random Italian ship chandlery for 6mm Dyneema rope: 10 EUR/metre. Would you consider this to be reasonable?

Thank you

Bjorn

Dear Bjorn,

E. 10 for a 6 mm looks very very expensive to me.

Try to call Giorgio Borri, he produces ropes in Italy and has a special price list for S&S SwanAssociation Members, aks him his best price for Dyneema SK 78, and remind him you are an Association Member.

His email: info@treccificioborri.it

Fair winds!

matteo (38/067 Only You)

Hello Swan-crazy friends!
Now, how about the best material to use for a removable headstay (ie to install a smaller gib when it's blowing above 25 knots and the furled genoa does not cope any more)?
We have a standard 10mm diameter (3x19?)stainless steel stay, but find that it's weigt and inertia make it rather difficult to install when the sea gets rough (which does happen at 25 Kts of wind!) as it's jumping around rather violently.
Whe saw in Marciana that Matteo had a special stay made of spectra, carbon, or some sophisticated light exotic fiber.
Does the light weight really improve the situation?
Which diameter would you recommend for a Swan 41, with which fiber?
I would be very interested to read some experience, and recommendations on the subject.
As far as we are concerned we often wait too long before installing the gib because its too difficult to attach the stay and abandon the idea...
Many Thanks.
Happy sailing and kind regards.
Philippe. 41/022 Soeur Anne

Mon Cher Ami,

it's kevlar (by Navtec)!

Fair winds

matteo (38/067 Only You)

Mon Cher Philippe
You mention a 10 mm wire inner forestay, this is rather big. About 6 mm wire should be fine, and the fiber stay could be based on this.
Incidentally 10 mm Navtec Kevlar cable corresponds to 6 mm wire, and weighs 0.075 kg/m, this is 15% of the 10 mm wire weight.
A few things need to be considered with Kevlar stays - they must not be coiled into small diameters, soft sail attachments are needed, and if the protective PVC cover is damaged this allows sunlight to damage the fibers as they are not UV-resistant.
Kind regards
Lars

Many thanks, Professor and Matteo, for your always so useful advice.
We are definetely going to try this.
Matteo: do you have standard hanks (mousquetons) or are you using soft sail attachment, as recommended by the professor, which probably need to be installed by a sailmaker?
All the best for the Porto Cervo meeting.
Philippe.
(Obviously I meant S&S Swan-crasy friends in my post!)

Mon Cher Ami,

no, I have hard mousquettons, I will check again with a rigger, as up to now I did not know I needed soft ones. Lars, as always, has an infinite knowledge! Kevlar stay is PBO covered.

I know you were talking about the S&S Swans, are there any other (real) Swans...?

;-)

See you in Marciana Marina, June 2015...I hope!

Fair winds!

matteo (37/067 Only You)