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Paul Thompson wrote:
David Tyler wrote:The chafe resistance of Dyneema is extremely high. That's why it's taking over from wire rope in many applications (when I've finished using up all my scraps of 8mm polyester on the sheet spans, which do tend to chafe through the sheet blocks, I plan to buy some small size bare Dyneema for this job, because it will be everlasting). However, its stretch is extremely low, the same as with wire, and that would make me wary of using it as an anchor rode. Its low weight would make the use of an angel/chum essential.The only reasons to use it are that it won't chafe, won't degrade in UV, and is a lot less injurious to health than wire.
For sheetlets.... I'm with you there... I've been using it on my foresail sheetlets because I had some. However I did not realise that it has the good chafe resistance that you say. Nor have I yet put on enough miles for chafe to be a problem. So far the rig has been remarkable free from chafe... long may it continue. Another thing I like about it is that it's very easy to splice, even easier than three strand... and that's saying something. If the anti-chafe properties are so good, it may also be good for batten parrels.
I've been trying out the use of 6mm Dyneema for one of my batten parrels. They're very long, so the absence of stretch is very useful along with the chafe resistance.
My halyard span is also 6mm Dyneema. The load is great enough that two stainless steel thimbles fatigued in half, during the passage up the Pacific, and the carbon yard, unpainted, is rather abrasive, but the span is lasting very well. I don't use a thimble now, and the loop in the middle of the span just takes a full turn around the shackle on the halyard block - no problems.
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