Bolt rope

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  • 19 Jun 2025 06:36
    Reply # 13511946 on 13511433
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    I used thin dyneema in one length inside the jibs and mains luffs of my SJR. It goes inside the tiny hem, and runs in one length through all the battens (actually, my battens are two parts, one each side anyway). I threw a few stitches in here and there along the luffs, and simply belayed the one piece bolt rope at the yard and at the boom. No eye splice, just a couple of turns and a hitch.

    I used dyneema, not so much for strength, but I wanted something as thin as possible which I was sure would not stretch. Nylon stretches a bit, doesn't it?

    I think it is a nice thing on a SJR to have nice straight luffs and by making sure that the bolt rope on the mains is about the same length as the boltrope on the jibs, and it stays that way, you achieve that straight jibs luff nicely by tensioning up with the running parrel downhauls, which work so well on that Amiina rig. The running downhauls tension against the halyard.

    The downward force on the downhauls need not be great - just tweak firm with one hand and belay. (Not "twang tight" like the bermuda jib luff needs to be). So I don't think the bolt rope needs to be incredibly strong,  but if the relative length of the two boltropes (mains and jibs) gets significantly out of whack because of stretching, then that convenient little adjustment might not work so well as it does.

    (Actually, I think my mains bolt rope might be a smidgeon long, but the battens are flexible enough to bend slightly under the very moderate load of the downhauls. The result is, the parrel down hauls whose spans put a little bit of downward tension onto each of the battens, makes the jibs luff satisfyingly straight under very, very moderate tension).

    The luff "entry" of the jibs, with that slim boltrope, is better than webbing or a heavy tabling on a SJR. (I imagine that, anyway). I like a nice tabling for the leech, but a bolt rope is justified on the jibs luff since it is completely out of the way of the mast, and the jibs entry is carefully made to be as aerodynamic as possible, since that's part of the reason for having them, isn't it?. It might not make a lot of difference, but it's all good fun and just as easy as a webbing or tabling, so why not?


    Last modified: 19 Jun 2025 07:05 | Anonymous member (Administrator)
  • 19 Jun 2025 06:21
    Reply # 13511943 on 13511433

    Paul

    Did you tie an eye splice for each panel? That seems like a lot. I'm using some 6 mm line. I was thinking I might just pass it through itself at the battens. Figured it's got to be strong enough. Otherwise I think I might go crazy trying to get the sizes all perfect. What you think about that?

  • 18 Jun 2025 23:46
    Reply # 13511850 on 13511433

    Thanks Paul. 

    I do have some 3mm nylon running up both the leach and luff. Now that's not near as strong as that stuff you got there. I got some 6mm amsteel heare. I was thinking of adding that to the luff of the "main sail" putting in an eye splice at every Batten up to the top most sail panel. I can lash the eyes in a bit with the rest of the rigging.

    Then for the top panel do an line at both leech and luff. 


    I think that will add so.e piece of mind. My only other consideration wmight be to add the same to the luff of the jiblets...


    Lucky this stuff is supper easy to spice I guess...  

  • 18 Jun 2025 08:54
    Reply # 13511522 on 13511433

    Hi Jeffrey,

    When I made a similar sized sail for my previous boat I used 3mm Dynema 12 strand at luffs

    and leaches. As dyneema is famously difficult to knot securely I used Mobius Brummel

    spliced loops at the battens. I had to make a few practice loops in order to allow both for the 

    splice shrinkage and slight elongation when loaded.

    Although time consuming I felt it worth the effort.



  • 17 Jun 2025 23:58
    Message # 13511433

    Hi all

    So I might have messed up a bit. I'm thinking I use two small of Bolt rope at the luff of my sail. I just slapped some standard nylon bolt rope in but it's only like a 1/8 in braid. I have it stitched in at every Batten pocket, but I'm realizing it's going to have to take up the weight of the sale along with the cloth. Y'all think it's going to be okay? I'm going to throw some extra whipping twine through it just to add a little something. Y'all think I should pull the pockets back and sew in some heavier material? Or just Stitch some flat nylon to the outside of the sail? Can some one just tell me its all going to be ok?


    Parameters are listed below



    305 square foot split sail

    Mustang fabric 

    Sewin in baton pockets

    Use is for off shore sailing


    Thanks

    Jeff

    Last modified: 18 Jun 2025 00:05 | Anonymous member
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