Opinion: Best Brand Of Rope
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All of the top cordage makers have great products. New England, Samson, Yale, Marlow, Maffioli etc...... they all produce a wide selection of rope products to match the application....They're all good, so, you need to be more specific in you application intentions... Here's a good link to get acquainted with the different offerings... http://www.apsltd.com/c-1485-line.aspx
Now, if you're a daysailor with moderate experience you will probably have only looked at the polyester double braid type of line.... New England Sta-set is the most common because every West Marine store carries it.... But Samson and Yale make polyester double braids also... and they are great.... so... if it was me, and I was buying a lot of new sheets, I'd price shop it because they will all do the job. Don't forget that some makers charge extra for solid colors...
Now for halyards or tacklines where you want NO stretch... you will want a different type; lines with vectran or technora cores, for instance..... again, all he major companies make these products... so keep price as a major consideration. The most popular of the high teck core double braids.... where the cover can be stripped away from the non handled section of line, if desired, is Samson Warpspeed... but Yale and NE make similar products... on a boat your size... expect to spend a lot of bucks on new halyards if you go the hi tech route.
Finally, I can tell you what NOT to buy.... DO NOT buy any kind of line from a hardware store unless it's a recognizable brand name of marine line, such as those already mentioned(which they won't be). Even though it may be polyester double braid and look like the line in the marine store... it isn't.. just read the specs on the label and compare to the brands I've mentioned... all quality line will supply the specs... in the chandlery it will be displayed right by the spool for each line. I would never purchase any type of line for my sailboat from Harbor Freight, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.... just for the sake of saving some money.... just don't do it.
Now, if you're a daysailor with moderate experience you will probably have only looked at the polyester double braid type of line.... New England Sta-set is the most common because every West Marine store carries it.... But Samson and Yale make polyester double braids also... and they are great.... so... if it was me, and I was buying a lot of new sheets, I'd price shop it because they will all do the job. Don't forget that some makers charge extra for solid colors...
Now for halyards or tacklines where you want NO stretch... you will want a different type; lines with vectran or technora cores, for instance..... again, all he major companies make these products... so keep price as a major consideration. The most popular of the high teck core double braids.... where the cover can be stripped away from the non handled section of line, if desired, is Samson Warpspeed... but Yale and NE make similar products... on a boat your size... expect to spend a lot of bucks on new halyards if you go the hi tech route.
Finally, I can tell you what NOT to buy.... DO NOT buy any kind of line from a hardware store unless it's a recognizable brand name of marine line, such as those already mentioned(which they won't be). Even though it may be polyester double braid and look like the line in the marine store... it isn't.. just read the specs on the label and compare to the brands I've mentioned... all quality line will supply the specs... in the chandlery it will be displayed right by the spool for each line. I would never purchase any type of line for my sailboat from Harbor Freight, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.... just for the sake of saving some money.... just don't do it.
Another interesting source is www.cajunropes.com
I bought halyards from them last year and I am VERY happy with them. The prices are good and the company was quick to fill my order. They are worth checking out.
I bought halyards from them last year and I am VERY happy with them. The prices are good and the company was quick to fill my order. They are worth checking out.
Cajun Ropes
Excellent prices. Excellent product. Excellent service. Also a good reference when you want West Marine to match a price.
www.cajunrope.com
Excellent prices. Excellent product. Excellent service. Also a good reference when you want West Marine to match a price.
www.cajunrope.com
I've re-rigged a few boats. It all depends on your application. If you don't race, no reason to go hi-tech. Hi-tech costs a heck of a lot more than low tech. For low tech sheets, and halyards I like Samson LS or their XLS. Hi tech lets you go smaller diameter for higher strength with less weight aloft. The trade off is price and possible less longevity due to UV damage.
I favor Sampson over NE Rope. They sell it heer on the website. Their service is wonderful and the prices a also good.
I suggest that you check this out before and after you have checked around.
I suggest that you check this out before and after you have checked around.
pro- Yale UULS
I have always been a huge fan of Sampson XLS Yacht Braid and was gratified to see it outranked NER Stay-Set XS in low stretch. During my time working at West Marine I still avoided buying NER (I rigged a dinghy with it once; that's it). When we rigged the 2008 Cherubini 44 (hull 34) we used Oyster Bay Boatworks to make up the halyards and they used Stay-Set X. Never have I had such a nightmare fighting hockles and kinks in spite of taking every precaution imaginable to let it just 'lie' and giving it enough room to untwist while reeving it into the mast. And never again will I use it.
I closed a West Marine store a few years back and managed to buy up all the former Boat US store stock of Yale UULS. This rope is absolutely a treasure. It is soft on the outside, more highly rated in strength than either XLS or SSX, and compares favorably in low-stretch. Best of all I got it at such a bargain as to make it a no-brainer (you would hate me if I said what I paid for it). And it comes in some really freaky colors as well!
Yale Cordage is not typically stocked and you will have to hunt for it. Usually they make it up to order, so you may have to wait for it too. This is one criticism I have of West Marine-- they stock what they want to stock, not what you might want to buy; and so to the average shopper it appears that what's in West Marine is all that's available. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I know less about Marlow Ropes but if you can stand metric sizing it is of very good quality. Some of their specialty products are very, very strong for their size.
Fawcett's in Annapolis stocks Yale. Defender Marine stocks Sampson. I would recommend either of these over New England Ropes for just about any reason.
I have always been a huge fan of Sampson XLS Yacht Braid and was gratified to see it outranked NER Stay-Set XS in low stretch. During my time working at West Marine I still avoided buying NER (I rigged a dinghy with it once; that's it). When we rigged the 2008 Cherubini 44 (hull 34) we used Oyster Bay Boatworks to make up the halyards and they used Stay-Set X. Never have I had such a nightmare fighting hockles and kinks in spite of taking every precaution imaginable to let it just 'lie' and giving it enough room to untwist while reeving it into the mast. And never again will I use it.
I closed a West Marine store a few years back and managed to buy up all the former Boat US store stock of Yale UULS. This rope is absolutely a treasure. It is soft on the outside, more highly rated in strength than either XLS or SSX, and compares favorably in low-stretch. Best of all I got it at such a bargain as to make it a no-brainer (you would hate me if I said what I paid for it). And it comes in some really freaky colors as well!
Yale Cordage is not typically stocked and you will have to hunt for it. Usually they make it up to order, so you may have to wait for it too. This is one criticism I have of West Marine-- they stock what they want to stock, not what you might want to buy; and so to the average shopper it appears that what's in West Marine is all that's available. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I know less about Marlow Ropes but if you can stand metric sizing it is of very good quality. Some of their specialty products are very, very strong for their size.
Fawcett's in Annapolis stocks Yale. Defender Marine stocks Sampson. I would recommend either of these over New England Ropes for just about any reason.
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