Running rigging colors roundtable

[$tingy Sailor]

It's an old and often debated topic: running rigging colors. Do they matter? If so, why and is that the best or only reason to choose one color over another? If not, why not and is that a justifiable reason for not reaping some benefit from an integrated color scheme, for example, making your boat easier to crew for those that are unfamiliar with it?

I tackled those questions when choosing new running rigging this past winter. I settled on a color scheme that I think makes sense. The scheme is based on three rules: the sail that the line affects, the type of control that the line affords, and the load that the line handles. Those factors result in combinations of red, green, or blue; solid colors or white with tracers; and several diameters of lines.

Using the three color scheme rules, can you guess the names of any lines in the picture above? For the answers and a tongue-in-cheek look at how this might play out on the water, see this week's post on my blog titled Running rigging color scheme.

I've never been one to dodge a constructive debate, so if you have a color scheme that works better for you (including no color scheme), share why in this thread. Remember, keep it constructive :naughty:. Back up your answer with useful reasons. Let's keep this a knowledge builder :dance:.

 

[CaptDon01]

Ken, I didn't know they was a color code. I started using different color line for each specific task so in the heat of the battle I can say "pull the blue line", or "release the black line", without having to explain which halyard I'm talking about, or what a vang is.

I also thought it looked neat, and added to the "cool factor", and isn't that actually the most important reason?

Don

 

[seanshine]

Darker lines don't show the dirt so bad... heh heh. Nice splices by the way. SS

 

[$tingy Sailor]

Don,
I hear ya. Just casual cruising seems too often to wind up in battles between the first mate and I, still being fairly new to it. Being the recovering perfectionist, I lean toward wanting to do everything "the right way," which usually becomes my way, coincidentally. Go figure :Liar:

The first mate being the polar opposite, coincidentally, doesn't care much for the terminology. I figure at least she'll have half a chance at remembering them if they're different colors. Beats "No, the other white line!" And the colors do make it LOOK like you know what you're doing

Seanshine,
There is that. I regret not taking better pictures of the old lines. Before I washed them, they were pretty mossy. After, not as bad, but most were original from '81. If I can resist obsessing over keeping the new ones clean, I'll call it a victory :dance:

 

[Stu Jackson]

If colors were "necessary" then boat builders would include them on new boats.

Has anyone seen this?

 

[justsomeguy]

What'cha using the snaphook line for, $S?

 

[Cope]

Snap line white with red trace, jib down haul.
next is jib halyard
small red line? EDIT-Silgle line reefing?
small blue line, main out haul.
white with blue trace is main halyard.
small green line??
white with green trace genoa halyard.

What do I win?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Let's see how many different lines there are.

jib sheets
mainsheet
main halyard
jib halyard isn't even led back since we have roller furling
vang
cunningham
lazy jacks
four reefing lines (double line reefing)
traveler control lines (P&S)

That's eight, but they're not used all the time or even together.

What's so hard to remember the names of eight lines?

 

[$tingy Sailor]

Replies

Here's my replies in the order of the ?s that were asked:

Stu,
I can remember the names fine. The first mate, not so much. And it sounds like you have your lines left aft too. If they're all the same color and close to the same size, how would somebody who's unfamiliar with your boat know which is which? Labels? I don't like labels on the boat. In my opinion, a skipper should know which is which by memorization and location. They should be able to sail in the dark without assistance. You probably know yours that way and can sail blindfolded. Colors certainly aren't a necessity, just a convenience most of the time that could become a safety factor under some circumstances.

Justsomeguy,
The snap hook line is indeed my jib downhaul.

Cope,
The solid red line is the jib sheet.
The solid blue line is the boom vang.
The white with blue tracer is the boom downhaul, topping lift, lazy jacks, and tiller lock (non-sail lines).
The solid green is the main sheet.
The white with green tracer is the main halyard.

So, you guessed two out of seven. Maybe my scheme isn't so intuitive after all! But...that puts you at the top of the leader board for now!

 

[Cope]

I was thinking you would use the same color line for simalar functions. IE The down haul is red so reefing would be red, as in stop. Also red is common for jib halyard.
My boat has a blue main halyard so I assumed your did to and you just added the out haul in the same color.

Im surprised at how samm dia you used for sheets, I would think you want a nice thick li e in your hands? The jib I could see a benefit to a light sheet as it may let the jib fly better in light air?

Looks good tho. Very nice splicing and whipping, looks fully pro.
Makes my bowline knots look like you know what..

 

[allen-deckard]

guess i'm an odd ball think I have 2 colors being the main color of my boat "white" and the secondary color of my boat "blue" never occurred to me to color coat. But I guess I'm lazy or something. hehe

 

[$tingy Sailor]

The thing with coloring by function is, what do you do when you need to do two things at the same time?

For example, reefing, to slack the halyard and pull the reef line. If the colors were by function, you would grab two colors. To me, it makes more sense to grab the two (mainsail) white with green tracer lines. Slack the larger (halyard) because it has more load on it, and pull the smaller (reef line) because it has no or less load on it.

Same with dousing the headsail by grabbing the two (headsail) white with red tracer lines. Slack the larger (halyard) because it has more load on it, and pull the smaller (downhaul) because it has no or less load on it.

My old sheets are larger, 1/2", and they are easy on the hands. But I figure, if I need to be hauling that hard on a headsail sheet, there's a winch for that. And the lighter weight will help a tad in light air. The main sheet already has a 4:1 purchase and never gets hauled hard, so no need for the jumbo line.

There something to be said for the KISS method (Keep It Simple, Sir) too, as Stu pointed out. All white makes you pay more attention to them.

 

[CaptDon01]

Little trivia......in the old days, all the running rigging lines were the same color manila rope, and the standing rigging was supported by hemp rope. It was a bit confusing to the new sailors that had to learn what each line did. For example, on the Star of India here in San Diego, when she's fully rigged, she has 21 sails. Each with sheets and halyards, and who knows what else. Part of the seaman's training was know this from memory. When you did, they refered to you as someone who "knows the ropes".

And now you know the rest of the story.....

Don

 

[Ward H]

I found it interesting that in the "Selden Running Rigging Tuning Guide" they list color codes for lines.

I did a color scheme based on usage. Sheets are solid colors, halyards white with same color tracers as that sail's sheet. I then used a mix of colors while trying to associate solid with white w/ tracer for the line usage type.
Main - Blue
Jib - Red
Furling & Vang - Green
Down Haul & Out Haul - Black
Reefing - Black

We like the colors breaking up all that white gel coat.

 

[Calif. Ted]

I'm afraid my color code is determined by the contents of the "clearance bin", I got a new traveler line from Minney's that looks like peppermint

 

[$tingy Sailor]

Don,
Good point about the days before synthetic lines. I do miss that Paul Harvey. He was a national treasure and one of a kind.

There is a risk in becoming too dependent on line colors. I'm also a climber (rock, ice, alpine). There are NO rope color or size guidelines in climbing. That would be antithetical to the very spirit of climbing. So a climber must be able to identify anchor, belay, and many other rope functions only by looking at how they're rigged, with potentially deadly consequences. The colors vary and the sizes vary, but they might be used for the same purpose.