Topping Lift Line Replacement

[pcpk]

Hi All...need to replace my Topping Lift line on an Oday 30 and was hoping for some advice regarding replacement materials. I have line currently installed (previous owner) but thinking of upgrading to stainless wire. Wire seems the way to go but any opinions are welcome.

Thanks...P

 

[Davidasailor26]

Why would you prefer wire? That would seem to me to be a lot harder to adjust and to hold in place. Wire used to be preferred for halyards because of its low stretch, but new high tech lines have solved that, and stretch in a topping lift shouldn't matter anyway. Rope should last a decade or so, so durability isn't a big issue.

 

[agprice22]

Dyneema is now preferred over wire rope. It is lighter and stronger. Also, your masthead sheaves were not made for wire if the boat was originally equipped with line. You might actually cause them damage, or you might risk jumping the wire off the sheave... in a very difficult place to reach.

 

[Pat]

We've used line vs. rope since 86 and never dreamed of changing to wire. I totally concur with Andrew above as replacing the
sheaves would be a lot of trouble.

 

[bgary]

Are we talking about "topping lift" as in
-- the line used to adjust the height of a spinnaker pole, or
-- the line used to hold the boom up when not sailing?
In either case, rope is better than wire... but there may be different recommendations for *which* rope depending on whether it needs to go over a sheave and be adjusted under sail (spinnaker pole) or is just static support (boom lift)

 

[The Garbone]

Replaced the wire topping lift on our C30 with a line. We had the mast down so ran a second main sail halyard, use it as a topping lift. Always nice to have a spare.