![]() On the negative side, it's not very UV resistant and melts at low temperatures. Since it floats, it's a good choice for tow ropes. Polypropylene is lightweight, very stretchy and almost as strong as nylon.Polyester is strong, has low stretch and is quite durable.It's very strong and is often used for dock and anchor lines. Nylon, which is moderately priced, offers shock absorption and UV and wear resistance.Consider your budget and what you'll use the rope or lines for when making a decision. You'll find that several synthetic and natural fibers go into the construction of marine rope. The flecks are used to indicate length or depth. When there's more than one color (like a white rope with red and blue), the term tracers is used. Marine Rope Flecks and TracersĮver notice how some marine rope has specks of different colors? It's called a " fleck" when there's an extra bit of color in the rope (like a white rope with flecks of blue). Now you know some cool sailing tricks and terms to impress your boating buddies with. White: Mainsail sheet and halyard lines. ![]() In the sailing world, there are standard color codes to distinguish the use and length of rope.Īlthough you can really apply any color to any line of your personal vessel (so long as you remember what the codes stand for), here are the standard color-coded lines: One cool and useful feature about sailing rope is that it's often color-coded. Here are just a few types of marine rope that sailors know well: ![]() Sailboats, in particular, use a lot of rigging and rope that's not needed in power boating. If rope is too tight, it can rip or cause your boat to slam into the side of the dock during high wind and inclement weather. This allows them to sway with the boat as the water moves. ![]() Stretches: Dock lines require a stretchable rope.Sinks: While seemingly counteractive to the previous characteristic, there are some boating tasks where you need the rope to sink.This makes it easy for the rider to find and grab onto if they fall off. Floats: For towing (water skiing, tubing and wakeboarders), you'll want a marine rope that floats.Salt and water can wear down the toughest fibers, and when you're trusting it to secure your boat, tow your kids and keep your sailboat sailing, you want it to be the best. Strong and durable: Strength and durability go without saying (but I'm going to say it anyway).Even if it doesn't come into direct contact with water, the fact that it's being used on a boat makes the waterproof aspect a necessary factor. Waterproof: It's no secret that the biggest feature to consider when choosing marine rope is that it's waterproof.Whether you have a sailboat, trawler or canal boat, you'll want to take a few minutes to learn the important characteristics to look for when choosing marine rope. You can't (or at least you shouldn't) use just any old rope around water, salt and other outdoor elements. How do you know whether you want a rope that floats as opposed to one that sinks? Yes, there are needs for both types in the boating world. But what makes marine rope (or "line") different than any other rope? Whether you have a sailboat, pontoon boat, deck boat or cabin cruiser, marine rope is the one common piece of gear all boaters need. Without it, we'd drift aimlessly about with no wind in our sails (literally, because you gotta have rope for sails). Ever stop to think about how much you use marine rope in your boating life? Between docking, anchoring, sailing and towing, marine rope wears a bunch of hats in the boating world.
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