Video: Line Stretching: Advanced Sailing Video Lessons

Learn rope and line stretching information in this free video on sailing tips and instruction.

Video Transcript

Sailboats are mostly rope, cloth, and a good hull. A lot of people tend to overlook the qualities of the line they use on a sailboat. Standard yacht braid is a good thing to have, but yacht braid may have some stretch that you will find will interfere with your sailing experiment. Bigger rope is not always stronger rope. If you are in the market for new lines or new sheets, spend some time with somebody who knows something about yacht braid and line stretch. A lot of times, when you think you got a good cleat, you may notice that the sail suddenly fills, stretches ,and so does the yacht braid. If there is a sudden gust of wind, you might find that the sail fills and stretches just a little bit, especially if you are using Dacron sails. So does your sheet; you sheet's going to give just a tad, throwing away all that energy that you really need to go fast. Frayed or worn line can be a danger on a boat, especially is you are using it as a sheet. If cleated something off in heavy air, and suddenly your sheet slips through the cleat, because it is either worn too thin, breaks, or has gotten slick from the heat, you can find that you go from a sudden heel to sudden reverse heel, which can be very disconcerting when you are in high winds.

Line Stretching: Advanced Sailing Video Lessons

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