Application of synthetic rigging

[Auspicious]

On another forum, a discussion has wandered into the use of synthetic line for standing rigging and questions I can't confidently answer.

1. What issues has experience raised with sharp edges? (knives, broken bits, vandalism)

2. How well do they hold up to rope burn and chafe? How often does the jib sheet rapidly "slice" past a single spot on the standing rig while coming about in a stiff breeze?

[benz]

Hi,

I've just cruised from SF to Panama over ten months with synthetic rigging, and have had no troubles with it yet. I used polyester covered Vectran to insure against chafe, but the poly still looks real new, not fuzzy. As to coming about in a stiff breeze, I so ordered my rigging that lines don't scrape on each other when doing so.
So far, HM gets my thumbs up.
Best,
Ben
Oh yes: I try to refrain from scraping at my shrouds with knives and sharp bits of glass, and vandals seem mostly to be after the outboard engine--they are not there for gratuitous damage but to get stuff.

[Auspicious]

Thank you Ben. Anyone else?

[Brion Toss]

Hi there,
I'm heartened when opponents to HM rigging get down to the prospect of vandals with knives, as it indicates that they have run out of rational arguments. People sailed with rope standing rigging for thousands of years, and I don't recall this being a problem. For that matter, just about all running rigging has never stopped being made of rope, and the vandals, despite this tempting target, still seem to prefer tagging subway cars.
As for chafe, please refer to the first rule of rigging.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[Auspicious]

Thanks Brion.

[Gary]

My BCC Shanti just went through Hurricane Earl. During the storm Shanti was pushed into the mangroves with about 4-50kts of wind. The Dynex Dux chafed against the mangrove trees for about 3 hours. Tore up the mangrove trees but only raised a little bit of fuzz or nothing at all on the rigging.

I have more details and a photo over at http://garyfelton.com/shanti/ if your interested.

But I have extreme faith in the synthetic rigging now as far as chafe goes!

Cheers,
Gary