Lifelines

[atmarineservices]

Any input for synthetic lifelines? Would Amsteel or Dux be a better choice at this point? Thanks!!

[csandys]

I would lean towards DUX due to the UV issues. I put a blue Amsteel Halyard on two months ago and I noticed it is turning white in some areas.

I plan to convert my lifelines and I am interested in the issues.

[Dan Lehman]

Originally Posted by csandys

I would lean towards DUX due to the UV issues. I put a blue Amsteel Halyard on two months ago and I noticed it is turning white in some areas.

I plan to convert my lifelines and I am interested in the issues.

It is interesting to read vendor & other information about the vulnerability
of HMPE to UV -- from mediocre resistance to immunity !

If you convert, and so have these old, some-places-whitened lines for
disposal, perhaps Brion (or other) could take some piece and do a quick
break test, covering a whitened area. (Maybe what is whitening is less
the HMPE than the coloring of it?)

There have been tests done of HMPE "quick draws" short loops (slings)
of webbing that have been replaced on certain climbs, and in comparison
with nylon vs. Dyneema. In those cases, the Dyneema seemed to fare
worse for the exposure than nylon (contrary what one might be led to
expect by some literature) -- although, yes, if fallen upon, there would be
more than mere UV exposure at work in degradation.

On the other end of the size spectrum, tug towing lines are going to be
so thick (though comparatively thin vs. competing lines) that the UV
effects at the surface won't be significant for overall strength anyway.

--dl*
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