Strops

[Gannet]

I'm building a carbon fiber gaff for my catboat and need to figure a way of attatching the peak halyard blocks. The current spruce gaff uses ss wire strops and the maker of the carbon blank says I can use them if I cover them with leather or something to prevent chaffe. Looking into the rigger's apprentice I find wire rope grommets the would serve(so to speak) and will try these if there might not be a better way. I wonder if there is some new miracle fiber, either rope or webbing, that would be stong, light , and chaffe free? Any ideas?
Doug B.

[NickfromWI]

First...I'm no sailor.

Why not use a stop made of vectran, dyneema, or something like that? They should be easier to work with than the steel will.

Anyone have a picture of what this would look like? I can't quite visualize physically what is tyring to be accomplished. Is there a pic in the Riggers Apprentice?

love
nick

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
Nick's got it right: go with high-modulus (HM) grommets, as detailed in our Splicing Handbook. A wire grommet would also work, but if there were any galvanic contact, the wire would corrode. Heavier and harder to work, too.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[NickfromWI]

Is this a loop that would just go around the top of the spar, or am I way off?

[Gannet]

Thank you Brion, you just sold a Splicing Handbook. Nick, a strop is just a loop, but in this case it goes around a horizontal spar called a gaff.
Doug B.