All black lines?

[roverhi]

Grew up in the days you could get any color line as long it was white. Managed to survive. New to me boat, have gone to different colored lines. It has been marginally helpful. For me, location of the cleat or position on a multi line clutch makes is much more helpful in knowing which line to fiddle with or what it does. If I was going to buy line piecemeal, would definitely go with different colored lines for different functions. Would survive quite well if all lines were the same color. FWIW, boat is set up for single handing and can do almost anything on the boat faster than directing an inexperienced to do something.

Have found that black line lasts longer than light or other colored line. It's counter intuitive but seems to resist UV degradation better. Black also fades less noticeably than other colors especially red and doesn't show dirt.

[TeddyDiver]

More about nightvision. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_cell
While most of it is Klingon for me but the graph showing the wavelengths explains the most essential, light lower than 400 or higher than 600nm (no, it's not nautical miles) works..

BR Teddy

Ps. What leds emit: http://www.theledlight.com/color_chart.html

[StuM]

Originally Posted by TeddyDiver

Using a brighter light even for a second destroys nightvision and it takes about half an hour to get it back..

Close one eye

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by StuM

Close one eye

I hate to handle gear without deep vision, a bit risky too..
Learn the ropes instead Dunno the color coding for racers but I bet that soon instead of calling running rigging their right names they are named red, yellow and pale green

BR Teddy

[rognvald]

Teddy Diver has conveyed, in my opinion, some very practical wisdom in re: the discussion of color. I would agree with him completely. I would only add further that color is irrelevant to the practical mariner, in my opinion, since he/she should know the location of all his halyards, sheets, reefing lines and control lines by position and without the need for light. My rigging is organized sequentially with line organizers on starboard: 2nd reef, mainsheet, 1st reef, main halyard and on port: jib halyard, spinnaker halyard. I do not need light or color to distinguish their function and we sail frequently at night with no problems or errors. I believe this is the responsibility of a well-prepared mariner. Secondly, it is my opinion that color is used aesthetically on vessels and , in some cases, can look very smart in appearance. I have no problem with this and have done this myself in the past. However, I just bought 600' of high-quality polyester double braid with red, white and blue flecks at a great price(half) that I used to replace my mainsheet, main and jib halyards and soon to replace my spinnaker halyard. I stand prepared to be accused of rigging monotony by some but honestly believe my boat has not suffered aesthetically. Thirdly, anything black on a boat in the tropics is a nightmare whether it be a hull, deck, fittings or running rigging. It would never be my choice. Lastly, a question: how did all the great ships in the age of sail discern the function of their running rigging when it was one color: hemp? Must have been confusing, huh???? Good luck and safe sailing.

[zeehag]

for the record--i am in tropics. i have some black lines. they appear newer than the colored ones i bought the same time in 2006 in san diego.
they are also more supple and easier to handle than my allegedly normally colored ones.
i learned to sail a boat commissioned in 1903. all lines were natural and same color.
it is not difficult to figure which lines are which and to where each line goes for use.
in darkness it is also easy to find which lines you need to use while sailing.
it seems that, if you donot know where each line is, then mebbe more time on board is of importance. it is easy to be lazy . it is less easy to learn the ropes.
it is also a good idea to learn the ropes so you donot have to trace em back during times of dire need. you should be able to manage an emergency without having to figure out what goes where.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by zeehag

for the record--i am in tropics. i have some black lines. they appear newer than the colored ones i bought the same time in 2006 in san diego.
they are also more supple and easier to handle than my allegedly normally colored ones.
i learned to sail a boat commissioned in 1903. all lines were natural and same color.
it is not difficult to figure which lines are which and to where each line goes for use.
in darkness it is also easy to find which lines you need to use while sailing.
it seems that, if you donot know where each line is, then mebbe more time on board is of importance. it is easy to be lazy . it is less easy to learn the ropes.
it is also a good idea to learn the ropes so you donot have to trace em back during times of dire need. you should be able to manage an emergency without having to figure out what goes where.

Well said, Z.

[Jim Cate]

Lastly, a question: how did all the great ships in the age of sail discern the function of their running rigging when it was one color: hemp? Must have been confusing, huh????

Well, one of the ways they dealt with the issue was by having crews of professional, lifetime sailors, guys who had started out young and were given lots of OTJT, with incentives provided by a bosun with large, hard fists. It is silly to compare those folks with the average weekend sailor who may get down to his boat once a month.

Ann and I can do things in the dark pretty well, but then we have lots of hours and miles in our boat(s). I still prefer to have lines of differing colours... helps even experienced folks when they are fatigued, and when the inevitable mess of spaghetti forms in the cockpit.

Jim

[gjorgensen]

A couple things... I have lines of all different colors and have never seen much of any fade on any of them even after many years in the San Diego sun, and no more fade from black than any other color. In fact my mainsheet is black Maxibraid and sits fully exposed to the sun. 8 years old and still looks new.

Second, the thing about black being weaker or scraps is flat out untrue. The color has no impact on the strength of double braid or cover durability in my experience (and of every racer I know - and we'd all being going white or something if there was a difference). And they all maintain their strength evenly from what I can tell.

Third, one trick I use is to make halyards close to each other in the stoppers solid vs. white fleck of the same color to make them easier to differentiate at night. For example, make the jib halyards solid red and green, and the spin halyards white with green fleck and white with red fleck. For the main halyard use a solid line with large stripes, and reefing the opposite. My main halyard is a horrible bright yellow with large black stripes (warp speed) that I got a discount on for the ugly color, but it stands out day and night.

Note that I've heard that non-white 3 strand nylon (anchor and dock line) may be weaker than white, but I have no proof one way or another.

BTW, I can attest that Maxibraid, Warp Speed, and EduraBraid all hold up well in the sun with little or no fading.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Well, one of the ways they dealt with the issue was by having crews of professional, lifetime sailors, guys who had started out young and were given lots of OTJT, with incentives provided by a bosun with large, hard fists. It is silly to compare those folks with the average weekend sailor who may get down to his boat once a month.

Ann and I can do things in the dark pretty well, but then we have lots of hours and miles in our boat(s). I still prefer to have lines of differing colours... helps even experienced folks when they are fatigued, and when the inevitable mess of spaghetti forms in the cockpit.

Jim

Jim,
I just don't get the element of difficulty in what should be a matter of fact task for those who choose to sail. It's not about color, in my opinion, but about location and function. In regards to pasta in the cockpit, it's not just Italian cuisine but sloppy sailing to me. So . . .To color or not to color . . . that is the question . . . whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them? And you thought old Hamlet knew nothing about sailing, right? Good luck and safe sailing. King Claudius in contemplation --It shall be so. Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go!

[Sandero]

What is the downside to having color coded lines?

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by Sandero

What is the downside to having color coded lines?

Nothing. But there is a downside to those who lack humor in their lives. Good luck and safe sailing. Captain Rognvald in absentia