Best rope for reefing line?

[gradyk]

Any advice on best type of line to use to reef in a main sail? I have two reefing points on the main where the 1st one is 6ft from the mainsail foot and the second is 13ft. Each reefing point has four 1/2" grommets, so I have to buy quite a bit of line and looking for advice on the best 1/2" or less line to use.

Thanks for your help in advance!

[roverhi]

For the tack, you want a low stretch line because there is a lot force pulling it away from the mast. If the reefing line sretches and doesn't take the load, the slides closest to the reefing cringle will and they aren't designed for that. For the clew, any old polyester line will do as a bit of stretch is actually desirable to ease loads in gusts.

On my two line reefing reefing system with three reef points, am switching over to Dyneema cored, polyester jacketed line about 5/16" OD diameter for the tack. It is really easy to haul down the luff by hand and get the cringle snug enough against the mast. Have 7/16" StaSet clew reefing lines though think if I was to do it again would use 3/8" StaSet. The loads aren't that great so don't need that heavy a line dangling off the leach of the sail. The reefing lines are quite long 23' to 45' for the tack and 39' to 62' for the clew by the time they get back to the cabin top.

[Stumble]

I would go with endura-braid (dyneema core with poly cover). But then that has become my go to line for pretty much everything. It is a breaze to splice, massively stronger than sta-set, and lasts much longer. It does cost more, but it's a trade off I am willing to make.