Lines, Sheets, Ropes and Colors

[GordMay]

As far as I know, traditional rope only came in one colour (manilla/sisal/coire).

[imagine2frolic]

OLD SAILING ship would use more colors than a rainbow has. Have you ever looked at the rigging? Just make your own color scheme, but I would use red carefully as in DANGER.....LOLOLOLOL

[Beausoleil]

What do we do about color-blind sailors?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Beausoleil

What do we do about color-blind sailors?

Carefully tie little pieces of paper to the lines saying: "Pull this one!"

[SV Someday Came]

I think I am going to go for red and green for port and starboard main, red and green speckled for the genoa, black for the cutter rig traveler, manila for the running backstays, and flourescent orange for the reefing lines.

[Pblais]

What do we do about color-blind sailors?

I have stickers on the rope clutches that say what they are. Also as this is a cutter the two headsail furling lines end at a cam cleat and mounted on the seat back in upper and lower locations. I added stcikers there. Even the Admiral forgets though the colors are different.

It just avoids the problem of the wrong line being used or the halyard rope clutches being opened by mistake.

[Joli]

It doesn't matter. Because at 3 in the morning when the squall finds you and its blowing the cats out of the trees you better know which line is which.

Learn the boat when you can walk the deck at a less stressful time.

[Joli]

Or ease this one! Not that one, it's the topping lift!

Do you get tired of folks dropping **** on your head when your playing on the frontier?

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Carefully tie little pieces of paper to the lines saying: "Pull this one!"

[SV Someday Came]

Originally Posted by Joli

It doesn't matter. Because at 3 in the morning when the squall finds you and its blowing the cats out of the trees you better know which line is which.

Learn the boat when you can walk the deck at a less stressful time.

Wow!! This gives me a great idea! I think one could code each line at roughly the general point which the line is grabbed with a braille type system, i.e., wrapping knotted thin line around the line. It might take a while to get the code right, but marking a line so it could be identifies by feel might be a good nighttime heavy squall condition strategy.

[GMac]

He he he, I just make what I want in both colour and materials. Lucky me.

For my new 1st reef line recently I made - Dyneema core so no 'growing belly' in the sail after a while. Vectran in 50% of the cover so to minimise chafe issues and the other 50% in fluro orange polyester so when it goes bad 'Just pull like hell on the loud orange one'.

Had to use it for 8 hours a few weeks back and the sail didn't change shape and the rope still looks like it hasn't been used. I'm happy and going to use fluro green on the 2nd reef line.

[David M]

The fairy boats here in San Francisco all have pink lines.

[Joli]

We've been using Amsteel for the runners and checks. Very nice stuff and easy to splice.

Originally Posted by GMac

He he he, I just make what I want in both colour and materials. Lucky me.

For my new 1st reef line recently I made - Dyneema core so no 'growing belly' in the sail after a while. Vectran in 50% of the cover so to minimise chafe issues and the other 50% in fluro orange polyester so when it goes bad 'Just pull like hell on the loud orange one'.

Had to use it for 8 hours a few weeks back and the sail didn't change shape and the rope still looks like it hasn't been used. I'm happy and going to use fluro green on the 2nd reef line.

[svHyLyte]

I was taught (by an English race crew) that Mainsail controls are always green, jib sails blue and spinnakers red. Halyards are solid colors and sheets, outhauls etc. flecked or with tracers. (By following this convention, crews are able to move from boat-to-boat without having to be re-educated.)

Our main halyard has whippings at the set points for reefs so they can be felt in the dark--one for the first reef, two side-by-side for the second and three for the third. The vang release has a spiral whipping running the length of the grip which makes it easy to identify in the dark and improves ones ability to grasp it when it's wet and all heck is breaking loose.

At the mast, on the underside of the boom, our main outhaul is first or starboard most, with a spiral whipping and the reefing lines proceed from starboard to port--1st, 2nd, 3rd--also color coded red, white and blue--but also with whippings about every foot, one for the 1st reef, two side-by-side for the second, and three side-by-side-by-side for the third so one can feel which line one has in hand in the dark.

The handles of our line brakes are similarly color coded and whipped with twine. While we do have labels as well, I find it much easier to say to someone, "Ease (or tighten) the <color> line please". I can attest to the benefit of having the set-points for the reefs pre-marked on the halyards as we are able to reduce sail very quickly and efficiently even though we are an older couple (mid-60's, late-50's) sailing a reasonably large and powerful racing yacht.

FWIW

s/v HyLyte

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by s/vHyLyte

”... Our main halyard has whippings at the set points for reefs so they can be felt in the dark ...”

Good idea(s).

[SV Someday Came]

What are whippings? A search showed people with scarred backs. A search of sailboat whippings showed some pretty faces.

Michael