What Rope for Spin Pole Bridle?

[Lex Teredo 267]

Parts of the bridles on my spin pole (13' give or take, J/35) are old enough to drive.  It has so many different types of line spliced to each other that the Frankenstein monster (that's Franken-[steeeen]) is envious.  I'm looking forward to cleaning up the slop and replacing these lines before they blow on a reach in 20 kts.  

But what rope to use?  My inclination is to go with 5 or 6 mil dyneema, and keep an eye on it for chafing.  It's cheap, easy to splice where I need it, and maybe I could even stitch on some cover in the places where it's likely to rub, and replace it when it starts to noticeably chafe, probably in a few years.    

On the other hand, the places it will rub include 8 contact points with the pole, 4 on the underside ends, 4 on the topside ends, plus the two middle parts where there is a ring for the uphaul and downhaul to attach. That's a lot of stitching and burying of covers.  

Thoughts? 

 

[timz3818 9]

5mm single braid dyneema will do the trick nicely. It's easily spliced and cheap enough that replacing it in 3-4 yrs shouldn't be an issue.

I'd recommend that you use a different color line for the top and bottom. It makes the bow's job a little easier.

[Lex Teredo 267]

2 hours ago, timz3818 said:

5mm single braid dyneema will do the trick nicely. It's easily spliced and cheap enough that replacing it in 3-4 yrs shouldn't be an issue.

I'd recommend that you use a different color line for the top and bottom. It makes the bow's job a little easier.

Pretty much what I was thinking... lo & behold I checked it out just now.  I replaced a couple of the parts that rub with dyneema last year... no wear & tear on it, or insignificant anyhow.  Been planning on the different colors thing as well.  Having worked up there it's tough particularly at night when everything is a variation on white... 

[SloopJonB 8,316]

If you have areas that chafe, why not just put shrink tubing on them there.

I did that on one of my boats where the lifelines chafed a bit going through the stanchions - worked great.

Just figure how many pieces and how long they need to be, slip them on and leave loose - when you're all rigged and know exactly where the chafe spots are just slide a piece along and shrink it.

[xyzzy 51]

I used 3mm dyneema, held up fine for about 7 years now.

I stitched some shock cord into it a year ago.  This shrinks the bridle so it's tight against the pole when loose.  When tensioned it makes a triangle liked it should.  It tangles less this way.

[CaptainAhab 155]

I’d go with the 5mm. Something you can get a grip on. Putting some bungee on the inside works really. It’s a wtf moment the first time you see it. Super clean & smart. 5mm is strong enough to pickup a car. (2500kg). You can afford a hell of a lot of chafing before you would consider it trashed. 

[micha571 4]

Splicing bungee into the bridles is great, it really makes for a neat arrangement, the bridles don't flop around when not in use.

See picture, the bungees are good visible there.

[Nodrog 42]

just bury the bungy inside the dyneema and stitch it in, then dyneema just 'shrinks' when no load. 

[Lex Teredo 267]

Bungie... Great friggin' idea. 

[Irrational 14 172]

12 hours ago, Nodrog said:

just bury the bungy inside the dyneema and stitch it in, then dyneema just 'shrinks' when no load. 

Exactly. You can do one side per top and bottom. Totally invisible and protected from sun.

[ahab in puget 9]

I re did my bridle set up with 5mm sk78 for my j35. Works great. 

I am going to get on this bungy idea though. Sounds very clever.