Maintenance Monday – Halyards

This is the third in a series of maintenance tips gleaned from a presentation given by Dave Thompson of Eggers Sail makers. Today halyards. 1. How long do halyards last?. It varies a lot but you should expect to get 10 years out of a good halyard. Wire lasts a lot longer. 2. What's better wire or rope? People are switching to rope but in Dave Thompson's opinion, this is mostly the power of advertising. Rope halyards are advertised relatively heavily. Wire gets no promotion but in his view, wire is superior. It doesn't stretch and lasts a lot longer. Moreover some of the high tech ropes are very expensive and don't last long enough. 3. What's better a thicker or thinner halyard? Thinner is better as it offers less windage and weight. Typically thinner halyard are made out of stronger material. Most importantly they stretch less.