Synthetic Rigging - System of the Future

by Des Ryan on 24 Aug 2007 Both racing and cruising sailors have benefited over the years from fantastic innovations, making racing sailors sail faster and faster, and cruising sailors sail easier and easier across the world's seas and oceans. Now here's another one, which promises rewards to both racing and cruising sailors.

While the racing sailor wants lightness at all costs, the long or short range cruising sailor, who is more likely to find him or herself in remote locations, wants something you can fix yourself without resort to professional help. According to Mesa based Colligo Marine, they have developed a product that complies with both these requirements. It's a synthetic rigging system.

Synthetic line has been used for years in running rigging applications. PBO rigging has even been used for standing rigging, but has UV issues and is not easy for those who might find themselves in situations where they need to repair it themselves.

According to John Franta, Colligo Marine's Director, the state-of-the-art in synthetic 12 strand line has finally gotten to the point where the elastic stretch is down enough to allow the use of it for standing rigging. 'In addition,' he says, '12 strand is very easily spliced, making setting up standing rigging on a boat a very easy operation.'

Colligo Marine recommends using a line product called Dynex Dux. It is post processed Dynex SK-75 made by an Icelandic company, Hampidjan who are known for their expertise in the commercial fishing industry.

Hampidjan’s process of stretching SK-75 at elevated temperatures virtually eliminates constructional stretch.. At 20% of breaking strength, the elastic stretch of Dynex Dux is about 0.62%, Steel wire rope is 0.4% to 0.7% elastic stretch depending on composition and wire geometry. They size the SWL of the line at 20% of breaking strength making it as good as steel for stretch characteristics..

As far as UV resistance is concerned Dynex Dux is rated 'good'- the best of any uncovered synthetic line on the market. This line has been on sailboats in the sun for over 3 years with no UV issues. It has been used in the commercial fishing industry for 6 years and has had no known UV issues. (This is one point, however, where the cruising fraternity may take a lot of convincing, as while racing sailors may change their rig more frequently, the cruising sailor wants a rig to last at least 10 years without trouble.)

Colligo's line of synthetic hardware has been designed specifically for 12 strand Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) line like Dynex Dux with almost no stretch and very little creep. The backbone of the hardware system is the Line Terminator. This is spliced into the end of each line and used to connect the line to the mast and deck hardware.

Colligo Marine value their unique products. Their Terminators have a patent pending deep groove for line protection and a there's a patent pending truncated apex for splice security. The Terminators also feature complete, smooth finished radii, for line durability. The terminators can be connected through pins to the brackets or lashed, using lightweight line to the Colligo chainplate distributors. The Line Terminators, Chainplate Deadeyes, Male Deadeyes, Blocks, Brackets, and Spreader Ends, are all rated with a Safe Working Load (SWL) of 5000 lbs-f.

Colligo's system of Sidestays, Shrouds, and Backstays weigh approx 1/6 the weight of similar stainless wire systems. About 40% percent of this weight savings is aloft where it directly affects heeling angle, which means more comfortable sailing at higher speeds.

Another advantage, says Franta, is that the system is easily inspectable and has no hidden corrosion problems like stainless systems with its swaged and swageless connectors. 'The easy spliceability of 12 strand makes our system very user friendly. Shrouds or stays can easily be changed while away from civilization. Extra UHMWPE line is much more stowable than steel wire.

So while Colligo is promising great strength and ease of working, they also claim that the price is not only comparable, but lower than conventional rigging costs.

For more information, or to ask specific questions, go to their website, or call + 1 888 819 4070, toll free within the USA

For more information about Dynex Dux, also go to their website