58 Sedan Bridge Official Thread

[ttmott]

Most sources recommend nylon 1/8 diameter for every 9 feet of LOA, which puts me at 7/8. All say to move up to the next size if the boat has extra windage, which mine does with the bridge hardtop. I tend to think it's a close call, the tradeoff being strength versus stretch, so I'm interested in what others are using in about the same boat size with a bridge hardtop. Cleat size is not an issue for me. What's your reasoning for using polyester instead of nylon?

Then you should get the larger lines. The data I sourced had both nylon and polyester - I only quoted one, the stronger. If you are asking other opinions from the Sea Ray product range then cleat size will be a factor.
One additional factor is boat weight not only that 9 foot rule of thumb. Most displacement hulls are significantly heavier for the same LOA and would easily justify the larger stronger lines.

 

[ranger58sb]

Most sources recommend nylon 1/8 diameter for every 9 feet of LOA, which puts me at 7/8. All say to move up to the next size if the boat has extra windage, which mine does with the bridge hardtop. I tend to think it's a close call, the tradeoff being strength versus stretch, so I'm interested in what others are using in about the same boat size with a bridge hardtop. Cleat size is not an issue for me.

Seems to me, I've always seen that in regards to 3-strand... and double-braid will support higher loads even though not as stretchy.

??

In our case, the nominal 58' boat... is really closer to '55... and that, plus the double-braid... plus The Admiral's hand size... has us go with the slightly smaller line diameter.

And too, cleat size in an issue for us. We can get three 5/8" lines on a cleat if at least two use an eye or a loop in the line... and since we only have one proper mid-ship's cleat, that's a thing, for us.

And within reason, I'd rather a line snap than pull a cleat out of the boat.... so even if we used more 3-strand, I'd still probably only go with 3/4" for our boat.

During the January storm in Charleston, we had 13 lines on... all 5/8" double-braid... 8 being relatively new New England Rope... for a side-tie on the Megadock. One old line (a breast line) finally snapped, but at least it just happened to be a really old one that had been aboard when we bought the boat. Had some serious stretch in many of the other lines... but during the biggest blow, I was more worried about whether our boat cleats would hold...

-Chris

 

[lawndoctor]

Thanks guys, these are really good points, appreciate your input. Points taken about boat weight and pulling a cleat. I use those Taylor Made rubber snubbers on the stern lines because the lines are so short (not crossed), so I'm thinking of maybe using 3/4 line with snubbers is a good solution. If they made snubbers for 7/8 line I might go in that direction but that doesn't seem to be an option.

 

[ranger58sb]

I need to add a couple snubbers, too, just haven't gotten to that yet. Wish I'd had a couple down in Charleston when that storm came through...

-Chris