Halyards made from recycled plastic bottles

 

I have a personal rule to use eco-friendlier options when available, even when it may cost a little more and have some risk.   I thought I was doing that by replacing old lines with locally purchased double braid rope.  I later learned the local stuff is nylon double braid and found that it is less durable.  4 months in and I am replacing the jib sheets already.   

I decided to replace the nylon double braid with polyester double braid, the standard choice for many cruisers and amateur club racers.   I decided to give the Marlow Blue Ocean double braid a try this time.  Ordered from West Coast Sailing in Portland, Oregon.  

100% recycled plastic bottles.  It has similar or better strength and low stretch qualities than polyester double braid made from new material.

I tried to put in an eye splice without success.  This stuff is pre-stretched which I think is why the jacket is so tight against the core.  To make it worse I had to use a 3/8 inch fid and the rope is 5/16.  Just not enough room inside.  I’ll try getting a 5/16 fid (a fid is like a large crochet needle).

I used Marlow Blue Ocean 8mm rope for replacing my spinnaker halyard and the jib sheets.   The spin halyard is blue (matches the blue spinnaker sheets).  Jib sheets are red which matches the jib halyard color.  The new spin halyard is now long enough to let us launch the spinnaker from the companionway hatch.

I also replaced the spinnaker boom lift halyard.  I needed yellow and there wasn’t a Blue Ocean choice for that.  Chose a yellow 6mm polyester double braid.