Enterprise forestay.

[trebor]

The forestay on my enterprise is starting to fray, (one strand), can I replace with dyneema ? their is a stainless steel cable in the jib.

[JimC]

Technically yes, and the class rules seem to permit. But bearing in mind the forestay is what keeps the mast up in the winter storms, wire is 100% UV proof, and its much more difficult to see when a dyneema rope needs replacement than a wire one, I think in this case I'd probably get another wire one.

[trebor]

Thanks Jim.
The uphauls for mainsail and jib are stainless steel, one of our members suggested changing for dyneema, due to getting cut fingers ??

[Rupert]

Mainsail halyards are often Dyneema. Jibs not so often, as even a bit of stretch makes it sag, and often they are tensioned on a loop, like yours, which is easier in wire. But they do make a lot of sense, and I'm sure jib ones are loads more common than they were, as ropes have got more stable. It appears too that with Dyneema/Spectra you get what you pay for, and there are different amounts of stretch involved.

As for the forestay, I'd stick with wire, too.

[JimC]

Yeah, I'd use rope halyards too. But as Rupert says grade is very important and the good stuff isn't cheap.

[chris]

I would go for wire on the jib too.