Page 44 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

Sta-Set vs. Sta-Set-X vs. VPC

I used to say that Sta-Set-X (see page 25) was the Those splices are outside the scope of this book,
best halyard for the money. Its core is a bundle of but they are precisely what racers and performance
parallel filaments, so it can have more of them per cruisers use. They probably aren’t worth going
cross-section than if they were braided. The resulting through for most boats, though. We need a compro-
extra mass means greater core strength. It’s so much mise.
greater that just the core of Sta-Set-X is stronger than Enter VPC, a rope that takes a standard core-to-
the combined strength of core and cover of conven- core splice. (Sta-Set uses a standard double-braid
tional double-braid, like Sta-Set. Parallel fibers, plus splice, and Sta-Set-X has its very own sort-of-core-
lack of twist to those fibers, also means the elimina- to-core splice.) VPC has a core that is part Vectran,
tion of the constructional elasticity that is unavoid- part polyolefin filler. That’s right, filler; the Vectran
able with braided cores. The result is a rope that provides all of the strength of the rope, just enough to
costs almost exactly the same as double-braid, but be about the same strength as Sta-Set or X, but with
is stronger, and stretches about 40 percent less (1.95 much less stretch than either of them (1.4 percent
percent vs. 3.2 percent). Sounds impressive, and it is; at 20 percent of break), resulting in a bit over 8"
over a typical 50-foot run, at 20 percent of breaking of stretch over that 50-foot run, at a cost somewhat
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strength, that means less than 1 foot of stretch for higher than ⁄16" Sta-Set. And the difference varies,
the -X, versus over 1.5 feet for Sta-Set. This differ- with the price for VPC being almost the same as
ence is so dramatic that I typically only use Sta-Set or Sta-Set, from some suppliers. Take a breath. We are
similar ropes where inelasticity is not very important, juggling prices, splices, and elasticities, and now we
like on drifter halyards, sheets, vang tackles, etc. are also embarking on market pressures. But that is
Sta-Set-X also tends to be more durable than what one needs to do, I think, when deciding what
regular braid, because, as with HM ropes, all of the rope to buy, for a given boat, for a given application.
strength is in the core, so the cover can suffer UV or To help decide what to buy, let’s take a look at those
chafe, with no loss of rope performance. elasticity numbers. I said that Sta-Set stretches about
One downside of -X is that it is heavy, with each 1.5ft. over a 50-foot run. That doesn’t mean that you
halyard adding a half-pound or so of weight aloft will be watching the head of your sail yo-yo-ing up
over that same run when the sail is hoisted, and a and down by that amount while you are under way;
pound when both ends of the halyard are on deck it means that, going from no tension to going-to-
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(assuming ⁄16" rope). Not a deal-killer, but it undoes weather-in-a-breeze-tight, you’ll stretch the rope that
some of the benefits of the inelasticity. The rope is much with the winch. When you stop winching, the
also quite stiff, owing to the double wrapping of length will stabilize, ideally at a tension that balances
gauze that keeps the core fibers tightly packed; han- the force of a given amount of wind. If the wind adds
dling can be difficult. Some people, including many any additional load, the rope will stretch fractionally
professionals, say it is difficult to splice, but frankly more. What we want to do is to make that fraction
I think they are just using the wrong tools; a Wand as small as practicable, to maintain sail shape. Sta-
makes short work of it. Set-X will move a fraction that is 40 percent smaller
On the whole, -X is a great rope, but can we do than Sta-Set, and VPC’s fraction will be about 30
better? Yes, as it happens, we can. For instance, you percent less than that. At some point we will get to
can have a rope that is even stronger, weighs about ⁄3 an elasticity where the luff and leech of the sail just
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as much, and, with the same load in pounds, stretches doesn’t notice the difference, where there will be no
much less than Sta-Set-X (.7 percent vs 1.95 percent). point in reducing the elasticity further. For most con-
Total stretch over that 50-foot run is now just over 4". temporary sailboats, excluding extreme racers, I think
Wow. The catch? We’ve just described a ⁄4" Spectra that point comes at about what VPC provides.
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single-braid which will be too small to hold onto com- Add to that the rope’s superior flexibility and
fortably, and too small and slick for stoppers. To make toughness, and you can see why it is my favorite hal-
it work, we’d have to come up with a skill-intensive yard these days.
rope-to-rope splice, so we could put a fat Dacron tail Note that other manufacturers provide blend-
on, for handling. We could also start with a covered ed-core ropes; Samson has XLS Extra, and Yale fea-
rope with a Spectra core, and use a different splice to tures Vizzion. Both are excellent ropes, comparable in
connect it to that Dacron tail. every way. I just prefer New England’s products.

made from the leaves of the abaca tree, is the tra- recommend it. Besides, Dacron, the standard con-
ditional material. But given the low, low quality in temporary choice for either three-strand or braided
which it is generally available today, I would not rope, is far stronger, lasts much longer, is more
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