Addendum
Hello again,
The topic of tapered and/or dissimilar running rigging is a hot one these days, as riggers figure out how to get the most out of the newer synthetics. To some extent we are simply trying to approximate how we used to blend wire and rope, notably for halyards, but there are many more variations available. For instance we can pair either covered or uncovered HM to comfortable single- or double-braid Dacron tails, or end-to-end splice "blended" double-braids to Dacron. As an example of the latter, we are currently splicing 5/16" Classic Endura Braid to 3/8" Vintage Dacron tails, for some reef clewlines. The HM portion makes for a more positive reefed position, with thin, light, tough rope, and the splice stops well aft of the belay, so the crew only handles Dacron. The constant-diameter splice we are using has been shown to achieve about 80% efficiency, relative to the strength of the Dacron portion. Other tapered splices have shown efficiencies at or near 100%. More research is needed -- people trust their lives to these splices, so we must be sure of them -- but the possibilities for stronger, lighter, and even cheaper running rigging are many.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss
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