Amsteel-Staset splice

[Clyde Jenkins]

I used the instructions on L-36.com to make a halyard for a 21 foot sailboat using 5/32 Amsteel and 5/16 StaSet. I refigured the lengths to match the different sizes of line, matching the ratios used on L-36. Everything went well until the step of burying the StaSet cover in the Amsteel. I got about halfway and could go no further with a splicing wand. So I disconnected the wand and used a sailmakers needle to sew the individual strands of the cover down the center of the Amsteel. This worked acceptably. This part of the splice came out more lumpy than I would have liked, but I reckoned it would be plenty strong for the purpose.

Unexpectedly, but now obviously, I found that the StaSet part of the halyard weighs more than the Amsteel part. If you aren't hanging on to the halyard when you disconnect the sail, the halyard and shackle zip to the top of the mast. We're all taught to hang on to the halyard, just in case. With this combination, it's not "just in case", it's a certainty.

I've done quite a few splices, but this was the most difficult I've ever attempted. The concept is great because it is a good replacement for a wire to rope halyard, without the need to replace mast head sheaves. I just wish there was an easier way to make the splice.