peak halyard

[Ian McColgin]

Ahoy Jake,

Three strand v double braid is mostly a personal call, but given the 'rotational rigidity' of double braid, be sure to fake the line down to spread and take out the twist that normal coiling causes, or you will get godknots when it runs.

Some people figure eight rather than coil double braid to eliminate twise but faking is still needed since the loops tend to comingle during a sail. Others have tried some sort of box or tub to just fake the halyard into with the hope that it will lie there undisturbed and come out the same way. That works at all times except the dark and stormy night.

I think that on larger traditional boats with miles of halyard and sheet (Marmalade's main sheet is almost 200', which makes gybing a wholly different story than the little sloop pull it in bit) demand some real attention to line management. Once you get used to it, all's well. Till then, you dance the charlie foxtrot.

G'luck