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The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
My lifelines look to be in good shape but the coating is yellowing a bit and the coating is damaged in a few places. Can I just cut/peel off the coating or does it serve some other function except trapping moisture?
most new boats are going to uncoated lifelines. Even some race boats are going to dynema (rope) lifelines. The advantage to no coating is you can see rust and broken strands.
The dynema would be a really cost effective replacement...it gets you away from swagged fittings...just a few tidy bowlines and you're done...we need to replace our lifelines as the fittings are showing some cracks...I LIKE IT...
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by jerlim</i> <br />The dynema would be a really cost effective replacement...it gets you away from swagged fittings...just a few tidy bowlines and you're done...we need to replace our lifelines as the fittings are showing some cracks...I LIKE IT... <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> I wonder if barbed wire would prevent the birds from visiting
In terms of birds...we hang a CD disc from the boom, just about over the companionway, about 8" below the boom...the motion and reflection keeps all birds away...neighbors have plastic owls, etc...nothing works as well as the CDs
I tried cutting a few section with a razor knife, it came off in small scallops not like i was hoping (cut once then peel). This might be a bigger job than I had planned. Glen how did you remove the coating on yours?
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Justincase</i> <br />I tried cutting a few section with a razor knife, it came off in small scallops not like i was hoping (cut once then peel). This might be a bigger job than I had planned. Glen how did you remove the coating on yours? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> I gently used the side of the blade in a razor knife to slice. I did not use the point of the knife at all. Draw the knife so it glides along the top of the life line, and it should slice the top portion of the coating off. I did not angle the blade so that it was trying to cut into the stainless, so the blade had no affect on the wire. The entire job took me about 30 minutes.
I also just tried slicing a razor blade down the lifeline. I couldn't get the blade to go to the wire without having to use a sawing motion. The coating was just too hard and thick. There's got to be an easy way to skin it....
Seriously thinking about going with the Amsteel Blue rope. (which is gray)
I was hesitant about cutting the covering off so I used one of those Magic Erasers, Did a beautiful job of getting rid if the discoloration and rust stains and was quick and easy. It won't fix the cracking but I only have a few of them.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> That hot knife seems like an excellent idea. The other one would be too flimpsy.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by islander</i> <br />I was hesitant about cutting the covering off so I used one of those Magic Erasers, Did a beautiful job of getting rid if the discoloration and rust stains and was quick and easy. It won't fix the cracking but I only have a few of them. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> I've got tons of cracking. Like I said, the coating is hard, so any flexing tends to put another crack in the line. The wire itself is fine though.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by NautiC25</i> <br />..The wire itself is fine though.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">...at least the part you can see...
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Seriously thinking about going with the Amsteel Blue rope. (which is gray)<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Amsteel Blue is another brand of Dyneema. Dyneema doesn't like knots, sharp bends or abrasion. A single braid like Blue with no cover would not serve well for lifelines, and splices or lashings with thimbles would would serve much better than bowlines.
Since this topic has been resurrected I figured I should post an update. I found the best method was to use a brand new razor blade(the ones that are about 4in long and you can break off little sections to keep the blade sharp) Using only the blade, I taped both ends and used it like a draw knife. It was tricky to get the blade angle just right, too shallow and I'd cut little scallops or to steep and it would go nowhere. In about an hour I had most of them stripped. There were patches of rust under the coatings so I rubbed them down with a stainless polish and they sparkled like a new penny. They really make the boat look nicer!
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Kim Luckner</i> <br />I was planning on replacing the coverings this spring with something like this http://www.westmarine.com/buy/products/2101-snap-cable-covers.html. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size="2"><font color="navy">I am going to use this option on the life lines however... I had them on my shrouds and when I pulled them off was appalled by the accumulated salt and corrosion.</font id="navy"></font id="size2"></font id="Comic Sans MS">
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.