RC sail yacht cordage — what’s what?

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

I have been searching the 'net without too much success for information on the modern material cordage commonly used for r/c model sail yachts.

As far as I've been able to gather from what is sold by various vendors (Nylet, PJ Sails, Cornwall Model Boats etc.), such cordage is available in i.a. polyester, dacron and dyneema.

What I have not been able to find is information on what the difference is between these (and, potentially, other) materials. Is it a matter of a (fairly simple) ranking in order of quality (and corresponding price), or is it rather (as I'm inclined to suspect) that each material has it's own set of advantages and disadvantages, and that different cords are best used for different purposes?

If the former, what would that ranking order be? If the latter, what are the characteristics and specificites of each material, and which one(s) would be preferred for what purpose(s) on a model yacht?

I'd be most grateful for any light that members of the forum might help throw on this, for me, somewhat knotty (ha!) issue!

/Mattias

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Trying to get a handle on modern material cordage

[Kev.WParticipant @kev-w]

For myself, I used Dacron on my Marblehead as did the majority of folk in my local club, this was back in the early 1980's, I have now converted my boat into a semi-scale yacht, but believe it or not, both the fore & the aft stays are the original dacron ones from 1982.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Banjoman

You could google modelling timbers web site from the Isle of Man, Keith Jewell supplies rigging cord of types & sizes, and a very prompt service, I've just received a package with 1nr of all his stock.

For shrouds I'd use the plastic covered stainless steel fishing line, many different gauges available.

Regards Ray

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Thank you very much, Kip and Ray, for your helpful replies!

Ray, I already have the Modelling Timbers website bookmarked, as Keith Jewell is one of my favourite suppliers of fittings. However, what I am trying to find out more about with this thread is the modern material (dacron, dyneema et al) cordage used for the running rigging on r/c sail yachts, in order to better understand their potential uses, advantages and drawbacks, and such lines are not, as far as I know, sold by Keith Jewell.

Nevertheless, many thanks, once more, for your input!

/Mattias

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Well Dyneema is currently favoured by dinghy sailors with deep pockets as it doesn't stretch very much and its expensive. Its also supplied by Tim Long at Abersoch for the RG65's & Lasers.

Regards Ray

[Gareth JonesParticipant @garethjones79649]

Hi Mattias,

I cant give you a specific recommendation but can offer a couple of bits of advice.

The last few lots of cord I have purchased have been Dacron. Its certainly strong enough but I have found that it tends to be formed as a small tube in cross section rather than a solid 'rod'. The result is that it flattens when passed through bowsies and they do not grip as well.

I did get some very good cord from Nylet some years ago which I think might have been Dyneema but I am not sure now. From the pictures on the web 1 mm Dyneema does look solid in section so it might be OK, if relatively expensive.

I would recommend using a woven/braided cord for the standing rigging on a Moonbeam. The cord supplied with the kit was rather elastic and also tended to twist as it stretched.

Gareth

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Hello Gareth,

Many thanks for your most helpful answer! Yes, the Dyneema is relatively speaking quite expensive at £3.30 for an 8 metre skein compared to £1.60 for the same amount of Dacron line, i.e. just over twice the price. However, in absolute terms, neither of those prices are likely to send me to the poorhouse. I haven't yet calculated the exact length of cordage needed, but it will not be an enormous amount either.

Interestingly enough, the Moonbeam kit in its current guise came with two types (one thinner, one thicker) of laid line in what to me looks like cotton, and one length of braided line in an unspecified but clearly man-made material. Unfortunately, they were not marked with any parts list numbers (and the parts list only lists three different cotton lines, so has seemingly not been updated in line with the kit contents), but I rather assume that the braided line must be intended for the winch loop and the sheets; I shall in any case write to David Metcalf one of these days and ask him which line corresponds to which parts list number.

Again, many thanks for your kind help

/Mattias

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

The stays on my Marblehead, which came with it when it was given to me, are wire, which will be attached to the bottlescrews that I got from ModellingTimber.co.uk. An excellent service AND products, including some of their rigging cord.

But I did wonder if Radiospares' braided tuner cord would be good. It's what the gang tuners in old radios were rigged with in those wonderful days when you had to turn a knob to get a station. My Dad always bought his from RS when a radio needed a new cord.

Martin

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Thanks, Martin! Wire might indeed be an option for the standing rigging, although I woukd first need to have a very careful think about compatibility with other materials (such as wood and white metal) used, tomake sure that shrouds and stays would not be too strong in comparison, not least given the capacity for wire to cut into softer materials when tensioned or subject to extra strain such as when accidentally hit by something …

As for tuner cord, a quick google leading to various vaintage radio restoration fora turns up that these days it seems to be mainly made from nylon over a glassfubre core …

/Mattias

[mark69Participant @mark69]

Hi Banjoman why not try the bottom E strings for your rigging at least if no wind you could get a tune out of it !! …mark

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

"Oh, play that yacht!" … "A boat with a twang!" … eh, wot wot?

On a more serious note (ha!), though, I think it would be less than ideal, given that a guitar E string (or a tenor banjo C string for that matter) has a fairly thick solid steel core which makes it rather inflexible, and thus difficult to bend around for example a block or a deadeye, while on the other hand any twist or kink added by accident while for example un-shipping the mast would be very difficult (verging on the impossible) to get rid of.

For the rest, the same objections apply as for regular, multi-stranded steel wire.

Thanks, though, for the suggestion

/Mattias

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

I believe people use either fishing wire or Laystrate control line wire from the model aircraft world. My Marblehead has wire, very fine and it doesn't affect any other material as it doesn't touch anything else. It's obviously stainless as it's as good as the day it went on.

You mention white metal. White metal, as I know it, is quite unsuitable for anything on a model yacht!

Martin

[mark69Participant @mark69]

I wonder if fishing trace wire would be any good ? seems very supple and extremely strong and can obviously be crimped I might try it on mine……. eventually ………mark

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