uv rope damage

[moss]

As mentioned the core is protected from UV, the cover braid can be inspected for UV damage after the use. I like the idea of building cost of rope degradation into the price of the job.
-AJ

 

[Woodwork]

Nylon degrades with UV exposure ... polyester, not nearly as fast. (Boats are made of fiberglass-reinforced polyester resin.) Some would argue that polyester is almost immune to UV. I've had polyester (dacron) line on offshore fishing tackle for many years without apparent degradation...though I wouldn't bet my life on it!

 

[Joeybagodonuts]

I see some interesting links in here that may answer the question i had thought about posting a new thread about.. but came across this thread here after searching first..

We all try to treat our climbing & rigging lines with the respect they rightfully deserve.. I do however find myself guilty sometimes leaving fiction savers up with throw line in place ready to go for the next time i find the time to "chip away" at stuff.. especially if it was a painful throw.

However, with animal risk aside & as a few others have hinted about the fact we use them in the sun all day everyday... I also wanted to add/ask, don't these lines with the same build materials get put into use permanently on sailboat masts & sail rigging, just hanging out in the sun for years on end, in all sorts of nasty salt water conditions as well?

Yeah, there's allot of high-tech fibers in use these days with sailing, but it wasn't always like that, right? Even if that's the case, & high techs were put into place for the sole purpose of UV resistance instead of their resilient strength to size/weight ratio, the legit manufacturers are most likely putting alot of effort into making these poly/nylon cordages last out in the sun.

Thoughts on that?

I'm going to go read some of those links now..

 

[JeffGu]

Ropes can be protected with cheap, disposable materials. When I stake up fruit trees, for example, I encase the ropes with old, leaky garden hoses. The hoses usually fail when they get damaged and leak, but they are thick and have a lot of UV inhibitors in their construction. I use a long, stiff wire to feed the rope (up to 1/2") through them. It's a little work, but it will be many years before the rope sees any UV. To protect any knots or hardware connections, I use adhesive-lined, doublewall heat shrink tubing... this is very easy to remove and/or replace by simply cutting about halfway through it (avoiding cutting the rope) and peeling it off.

I actually have my friends, relatives and neighbors save their old garden hoses for me because I use so much of it. I've even bought new, cheap ones on sale when the price is really low... got some 50' ones for about $12 each awhile back. Cheap compared to rope prices.

Might be more work than you care to do, and it's really only good for 1/2" and smaller rope, but it works very, very well. For customers, I always have a materials charge that includes everything I use, including old garden hose. It's a very low charge, but shrink tubing is expensive so it's a real cost that can add up over time if you just absorb the cost constantly.