Regatta Braid warning

[bigd14]

Second sail with new mainsail and Regatta Braid main sheet. The new main is amazing as expected. I also love the feel of the Regatta Briad and how it runs through the blocks. However, I found out the hard way that it can too easily snag on the split rings of the main sheet blocks and pull threads out. The split ring and the threads proved remarkably strong and hung up the entire sail and boom with about 8 knots of wind and I had to cut it free but it could easily have stripped the split ring out had the wind been stronger.

I will carefully search for and tape all split rings and cotters that could come into contact with the mainsheet, which should have been obvious to me before this experience although I never have had any problems with the Sta Set sheets.
Figured I would offer up this cautionary tale for anyone who might be interested.

 

[Christian Williams]

I replaced all the split rings too, because that was happening even before Regatta braid. But yeah, single braid is definitely catchier.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Christian, did you replace them with new? Or something else?

 

[Christian Williams]

Cotter pins, with the ends bent in creative pattern. The real cost of the deformed rings was not only line, but my favorite sweater, which got tragically snagged and will never be the same, despite being sewn together with green V91 sail thread. But perhaps that is too much information.

 

[Nick J]

Garhauer seems to do this a little different than the other manufactures. Harken uses threaded pins and has a hole in the head where you can use a couple different methods to prevent the pin from backing out. Schaefer just has a pin that requires the cotter pin or ring. Garhauer is closer to the Harken method, but the hole is on the threaded side. I used zip ties on the Harken blocks, I'm wondering if that's a better option with Garhauer blocks too.

 

[bgary]

despite being sewn together with green V91 sail thread. But perhaps that is too much information.

I think this post needs a video-link