Dye the lines...

Inquisitor · Post by **Inquisitor** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:16 pm

This one may be a little off colored! My dealer did a great job running all the lines back to the cockpit. However, I'm a little overwhelmed by all the lines. Unfortunately, they are all white. I'm a little hesitant of pealing out a lot of money on colored lines when everything is new. Has anyone every dyed their ropes? I bought some Rit clothes dye and have dyed several little pieces. Will it damage the rope? Can I wash it in the washing machine like you would if you were dying clothes to get the excess dye out? $3 versus several hundred seems like its worth the experiment.

Post by **NiceAft** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:46 pm

Do you really want that stuff on your hands? How many lines are going aft that are in constant use?

If expense is a concern, just replace the mainsheet with color. Show your crew ahead of time the two lines which they will be responsible for. The other lines won't cause confusion. They will learn quick enough

We did

Ray

Boblee · Post by **Boblee** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 8:24 pm

I have changed most of mine as I extended them, not so much for my benefit but when trying to tell someone which line to adjust it's easy to say the small red one etc.
Some do have texta on them but only for preset adjustments.

rockman · Post by **rockman** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 3:18 am

My dealer used different colour for each line - accept the mainsheet and joib sheet (they are both white). As soon as i get time i will change the colour over to avoid confusion for the crew.

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:16 am

YOu could pull a large colored thread thru the line to make it noticeable without damaging it.

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:40 am

Sharpies.

LOUIS B HOLUB · Post by **LOUIS B HOLUB** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 3:33 pm

Catigale wrote:Sharpies.

That's what I use (permanent marker), especially for site points on the center board on my X so I know when its Up, Down, or half way.
I also mark my slip lines in order to know the points to tie up on cleats. A real time saver.

Permanent Markers have been a real aid in sailing chores.

pokerrick1 · Post by **pokerrick1** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 5:52 pm

Catigale wrote:Sharpies.

Still get all over your hands. How about - - - tie different color ribbons around the white ropes at about the spot where they reach the cockpit to differenciate them? (Cheap at Wal Mart).

Rick

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:03 am

You really don't need to replace all the lines.
I keep my halyards and sheets white, it seems fitting. On the M the traveller lines tend to get tangled with the mainsheet so I changed them to blue, The boom vang is white with blue tracer and the topping lift is blue with white tracer. I bought all blue docking lines but have a bit of variety among the fender lines but will soon make them all blue to match the blue fenders. My furling line will likely be 1/4" blue with white tracer. Yes I have a blue hull and everything is color coordinated to pacific blue tones (including canvas). My wife did the inside all color coordinated and it looks very tastefully done. We suffer from Malspectraphobia. (the fear of being un-color coordinated).

Highlander · Post by **Highlander** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:25 pm

Terry

Your the man you make me laugh so much !!

nice to see your having so much fun

J

tangentair · Post by **tangentair** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 10:18 am

If your lines are lead aft, consider labeling the blocks/ez clamps that they run through and then you can always splice colored lines to the ends after they clear the last block. Splicing is a good skill to learn anyway and now you would have the reason.
Or get a small fid as previously suggested and thread/weave a colored thread/line of nylon through your lines. If you use nylon, you will not have to worry about stretching.

mikelinmon · Post by **mikelinmon** » Tue May 06, 2008 8:16 am

I bet you could color the lines with sharpies but just at two areas, the all the way topped and the all the way down with a special color at the reef position! I know that will work, I did mine at the reef position and am going back to color at top and bottom! Reading these posts is very good for me! Many new ideas. What we need now is a trophy for most elegant, inovative, "Cocourse de elegatnus" and I will take spelling lessons soon. The trophy will be for the 2008 pretty boat contest. Judging will be my race crew looking at your posts on this site. Winner to send me a photo of your boat and we'll make a framed nice wall hanging portrate for you with plaque. I'll post this whole thing soon!
Mike Inmon

tangentair · Post by **tangentair** » Tue May 06, 2008 8:32 am

mikelinmon wrote:.... What we need now is a trophy for most elegant, inovative, "Cocourse de elegatnus" and I will take spelling lessons soon.....
Mike Inmon

I have had a trophy once or twice, but they were for coitus interruptus - who can understand that foreign stuff - something about stretch lines (must have been their nylons) and the topsides sagging - but I will take more sailing lessons soon if I can get another trophy.........

Boblee · Post by **Boblee** » Tue May 06, 2008 3:46 pm

One of the many pre delivery mods the Australian dealer does is to replace the white lines when he leads them aft.

Inquisitor · Post by **Inquisitor** » Fri May 16, 2008 12:08 am

Well, I dyed some of my lines. It doesn't rub off and it certainly helps while sailing. As soon as the mods page is back up, I'll post the results. Basically, I must have two kinds of rope. Probably some were original from MacGregor and some were from Bill (Boats4Sail) when he ran the lines back to the cockpit. They looked identical before hand and I happened to have one of each in the blue die. One came out a real deep royal blue while the other, once rinsed, came out barely pastel. Actually it worked out for the best... I got two distinct colors out of one batch of dye.

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Dye the lines...

Dye the lines...

Sharpies