Our Product and Rope Selection Guide is designed to illustrate suggested products that would be suitable for the application on board your chosen boat.
Product and Rope Selection Guide is designed to illustrate suggested products that would be suitable for the application on board your chosen boat.
Select your boat size and type to produce and an initial list of products by application and use the ‘Compare’ button to make a different boat size or type selection if you are unsure.
Rope suggestions are based on the common rope types we see being used in Spinlock products for the different applications with suggested diameters to achieve the best rope holding.
In the ‘My Decklayout’ tab print, save and email your selected product list and suggested decklayout.
Rope Holding Guides
1. The larger the diameter of the line the greater the load that can be held. This is the golden rule of rope holding and applies to all types and makes of holding device. Ropes can be sleeved or have an insert placed in the core in the clutching or jamming area to increase rope diameter and therefore holding without having to increase the overall rope diameter along it’s length. Sleeving or Inserting the core should be applied to pre-tensioned lines with a smooth entry and exit taper of the cover sleeve or core.
2. There are three distinct types of rope holding products. Cleats, Clutches and Jammers. Cleats are for hand held lines only and should never be used in conjunction with a winch. A clutch is a rope holding device which engages on the line, holding the line when released, but allows the line to be pulled through. Up to certain limits a clutch can be released under load. A jammer is designed for much higher loads and is non-releasable under load, requiring the load to be taken on a winch.
3. The limit of a conventional core/cover rope is usually the polyester cover, as when pressure is applied at a position on the line, the cover becomes loaded and is then in many cases the first part to fail. This applies at a clutch, but equally at sheaves, on winches and other turning points. An important part of the Spinlock Powerclutch design (but not for the ZS jammer) has always been to try and ease the load at this limit, rather than break the cover.
4. Loose rope covers are one of the biggest problems affecting load holding. If the cover is loose, then the likelihood of the rope slipping in the clutch or jammer or the cover failing, greatly increases.
5. Cleats, clutches and Jammers need to be regularly serviced to achieve maximum rope holding performance. This mainly requires regular flushing with fresh water to remove salt, dirt and rope debris and lubricating moving parts.
6. Recent developments in rope manufacture has centred on the use of blended covers, where high tech fibres such as Aramid, Technora, Dyneema or Vectran are co-braided with polyester or polypropylene. Whilst hardwearing, with a high degree of heat resistance, these covers can be harder to hold in clutches or jammers compared to polyester covered lines. Contact the special projects team for advice on new digital custom jaw surfaces to suit specific blended covers.
*‘Spinlock Notes’- Product and Rope Selection Guide*
The specification required and performance of any rope holding equipment achievable will vary according to:
Hull Configuration – type (Mono, Cat, Tri ), Displacement and Ballast type
Type of Sailing – Cruising, Racing, Coastal, Offshore and Ocean
Lines used – Diameter, Type, Construction and Quality
Sails used – Configuration, area, type and construction
The rest of the System – layout, rope leads, block purchase and shock loading
The aim of this guide is to assist you in selecting the optimal Spinlock rope holding product for your boat.
Spinlock Ltd regrets that it accepts no responsibility of any kind for the specific suitability of any Spinlock product for a given application.
Full responsibility for the judgement of specific suitability remains with the purchaser.
If you are in any doubt please contact prosupport@spinlock.co.uk for further information.