Stripping the Cover Off High-Tech Cored Halyard Instructions

This procedure is used mainly for a few specific applications: racing sailboat mainsheet halyards that want to reduce windage and weight aloft, spinnaker sheets to reduce the amount of weight pulling the corners down in light wind, and also to replace a wire to rope halyard with a high-tech core line so that the AmSteel is of sufficiently small diameter to use the existing wire sheave at the top of the mast.

The line retains it full specified rope diameter back at the winch, where it’s critical for the jaws/self-tailer to grip, then somewhere in the middle reduces to just the diameter of the Dyneema core. A finished halyard/sheet will potentially have a flemish/reaving eye on one end and a single braid/AmSteel splice on the end onto a shackle/snap-shackle. Historically, these lines are made from WarpSpeed with a Dyneema core and polyester cover or other core-dependent double braids. There are now more choices including MLX, XLS Extra T, Ultra-Lite, etc. It is important to use a rope whose core has some UV protection, because it will now be exposed instead of living inside the cover. If you use rope whose core has no UV resistance, you can use a product like MaxiJacket to dip the exposed core in. MaxiJacket comes in a variety of colors to suit your application.

We’ve also had customers buy a regular polyester double braid because of more color options and remove the polyester core. Then they select the AmSteel to run up the cover to create a custom look. NOTE: If you’re interested in building your own combo, run the AmSteel up the hollow polyester cover with a fid. Don’t forget to exit the cover approximately 12″ from the end of the cover to create the extraction point.

Before beginning the procedure, determine the length of the line, including enough cover to make a flemish/reaving eye (+1′) and the single braid splice onto the shackle (+2-3′). Also determine where the strip lands along the length of the line. If this is a halyard, you will probably want the halyard strip location to fall just short of the masthead sheave when the sail is doused, yet also short of the winches when the mainsail is set. This usually involves knowing the “I” dimension of the sailboat (height of mast from the deck), and the distance from the mast to the winch. Don’t forget to adjust the location of the “strip” so that the approximately 12″ taper doesn’t interfere with the sheave.

NOTE: If you are planning on adding a flemish eye and a shackle to the ends, make sure to do the “strip” first because it anchors the cover to the core. Then you can address the treatment of the ends.

Mark the designated extraction point.

Tie a stop knot (overhand knot on the bight) approximately 4′ from the designated extraction point on the side where the line will retain it’s full diameter.

Overhand knot on the bight

Extract the core at the mark, taking care not to snag any cover strands as that will show in the finished product. Before extraction is complete, make sure to mark the core at the extraction point.

Mark core at extraction point

Pull the core all the way out from the stripped end tape the end.

Core tail pulled out

Cut the hollow cover off approximately 9″ from the extraction point. This creates the “tail” you will be burying in the core. NOTE: The cover of most core-dependent double braids is very attractive and can be used as lashing strap for attaching rigs to the trailer, etc. For paying customers, we always make sure they get the “discarded” cover as part of their purchase.

Scrunch the cover back to the stop knot then milk the cover back. This is called “pre-milking” and accurately establishes the relative location between the cover and core, removing any slack from the factory.

Starting 2 rope diameters (RDs) from the extraction point (toward the stripped end), carefully make a small pull in the set of strands that are used to weave the cover (usually made up of 3-5 strands each). Insert the small half of a pair of scissors in the pull and snip the strands. Pull the snipped strands from the cover tail. Make sure to not pull the strands backwards past the extraction point and affect the full rope diameter standing part towards the stop knot. Strands only get pulled out from the tail direction.

Pull a set of strands

Snip a set of strands

Set of strands snipped and another pulled

Pull and snip every other set of strands from the tail for one third the length of the cover tail. This creates the “pre-taper”. Make sure to stay in the same row of strands that create the weave.

Several sets snipped in a row

When the pre-taper is done, milk the cover over the core from the stop knot and pin just short of the extraction point.

Standing part pinned at extraction point

Trim 80% of the cover tail ends about 2″ from the end of the cover tail.

Cover strands snipped

Insert the splicing needle into the core, past the length of the cover tail, slide it up through the hollow core and it exits as close to the extraction point as possible.

Splicing needle goes into core

Splicing needle exits at extraction point

Have a 4″ piece of tape ready. Insert the remaining cover tail strands through the splicing needle, fold them back onto the cover tail and spiral wrap the assembly with the tape. The tape spirals from the cover tail towards the splicing needle.

Cover tail spiral taped to splicing needle

Pull the cover tail down through the core.

Pull the cover tail tight and milk the core smooth. This will create a nice cover/core joint.

Cover/core joint pinned

With cover/core still tight, using waxed #8 whipping twine in a complimentary color, wrap the cover joint with 3 wraps. The whip should be centered on the cover/core joint, meaning it through the polyester on one side of the rope and the AmSteel on the other. Pull very tight. This will allow the strip to roll over a sheave as smoothly as possible if needed.

Cover/core joint whipped

Scrunch the core back and pin.

Scrunch core back to taper cover tail

Remove the splicing needle and fan out the cover strands. Cut them off at an angle, which will form a taper when buried. OPTIONAL: Coat the cover strands with beeswax. This will help keep the buried taper in place. NOTE: The “pre-taper” tapers the cover tail beneath the scrunched core, so a shorter, smoother taper is made rather than only tapering the cover after it exits the scrunched core.