Cathy

Is there some sort of defacto standard when it comes to colour coding lines
on a Yacht?

I have to replace all running rigging and thought I might as well get the
correct colours on lines whilst I am at it.

I read somewhere that white is preferred for lines that stay out as they do
not show sun bleaching as early as others do. I have made the following list
so far.

Would appreciate others comments based on experience of what works best.

Main Halyard Black
Jib Halyard White
Spinakker Halyard Blue & White
Topping Lift Black & White
Mainsheet Yellow
Port Jib Sheet White & Red
Starboard Jib Sheet White & Green
Port Spinnaker Sheet Red & yellow
Starboard Spinnaker Sheet Green & Yellow
Spin Uphaul Bright Pink
Spin Downhaul Flourescent Green
Outhaul White
Reef 1 Blue & White
Reef 2 Red & White
Reefing Lines White
Mainsheet Traveller Port White
Mainsheet Traveller Starboard White
Backstay Tensioner
Kicking Strap White & Yellow
Anchor Warp White

Regards
C

Adam H

> Is there some sort of defacto standard when it comes to colour coding
> lines on a Yacht?

Not that I'm aware of.

> I have to replace all running rigging and thought I might as well get the
> correct colours on lines whilst I am at it.
> I read somewhere that white is preferred for lines that stay out as they
> do not show sun bleaching as early as others do. I have made the following
> list so far.

Well, my boat simply has lines and halyards that aren't the same as each
other, but I do try and keep a little similarity between the boats that I've
had:

Favourite Lines - (Probably harder ropes, don't eliminate dyneema on the
grounds of cost)
Red - Kicking. (Red, hits you on the head)
Blue - Clew outhaul. (The blue outhaul)
Cunningham - anything that isn't red or blue.
Others - anything that isn't any of the above. (e.g. twingers, pole up/down,
tack in/out, traveller, reef 1 & 2)

Favourite Sheets - (Probably softer ropes, unless you ALWAYS wear gloves
when sailing)
Use whatever is suitable, but usually one of the many cruising 'whites' with
differing flecks to differentiate main and jib sheets. (Marlow, Liros, etc)
Spinnaker sheets - I use red for the port side, anything (possibly black or
blue) to starboard.

Whatever you do, don't ask me to use pink and I don't suggest you have
anything green onboard. May I also take this opportunity to suggest that
the hanks of rope in the chandler's bargain bin oftern represent very good
value..... (but ensure that whatever rope you are replacing doesn't match
one of the ropes on the same side of your boat or worse still, running
through the same clutch)

A

Cathy

All great suggestions,

> Whatever you do, ... I don't suggest you have anything green onboard.

Guessing this is because old rope goes green, but wondering if that is your
reason?

Justin C

In article <13d50h5kce9uea1@corp.supernews.com>, Cathy wrote:
> Is there some sort of defacto standard when it comes to colour coding lines
> on a Yacht?
>
> I have to replace all running rigging and thought I might as well get the
> correct colours on lines whilst I am at it.
>
> I read somewhere that white is preferred for lines that stay out as they do
> not show sun bleaching as early as others do. I have made the following list
> so far.
>
> Would appreciate others comments based on experience of what works best.
>
> Main Halyard Black
> Jib Halyard White
> Spinakker Halyard Blue & White
> Topping Lift Black & White
> Mainsheet Yellow
> Port Jib Sheet White & Red
> Starboard Jib Sheet White & Green

Why have the jib sheet's different colours? They run opposite sides of the boat, doesn't matter which is which.

Justin.

--
Justin C, by the sea.

Adam H

>> Whatever you do, ... I don't suggest you have anything green onboard.
>
> Guessing this is because old rope goes green, but wondering if that is
> your reason?

No, it is because green is considered unlucky by 'ancient mariner' types.
Although I'm far too 'rufty tufty' to be superstitious, if there is a chance
to avoid any bad luck.... (You guess!)

A

Richard

>
> Would appreciate others comments based on experience of what works best.
>
> Main Halyard Black
> Jib Halyard White
> Spinakker Halyard Blue & White
> Topping Lift Black & White
> Mainsheet Yellow
> Port Jib Sheet White & Red
> Starboard Jib Sheet White & Green
> Port Spinnaker Sheet Red & yellow
> Starboard Spinnaker Sheet Green & Yellow
> Spin Uphaul Bright Pink
> Spin Downhaul Flourescent Green
> Outhaul White
> Reef 1 Blue & White
> Reef 2 Red & White
> Reefing Lines White
> Mainsheet Traveller Port White
> Mainsheet Traveller Starboard White
> Backstay Tensioner
> Kicking Strap White & Yellow
> Anchor Warp White
>
> Regards
> C
>

Sounds like a fine choice
but no, there's no standard - not even consistency from the same
manufacturer

chrisR

"Richard" <richard.k.baker@btopenzone.com> wrote in message
news:F8ydnQFwt-SOpk7bnZ2dneKdnZydnZ2d@bt.com...
>
>
> >
> > Would appreciate others comments based on experience of what works best.
> >
> > Main Halyard Black
> > Jib Halyard White
> > Spinakker Halyard Blue & White
> > Topping Lift Black & White
> > Mainsheet Yellow
> > Port Jib Sheet White & Red
> > Starboard Jib Sheet White & Green
> > Port Spinnaker Sheet Red & yellow
> > Starboard Spinnaker Sheet Green & Yellow
> > Spin Uphaul Bright Pink
> > Spin Downhaul Flourescent Green
> > Outhaul White
> > Reef 1 Blue & White
> > Reef 2 Red & White
> > Reefing Lines White
> > Mainsheet Traveller Port White
> > Mainsheet Traveller Starboard White
> > Backstay Tensioner
> > Kicking Strap White & Yellow
> > Anchor Warp White
> >
> > Regards
> > C
> >
>
> Sounds like a fine choice
> but no, there's no standard - not even consistency from the same
> manufacturer
>
>
>

Why do you need colour coding? It cannot be seen at night and afair 20% of
males are colour blind!
Doesn't it make more sense to try to get a discount by buying complete reels
then you always have a matching replacement?

ChrisR

Andy Champ

chrisR wrote:
> Why do you need colour coding? It cannot be seen at night and afair
20% of
> males are colour blind!
> Doesn't it make more sense to try to get a discount by buying complete reels
> then you always have a matching replacement?
>
> ChrisR
>
>

I thought it was 10%... but...

"One in twelve Caucasian (8%), one in 20 Asian (5%), and one in 25
African (4%) males are so-called "red-green" colorblind" (University of
Tokyo)

That doesn't mean you can't tell a red rope from a green rope, just that
you might not be able to if the colours happen to match in your personal
colour space. You're right about the darkness though!

I've got a green(1) cunningham, red outhaul, and blue kicker all in a
row on my boat. The easy one to tell is actually the kicker, it's
spectra and *feels* different.

Andy

(1) Isn't green lucky for the Irish?

Ronald Raygun

chrisR wrote:

> Why do you need colour coding? It cannot be seen at night and afair 20%
> of males are colour blind!
> Doesn't it make more sense to try to get a discount by buying complete
> reels then you always have a matching replacement?

I agree. If you colour code, you still need to memorise a table of
which colours correspond to which functions. Surely it's just as
easy to memorise a table of correspondences of functions and some
attribute other than colour, such as position, for instance. So if
you have six ropes led aft from the mast along the coachroof to three
clutches each side of the companionway, why not just memorise that
the first one counting from port to starboard is for the topping lift,
say, the next one for this, the third for that, and so on?

You could even go one further, and eliminate the need for straining
your memory, by sticking printed labels next to the clutches.

Terry K

Nor do you need to carry 20 different colored spares.

Pink / yellow Barber haulers?

what about the braces, and chokers?

What about the self tending jib boom traveller bridle?

Any one know why my sundial runs backwards?

Terry K

chrisR

"Ronald Raygun" <no.spam@localhost.localdomain> wrote in message
news:ZETAi.3988$c_1.255@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk ...
> chrisR wrote:
>
> > Why do you need colour coding? It cannot be seen at night and afair 20%
> > of males are colour blind!
> > Doesn't it make more sense to try to get a discount by buying complete
> > reels then you always have a matching replacement?
>
> I agree. If you colour code, you still need to memorise a table of
> which colours correspond to which functions. Surely it's just as
> easy to memorise a table of correspondences of functions and some
> attribute other than colour, such as position, for instance. So if
> you have six ropes led aft from the mast along the coachroof to three
> clutches each side of the companionway, why not just memorise that
> the first one counting from port to starboard is for the topping lift,
> say, the next one for this, the third for that, and so on?
>
> You could even go one further, and eliminate the need for straining
> your memory, by sticking printed labels next to the clutches.
>

Yes every boat I know that is equipped with clutches, has them labelled. I
have crewed on a boat where the labels were wrong but the crew all knew. New
crew did not.

Colours are useful for novice crew to be shouted at. e.g. "pull the x colour
rope". Also useful if you have a rats nest to unravel. Otherwise generally
not pretty nor worth it.

Imagine a sailing ship with functionally coloured cordage.

ChrisR