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Textile Dyneema® lifelines are an increasingly popular choice for cruising as well as racing sailboats. They offer some clear advantages and that is why premium Italian rope manufacturer, Gottifredi Maffioli, has a dedicated lifeline material called Safeline Max. In this blog we outline the key features and benefits of Dyneema® lifelines for yachts.
Gottifredi Maffioli’s Safeline Max is made from Dyneema® DM20 Max technology. This product was created by DSM Dyneema specifically for deep water mooring applications and to minimise creep. The result is a “dimensionally stable” Dyneema®, which in layman’s terms means very stiff with zero creep!
The table below highlights two of the major benefits of textile lifelines over the tradition wire alternative.
|
Break Load (kg) |
Weight (g/m) |
4mm 7x19 Wire |
910 |
60 |
5mm Safeline Max |
1600 |
19,6 |
Difference |
76% |
67% |
|
|
|
5mm 7x19 Wire |
1420 |
93 |
6mm Safeline Max |
2300 |
26,9 |
Difference |
61% |
71% |
Smaller yachts (under approx. 28ft) will generally use 4mm wire, above which, 5mm wire is an industry standard for lifelines. When using Dyneema® it is normal to go up 1mm to achieve a similar stiffness to wire. However, this is an additional benefit in that they are much more comfortable on your hands and to lean against for long periods of time, when sitting on the rail.
When comparing 4/5mm wire to 5/6mm Safeline Max you get approx. 70% more strength for 70% less weight. That is what’s known in the trade as a win-win scenario!
Additional benefits of Safeline Max lifelines include: