Line By Type

Shop Sailboat Line by Type - Polyester, Dyneema, Technora, & More

Line has come a long way in the past few decades, and current options offer great value and performance. We offer a variety of high tech Lines, which generally feature a non-stretch core for strength, durable cruising lines, which are typically polyester and less expensive but still strong and durable, or Dyneema, Spectra, & Vectran for non-stretch control line, halyard, and sheet applications. Shockcord bungee and floating Polypropylene also available.

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5mm Marlow Excel Control Line

Marlow Ropes

$0.89

Marlow Excel Control was the first first and remains best dedicated line for continuous loop dinghy control lines. The special snakeskin pattern means end-to-end, endless loop splicing with no diameter increase is much easier. Technora cover provides...

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$0.89

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5mm Marlow Excel Racing GP78 Line

Marlow Ropes

$1.99

Marlow Excel Racing GP78 is a high performance dinghy and keelboat control line. The SK78 core is high strength and minimal creep and the Technora blended cover gives fantastic abrasion and heat resistance. The cover also adds grip for wet hands, and is...

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$1.99

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5mm New England Ropes Sta-Set Line

New England Ropes

$0.51

Sta-Set is a strong, flexible and long wearing performance double braid polyester line with superior durability and dependability. It is high strength, low stretch, and extremely durable, yet it still remains soft over time. Sta-Set is both easy to...

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$0.51

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5mm Robline Dinghy PolyTech Line

Robline

$2.43

The Dinghy PolyTech from Robline is an easy-to-splice control line with a Technora cover and is ideally suited for use on skiffs and dinghies. This is our line of choice in our upgraded ILCA control systems and other dinghy controls...

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$2.43

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5mm Kingfisher Evo Race 78 Line

Kingfisher Yacht Ropes

$1.13

Evolution Race 78 from Kingfisher has a high performance Dyneema SK78 12 strand coated core that is high strength, low stretch and low creep. It has a hard wearing HT braided Polyester cover and is easy to splice. Diameter - 5mm (3/16 inch) Core...

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$1.13

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5mm Kingfisher Evo Dinghy Line

Kingfisher Yacht Ropes

$0.35

Evolution dinghy line from Kingfisher has been developed in conjunction with some of the worlds leading dinghy manufacturers. The 32 plait Polyester cover provides good abrasion resistance and excellent performance in cleats. It is ideal for halyards and...

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$0.35

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5mm Robline Sirius 500 Line

Robline

$0.45

5mm Sirius 500 from Robline is a great low stretch yet affordable line for control lines, halyards, and other application on recreational sailboats. This is a double braid polyester line, meaning it has a 8-plait polyester core and a 32-plait polyester...

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$0.45

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5mm Dinghy Control Line

Robline

$1.18

Dinghy Control Line from Robline is a great all around high-tech control line with Dyneema SK78 core. This 5mm version is ideal for all kinds of applications where you need the strength of a low-stretch core with the durability of a cover, such as using...

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$1.18

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5mm Marlow Excel Racing Line

Marlow Ropes

$1.32

Marlow Excel Racing is one of our favorite go to options for dinghy control lines and even halyards. It features a color matched Dyneema SK-78 core for low stretch with a 16 plait cover for improved abrasion resistance and durability. It also can...

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$1.32

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5mm Samson Ultra-Lite Line

Samson

$0.66

Samson Ultra-Lite is lightweight, floating double braid line with a modest strength/weight ratio and a great price point. This 5 mm version is ideal for light-wind sheets for the club racer or performance cruiser and features a Dyneema SK-75/MFP...

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$0.66

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5mm Samson Amsteel-Blue Dyneema Line

Samson

$1.20

Amsteel Blue from Samson is a high-performance 12-strand single braid line made of 100% Dyneema fiber. It offers a high strength-to-weight ratio (stronger than steel) with very low stretch. High abrasion and cut resistance thanks to a Samthane coating...

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$1.20

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5mm Samson Validator 12 Vectran Line

Samson

$1.73

This 5mm Samson Vectran line is made from Validator-12, constructed of Vectran® fibers, the second strongest rope in the Samson line. A LCP (liquid crystal polymer) fiber, Vectran exhibits high strength, excellent creep and abrasion resistance,...

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$1.73

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5mm Shockcord

Novabraid

$0.36

Shockcord (sometimes called bungee) is a stretchy line used in a variety of sailboat applications including inhauls, daggerboard retainer, or as a tensioner for hiking strap lines. This premium 5mm shock cord offer superior protection against abrasion...

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$0.36

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5mm Polypropylene Line

R&W Marine Cordage

$0.33

The polypropylene line is a multipurpose line that can be used for a variety of things from bow lines to dock lines. Because of its large diameter, and flotation, this line is great for general purpose around the water. Lightweight floating line General...

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$0.33

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Line Fiber Type / Material Guide

Line Type	Stretch	Absorption Resistance	Floatability	Abrasion/Chafe	UV Resistance	Creep	Hand Feel
Polypropylene	Fair	Excellent	Excellent	Poor	Poor	Poor	Fair
Polyester	Poor	Poor	Poor	Excellent	Excellent	Poor	Good
Technora	Excellent	Poor	Fair	Excellent	Poor	Good	Good
Dyneema/Spectra	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Fair	Good
Vectran	Excellent	Fair	Fair	Poor	Poor	Excellent	Fair
Cordura	Good	Good	Good	Excellent	Good	Fair	Excellent

Line Application Guide - Dinghy

Dinghy	Polyester & Polypropylene	Polyester Double Braid	Dyneema Blended Single Braid	Dyneema Blended Double Braid	Blended Core Double Braid	Dyneema Core Double Braid	Vectran Core Double Braid
Main Halyard					Good	Better	Best
Jib/Genoa Halyard					Good	Better	Best
Spinnaker Halyard					Good	Better
Mainsheet	Good		Best	Best
Jib/Genoa Sheet	Good		Best	Best
Spinnaker Sheet	Good		Best	Best
Control Lines			Better			Better

Line Application Guide - Racing

Racing	Polyester & Polypropylene	Polyester Double Braid	Dyneema Blended Single Braid	Dyneema Blended Double Braid	Blended Core Double Braid	Dyneema Core Double Braid	Vectran Core Double Braid
Main Halyard					Good	Better	Best
Jib/Genoa Halyard					Good	Better	Best
Spinnaker Halyard					Good	Best
Mainsheet	Good		Best	Better	Good	Best
Jib/Genoa Sheet					Good	Best
Spinnaker Sheet			Better	Best	Good	Best
Control Lines		Good	Better	Better	Good	Best

Line Application Guide - Performance Cruising

Performance Cruising	Polyester & Polypropylene	Polyester Double Braid	Dyneema Blended Single Braid	Dyneema Blended Double Braid	Blended Core Double Braid	Dyneema Core Double Braid	Vectran Core Double Braid
Main Halyard		Good			Better	Better	Best
Jib/Genoa Halyard		Good			Better	Better	Best
Spinnaker Halyard		Good			Better	Best
Mainsheet	Good	Good	Better		Better	Best
Jib/Genoa Sheet	Good	Good			Better	Best
Spinnaker Sheet	Good	Good			Better	Best
Control Lines	Good	Good	Better		Better	Better

Double Braid vs Single Braid

Two terms you will often see in line descriptions are 'double braid' and 'single braid', which refer to the way the line is constructed. At the most basic level, a double braid line has a cover and a core whereas a single braid does not, but there are other important distinctions to consider when making a line selection.

Single Braids are made up of either 8 or 12 strands that are braided into a circular pattern, half clockwise and half counter clockwise. This produces a line that is supple, absorbs twists, and tends not to kink. There are two types of single braid lines: performance single braids and polyester/blended single braids. Performance single braids are made from fibers with very low stretch and designed to handle extreme loads - think Dyneema, Spectra, or Vectran. Polyester/blended single braids, sometimes called hollow braid, are soft and easy to grip, built for sheets and hand-adjusted control lines. These are less common than performance single braid lines but recommended in a few specific applications.

Double Braids, sometimes called braid on braid, have a braided core within a braided outer jacket or cover. This creates a strong, durable, smooth-running line that is easy to handle. Double braids are used for the vast majority of all running rigging on sailboats including sheets, halyards and control lines for both cruising or racing. There are two types to consider: polyester double braids and high-tech double braids. Polyester double braids, found most commonly on recreational and cruising sailboats, have a polyester cover with polyester core. These are low maintenance, affordable, and long-lasting, while offering relatively low stretch and high working loads. For additional strength and minimal stretch, consider high-tech double braids. These lines typically feature a Dyneema or Spectra core (non-stretch) inside a polyester or polyester/dyneema blend cover for additional durability. They are more expensive but often the go to choice for high performance racing boats.

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