Polyester vs. Nylon Rode

Madness, you say. Every U.S. authority recommends nylon over polyester for anchor rode and docklines. But there are a few experienced U.S. sailors that have sung the praises of polyester and it is quite popular among U.K. and French sailors. How can this be?

By
Drew Frye
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1
We like going one size over what is often recommended for smaller boats. The advantages are a.Less stretch. Nylon can be too stretchy, but polyester not stretchy enough. One size over can be a Goldilocks answer. b.Better wear resistance. Because we like using short chain when hand-hauling, we cover the first 10 feet with a webbing chafe guard. This is very cut resistant, because unlike the rope inside, it is floating and not under tension. c. Better grip. ⅜-in. is pretty hard to grab with the wind is up. ½-in. fits our hands better. (Photo/ Drew Frye)
We like going one size over what is often recommended for smaller boats. The advantages are a. Less stretch. Nylon can be too stretchy, but polyester not stretchy enough. One size over can be a Goldilocks answer. b. Better wear resistance. Because we like using short chain when hand-hauling, we cover the first 10 feet with a webbing chafe guard. This is very cut resistant, because unlike the rope inside, it is floating and not under tension. c. Better grip. ⅜-in. is pretty hard to grab with the wind is up. ½-in. fits our hands better. (Photo/ Drew Frye)

In order to minimize the strain on our anchor, we expect the rode to absorb impact forces imposed by waves, yawing and gusts. These can be as much as five times the average load based on Practical Sailor and ABYC testing. Chain does this through the effect of catenary and resistance to being dragged side to side across the bottom, if the water is deep enough that the mass of chain deployed is enough. Nylon does this by stretching as much as 3 to 4% in length at 10 to 12% of breaking strength, which is the practical working load limit (WLL) if you want a long life. This amounts to 3 to 4 feet if 100 feet are deployed. If less than 100 feet there may not be enough stretch. The polyester single braid recommended for anchoring stretches just less than half as much, about 1 to 2% at 10% of breaking strength. But before we summarily dismiss it as unsuitable, there are several things to consider.

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Polyester vs. Nylon Rode
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Drew Frye
Drew Frye
Drew Frye, Practical Sailor’s technical editor, has used his background in chemistry and engineering to help guide Practical Sailor toward some of the most important topics covered during the past 10 years. His in-depth reporting on everything from anchors to safety tethers to fuel additives have netted multiple awards from Boating Writers International. With more than three decades of experience as a refinery engineer and a sailor, he has a knack for discovering money-saving “home-brew” products or “hacks” that make boating affordable for almost anyone. He has conducted dozens of tests for Practical Sailor and published over 200 articles on sailing equipment. His rigorous testing has prompted the improvement and introduction of several marine products that might not exist without his input. His book “Rigging Modern Anchors” has won wide praise for introducing the use of modern materials and novel techniques to solve an array of anchoring challenges. 

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1 COMMENT

  1. This was a helpful and informative article. You offered lots of technical detail.

    But, and maybe I missed it, I didn’t see anything on recommenced service life polyester and nylon. Although service life is mentioned qualitatively, you didn’t say how many years, even as a range.

    We bought our boat used so we have no idea about the age of our anchor rhodes. Could you offer some recommended service lives for each material, likely for saltwater and freshwater environments? We are on the Great Lakes but I suspect others would be interested in service life recommendations.

    Thanks,
    …..Ed