bolt rope issue

[BugTussel]

the bolt rope keeps bunching up in the sail. there is no knot on either end. i put an overhand knot in it but it had bad effects. can anyone advise me how to handle this issue.is there a way to terminate the bolt rope at the top and bottom of the sail?

[jbshu24]

I believe splicing would work

[BugTussel]

its a nylon rope that i can't splice plus i don't see how that would stop it from sliding through the pocket it sits in. would stitching through it and the sail be a bad idea?

[Matt Haberman]

Bug,

Don't stitch it, it will just make matters worse. On new sails the bolt rope is usually stitched in for the first 6" at the top and then free to move the rest of the way, usually they leave a few inches sticking out at the bottom. The reason for this is because the bolt rope will shrink and if it is stitched down to the sail it will cause bunching of the material, making it nearly impossible to get the sail up.

You mention the bolt rope is nylon. Is it a twisted type of rope? If so, that is the worst case, that type of rope shrinks severely and is not very suitable for bolt ropes, but it is commonly used for such purposes. If this is the case with your sail, I would look at having the bolt rope replaced with a hard braid line made for this purpose. Assuming that the luff material is in decent condition you can usually replace the rope by just pulling it through the sleeve with the existing bolt rope and then restitching the new rope in at the top.

Hope that helps

[BugTussel]

so it should be stitched on one end? it currently is completely loose

i will get a picture of it as i am not sure of the rope type.