dyneema sailboat lifelines

DIY Dyneema Lifelines

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Last Updated on February 13, 2021 by Amy

While at The Boat Works , David and I had a long list of projects to tackle.  One of my big ones was replacing our lifelines with fancy new Dyneema lifelines.

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What is a lifeline?

Lifelines are wires or lines that run around the edges of your deck.  These are designed to prevent you from falling overboard off your boat.  The metal posts that the lifelines are threaded through are called stanchions .

What is Dyneema?

Dyneema is the brand name for  UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene fiber) made by DSM .  Dyneema is incredibly valuable to have on your boat.  The line can be used for a variety of purposes and is very high quality.  We carry spare Dyneema in several sizes.  One project I do frequently with Dyneema is making my own soft shackles.

Stainless Steel Wire v Plastic Coated SS v Dyneema Lifelines

Our Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 came with plastic coasted SS wires from the factory.  There are several problems with this:

•  Over time the plastic coating develops a sticky residue on it.  Not detrimental to our safety, but gross nonetheless.
• The plastic coating breaks.
• UV damage shortens the life of your lifeline due to damage to the plastic.
• The plastic coating hides damage to the stainless steel wires.

Benefits to Dyneema lifelines:

•  Stronger than stainless steel (15x stronger).
• Lighter than stainless steel (7x lighter).
• Easier to install.
• Chafe resistant compared to other fibers.
• Easier to cut in an emergency MOB situation.

We met a new Outremer last year that came from the factory with Dyneema lifelines.

Not sold on Dyneema?  The Boat Galley has a post on new stainless steel wire lifeline installation.

Supplies to Replace Your Lifelines

This is what I used on our 44′ catamaran to make our Dyneema lifelines.  You may need different sizes or quantities depending on your boat.

• Thick 12 strand single braid Dyneema for your main lifelines (I used 6 mm thick and approximately 65 meters long)*
• Thin Dyneema for your lashings (I used 3  mm thick and 9 meters long)
• M8 Stainless Steel 316 Eye Bolts, Marine Grade, 4 each
• M8 Stainless Steel 316 Eye Nuts, Marine Grade, 4 each
• swivel snap shackle 70 mm, 4 each
• electricians tape
• measuring tape (I use a seamstress measuring tape because of how flexible it is)

Dyneema is available from your local chandlery.  We recommend going with the silver, natural colored Dyneema because we have used some dyed Dyneema in the past, but find that the color leeches off.

Cost for Making Your Own Dyneema Lifelines

The first 5 items on the above list totaled to $486.35 USD .

Splicing Your Lifelines

I created my Dyneema lifelines using a Brummel splice.  When you have two loose ends, the splice is fairly easy.  However, when one end is occupied (as it will be when you make your lifelines) you need a modified or Mobius Brummel to get the job done.  Once you figure the splice out, it’s fairly easy.

Directions for the Mobius Brummel.

There’s a Modified Brummel Splice video on YouTube , but I found it not as easy to follow as the above link is.  What tripped me up is that the person in the video switches sides partway through.  When you put the loop through the hole, it needs to follow through the hole in the same direction that the tail went in the previous move.  This is the “modified” part that allows you to make the Brummel with a secured end.  Pushing the loop through should untwist the loop instead of putting a double twist in the line.

Do one end of the lifeline, and then thread the tail end through the stanchions.  Connect the 1st, already sliced end properly to the railing, and then work out your measurements for the 2nd end.  Disconnect the first end to give yourself some additional room to bury the tail of your 2nd splice.

Measuring the big Dyneema to splice the exact right length is really hard.  Don’t worry, it’s better to be too short than too long.  The distance will be made up with the lashings.

*Depending on the size of your shorter sections, you may need to drop down to a smaller size.  The gates on the stern of our boat are so small that the long tail bury would overlap.  Since the long tail is 72x the diameter, you have to either drop the diameter down or drop the tail (Evan Starzinger recommends at least 63x the diameter).

While Dyneema has negligible stretch, it will have some twist in the line since it has been coiled.  Monitor your new Dyneema lifelines.  As they adjust over the next few days they will work out the twist, but your eye bolts and nuts will need to be screwed back in and your lashings re-tensioned.

DO NOT use a hot knife.  You don’t want the ends of the Dyneema melted, as it makes sharp edges in the long tail bury.  I wrapped the Dyneema in the tape and cut through the tape using the box cutter.

Our chandlery only had eye bolts that were too long, so David cut them down using our Dremel .

Inspect the eyes of your stanchions.  Our stanchion eyes are a smooth tube with rounded, gentle edges.  Older or damaged stanchions might cause chafe problems on the Dyneema, so replace your stanchions or use a plastic protective covering at the stanchions.  See the second post link from Rigging Doctor below.

Finished Dyneema Lifelines

More reading.

Evan Starzinger has a very technical article out about the benefits of Dyneema lifelines.

The Rigging Doctor has a post and instructions, and a 2-year update .

Dyneema’s abrasion resistance explained .

WHY CHOOSE DYNEEMA ROPE VS STEEL WIRE ROPE FOR HEAVY-DUTY RIGGING? from USA Rope & Recovery

12 Comments

I am looking at taking on this project for our FP 44′ Orana. Do you recall the size Fid you used? The link sends me to a set and I already have a few of my own. In practicing on a few different lines I can see finding the right size fid for the right line is extremely important! Also, any update on what you felt you did right and what you would have done differently?

Unfortunately I don’t, mostly because our fids aren’t well labeled. I think our lines are holding up pretty well. The trickiest part is figuring out the length for the second splice! Just remember you can always adjust the lashings.

I used New England Ropes WR2. There was excess dyneema cover after splicing or stripping the ends. I cut 2.5” lengths of the cover and slid them over lifeline before final splice. You can “glue” them in place using cyanoacrylate (crazy glue.) It does not actually glue the dyneema, but flows between the fibers and hardens, holding them in place. Good for binding ends, too.

Enjoying your blog!

This looks great. I also have a Helia 44 that needs lifelines replaced. I’m looking at either Suncor stainless and Dyneema.

What Dyneema did you use and where did you source it?

We just got it from West Marine! Super easy.

Great looking splices Amy!

How much room did you leave initially on the aft end of the lifelines? I’m assuming there is a fair amount of untwisting. How much length did the lines finally untwist?

Much appreciated! We’ll probably switch out our lifelines this year. Allen & Linda Dobbs

The amount the line untwists is hard to measure because the eye bolts untwist with it. To correct it, we simply undid the lashings and retightened the eye bolts. It helps a lot to twist the line as you walk down its entire length.

Plastic rings between the stanchion eyes and the line for chafe?

Hey Derek! Good question. The stanchion eyes are built with a smooth tube bisecting them where the lifeline goes through. The edges of the tubes are rounded and very smooth. I don’t think any plastic ring we put in there would do a better job than what is built into the stanchion. I doubt chafing is going to be an issue. If it is, we will catch it with our routine inspections.

Also, an updated post from Rigging Doctor about chafe. He states that he has had no chafe at the stanchions after 2 years: https://www.riggingdoctor.com/life-aboard/2017/3/30/dyneema-lifelines

I’m doing dyneema life lines and rigging on my cat being built. Moving off my current mono, I currently liveaboard but not a cruiser. As you said dyneema is amazing, great to have around, and useful skills to pickup around its integration. I’m still a bit skeptical on the chafe, I’d think the softer plastic is preferable even if it is less smooth. I dunno tho, either way good move. Been following you two for two years. Probably be starting my cruising just as you’re wrapping up, boat won’t be done till next spring and then I’ll do it’s delivery back to west coast.

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Updating a classic fiberglass cruising yacht.

How to install Dyneema lifelines

I replaced the aged stainless steel cable lifelines on my boat with Dyneema synthetic lines.  The total cost was around $600 and I learned how to eye splice a single braid rope.  It took a total of about 8 hours to install the lines.  The most challenging part was to make the lines the right length given the changes in length introduced by the splicing process. 

Introduction

One of the items noted on my boat-purchase survey was the advanced age of the stainless steel cable lifelines.  Vinyl-coated cable lifelines are no longer cool with the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC), but my Ericson was delivered with them.  The problem is that the vinyl covers the stainless steel metal and allows it to rust, like for decades, thus weakening the lifelines. 

—->  Brief interjection:  I heard an interesting discussion of child car seats on the Freakonomics radio show / podcast recently, the upshot being that child car seats, frequently installed incorrectly, from a statistical basis do about as well protecting children as adult-sized seat belts.  We like to think child car seats help us out, but they don’t, really.   Similar – lifelines.  Do they really keep us safer?  This topic is somewhat open to debate, and if anyone internet-questions lifelines, he/she is bound to have loads people chime in about that one time under duress when lifelines saved their bacon.  But what about all the times that someone trips over a lifeline at the doc?  Or is sent overboard because the line is only 24” off the deck, a perfect fulcrum point to destabilize an adult homo sapien?  I googled hard (as in 4-5 times) to find an official insurance study justifying the use of lifelines.  I could not find one.  Joshua Slocum did not have them. Well, I have a 6 year old, I should keep them…←–

Back to replacing lifelines.  I replaced my standing rigging with synthetic lines from Colligo.  I wanted to do the same with my lifelines (swap out cable for rope) and I thought I could figure it out all myself. 

Design Considerations : 

My boat has a total of 8 lifelines (fore and aft, starboard and port, upper and lower) and 2 gates (Port and Starboard).  I bet yours has something similar.   Each lifeline consists of a static end point, a second ‘dynamic’ end point that can be tensioned, and a line in between.  On my boat, the tension end-point was the outermost (attached to the bow and stern pulpits) and had a closed-body turnbuckle to keep the line taut.  Here is a view of the starboard bow pulpit: 

Here is a view of the gate: 

I needed to choose components with which I could replicate the existing lifeline structure.  I looked to the University of YouTube to see if there were any clever tips to be learned, and found these guys: 

I like their effort and that the guy rebuilt a Yanmar motor in the cockpit of his catamaran, so he has my respect.  They use some fittings from Colligo and use synthetic line lashings to tension their lifelines.  

Dyneema is a brand-name for ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber monofilaments.  For sailing, it is used it to make ropes/lines.  It’s also good for making bulletproof armor: 

It’s strong, light, smooth, and it doesn’t stretch.  It comes in 12 strand single braid lines (ropes) that are very easy to splice.  Because the rope is so slippery, the splicing has to be done properly. 

Anyone taking on this project needs to learn how to do a locking brummel splice.  This is an eye splice that does not move.  There are a multitude of how-to-eye-splice videos on YouTube, but I mostly relied on this one: 

To tension my lifelines, I could have purchased the Colligo lashing fittings.  Here’s a page with some information from Colligo: 

https://www.colligomarine.com/colligo-tech-synthetic-lifelines

Instead of lashing I wanted instead to use turnbuckles in the same way I had used turnbuckles for my standing rigging.  

Based on my design plan, my shopping list was as follows: 

• 130 feet @  ¼” Amsteel Blue (A Samson rope product , made with dyneema fibers) from Defender at $1.07 per foot from Defender .  8@ jaw-jaw ¼” 316 stainless CS Johnson turnbuckles from West Marine @ $35 per. @$280
• 4@  316 stainless 3/16” thimbles from Defender $1.59 each
• 2@ CS Johnson Gate hooks with splice eye from Defender   $55 each
• 1@ Samson splicing kit from Defender $43.

Total cost: Approximately $580.

Building the Lifelines

I watched the how-to-eye-splice video several times.  The trick, if there is one. is to figure out the ‘mobius loop lock’ that ensures your splice can’t slide out and that the fibers lay properly oriented.  

For each line, the fixed connection end requires no measuring.  I attached my lower lines to my gate posts using a ‘luggage tag’ loop with the line running through the eye splice I had created. The fixed side of the upper lines would be integral to the gate, so those I terminated with my four stainless thimbles: 

The other end of the line, that attaches to the turnbuckle or lashing is a bit trickier.  One wants the line to be just long enough so that the tensioner can be attached, but still have enough operable room to add tension.  

So just set your fixed point line and see how much rope you need, right?  Not that simple.  The challenge is that as you bury the line back into itself as part of your eye-splice, the exterior sleeve of the splice has to expand the weave of the rope, and so the line shortens overall.  To compensate for this factor, one needs to plan for his non-spliced loop to be longer than the desired end length.  

How much longer? I was targeting a 20” splice bury, and I found that the splice and the bury would shorten the line by about 2.5”-3”.  

This process is further complicated when you taper the line.  One wants to taper the buried line to help the fibers lay flat and for aesthetics.  It’s really easy to taper the line – you just pull out a few of the 12 strand bundles and snip them at staggered distances from the end of the line.  

But, (surprise!) now the tapered sheath portion of the splice is not as stretched out as it was with the full line and your line elongates as your splice moves out.

I had to take a number of splice mulligans (to mix terminology from two leisure sports.)  Eventually I got all of my lines to a satisfactory length and tension. 

The gates remained.   These were a bit different in that the short length of the line between the end points would not permit me to do a 20” bury at each end as the buried ends would overlap.  I did a modified eye splice with more interweaving of the buried end back and forth into the line.  

One might point out that pinning an eye-splice into a jaw-jaw turnbuckle leaves a tight bend radius on the line and could be a weak point for the line.  The Colligo guys say that a bend radius should be 5:1.  I think this means the radius of the thimble or terminator should be 5 times the diameter of the line.  Colligo sells lashing-style fittings that meet this 5:1 standard. 

Fair enough.  One can buy turnbuckle tensioning bolts that are designed to be spliced into , and they do not have anything like the same bend radius.  Truth be told I found these turnbuckles after I purchased and installed my jaw-jaw connectors.  If I were to do it over, I would buy these splice-end ones.

Another point is that the lines may suffer chafe.  The general argument for Dyneema is that it shows chafe readily by becoming fuzzy and thus with a minimum amount of inspection, chafe should be evident. 

Consider a back-of-the envelope scenario calculation.   

Suppose a sailor weighing 225 lbs slips on his foredeck and falls to the lifelines.  

The acceleration of his fall means his impact weight is much higher.  How much higher?  [Scientific Wild Arse Guess] – 10 times, so 2,250lbs hitting the lifeline structure.  

What happens?  

The load is transferred to the whole system, including the lines, connections, stanchion posts, stanchion feet, and pulpits.  There is some elasticity as the stanchion posts deflect (bend).  

What fails first?  Is it the spliced dyneema line rated at 8600 lbs?  Is it the turnbuckle rated at 4200 lbs?  Is it the single machine screw that holds the stanchion post into the stanchion base?  The bolts holding the stanchion base into the hull?  The welded stainless loops attached to the bow and stern pulpit? 

I think it is difficult to say in practice, though I am confident that the dyneema are an improvement over the existing rusting coated lines they have replaced.  

Finally, I would add that Defender has some CS Johnson Synthetic Lifeline-specific hardware kits you may want to check out to see if they suit your specific needs, as you design your system.  

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dyneema lifelines sailboat

Colligo Marine can customize synthetic lifelines for boats of any size! 

Colligo Marine Synthetic Lifelines

About our synthetic lifelines.

Colligo Marine ®  Dux Lifelines are the strongest and toughest synthetic lifelines available. If the lashings are changed every 2-3 years your lifelines will last at least 5-8 years in the tropics.  Colligo Marine can customize synthetic lifelines for boats of any size! Dyneema lifelines are approved for offshore use by the United States Sailing and the International Sailing Federation. Line is lighter and  easier on the hands (& sails) than wire! If your synthetic lifelines get damaged the weak points are visible and the line gets fuzzy. These lifelines are completely inspectable for your safety!

We use Dynice Dux SK-75  , which has similar material stretch to that of stainless steel. 5mm Dux has a breaking strength of 11,000 pounds. It is pre-stretched at elevated temperatures  to virtually eliminate constructional stretch. Other advantages include weight savings, DIY flexibility, and no corrosion!

See below for a great video on our Schock 35 Project boat!

Photo Gallery

Schock 35 project.

We have re-rigged a Schock 35! The Schock is a one design race boat and is a great boat to re-rig with synthetics as it is very tender.  Most sail the Schock 35 with 8 or more sailors on the rail!  Reefing a sail is recommended at 12 knots!  That being said, getting weight off the mast could help this boats performance greatly.   

The boat has an aluminum mast with rod rigging, tuff luff headsail foil, undersized synthetic running backs, a boom vang, and lifelines, which are rigged incorrectly and even dangerously.  A heavy and leaking hydraulic backstay adjuster and several other areas on the boat that are begging for improvements.  We outfitted this boat with Colligo hardware from stem to stern, including our new Extra Light Headsail Furling (ELHF) System, and use this opportunity to show the proper method of using low stretch and high strength synthetics to make things simpler and safer.  In addition, we will document the changes in weight.  

Schock 35 Project BEFORE and AFTER

The previous Dyneema lifelines were very poorly rigged. The entire lifeline system was replaced with 5mm Colligo Dux Lifelines with gates and 3mm lashing Dynice Dux. At the bow and stern a brummell splice with a 3 inch eye was luggage tagged to the bow and stern pulpits. At each end the line was then covered with PVC shrink tube. To create a gate, Infinite Dyneema Loops , a CSS70 Terminator® Fitting , and a CSS41 Standard Static Lashing Block was used. To keep the gates tensioned, a whoopee sling mechanism was implemented. This mechanism can be easily adjusted by unlatching the pelican hook and taking up any slack 

After: Lifeline Gates, WHat is a Whhopie Sling?

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Replacing Your Lifelines

Published by rigworks on april 8, 2016.

Question:  What are my options for replacing worn lifelines?

From the Rigger: There are more choices than ever when replacing worn lifelines…

Most lifelines are made of wire, usually uncoated 1×19 grade 316 stainless steel which is well suited for stationary applications such as lifelines. Diameters vary depending on the size of the boat. We generally use 1/8 ” wire for boats under 30’ and 3/16” for boats 30’ and longer, although there are exceptions (J-105s for example prefer 5/32”).  Of course, you can go heavier, but the extra weight can be prohibitive.

Boat owners are moving away from the vinyl covered 3/16” wire that has been the industry standard for years. In fact, the 2016 Safety Equipment Requirements no longer allow coated wire on coastal and ocean racing sailboats (there is a list of the 2016 racing SERs associated with lifelines at the end of this article). But if you don’t plan to race, you may still prefer the feel and appearance of coated wire. Vinyl coated wire’s primary advantage is that it is attractive and comfortable to handle. It can, however, discolor and crack over time, is susceptible to heat, and makes it difficult to inspect the wire underneath.

Synthetic lifelines made of low stretch Dyneema are becoming a popular alternative to wire. Dyneema, made of High Modulus Polyethylene (HMPE), is stronger and much lighter than steel. It is easy to install, can be spliced, doesn’t rust, and is easy to handle. Although it is more susceptible to chafing, chafe points can be protected with extra layers and/or tape. When converting from wire to Dyneema, be especially conscious of existing burrs on your stanchions, a common cause of chafing.  We recently installed Dyneema lifelines on a 38’ catamaran, and the customer was very happy with the results.

Regardless of whether you choose wire, coated wire, or Dyneema, we recommend that you always purchase high quality 316 grade fittings, including your turnbuckles, pelican hooks, gate eyes, toggle jaws, deck toggles, etc. We recommend Hayn, Johnson or Arco fittings which operate smoothly and withstand high loads.  We also suggest taping or pinning your fittings whenever possible. Sailors end up in the water as a result of fitting failures. Don’t scrimp here!

Your connections can be hand crimped, machine swaged, or spliced (in the case of Dyneema lines). Hand crimping is the least expensive “do-it-yourself” option but not our first choice. Hand crimping often leaves a bulky joint and can be susceptible to pulling free under load. We often see poorly/under-crimped connections which are definitely not safe. A proper swage is the strongest option.  Unlike hand-crimped connections that may simply break free, a tired swage connection will generally reveal hairline cracks prior to failing, giving you time to replace them. As for splicing those Dyneema lines, we do that here at Rigworks!

Finally, stanchions are often the weak link in your lifeline system. Tall and narrow, they are susceptible to bending, especially when used to catch the boat as you dock or to tie off sheets and halyards. Delamination and cracking at the base are also quite common. Use grade 316 stainless steel 1” diameter stanchions to reduce the likelihood of bending. Always check welds on bales and bases for rust which can be a telltale sign of cracking. Be sure that each stanchion is properly braced and bolted into a reinforced area of your deck and/or into a backing plate.

Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Stanchion height and placement, line spacing (both horizontally and vertically), tension, deflection, toerails, etc. all need to be carefully considered. For professional installation or to discuss your own lifelines, email us at [email protected] or call us at 619-223-3788. We always look forward to hearing from you!

If you race, please read on…

Here is a list of the 2016 Safety Equipment Requirements that apply to lifelines for both coastal and ocean racing. For full list of 2016 SERs, visit the US Sailing website at http://www.ussailing.org/safety/equipment-and-requirements/

• A boat’s stanchion and pulpit bases shall be within the working deck. Stanchions used with High Modulus Polyethylene (HMPE) shall have rounded openings to reduce chafe.
• Bow pulpits may be open, but the opening between the vertical portion of stanchion pulpit and any part of the boat shall not exceed 14.2″ (360mm).
• Lifelines may be either uncoated stainless steel wire or HMPE line with spliced terminations or terminals specifically intended for the purpose. A multipart-lashing segment not to exceed 4″ per end termination for the purpose of attaching lifelines to pulpits is allowed. Lifelines shall be taut (see below). When HMPE is used, the load-bearing portion (core) shall meet or exceed minimum diameter requirements.
• When a deflecting force of 9 lbs (40N) is applied to a lifeline midway between supports of an upper or single lifeline, the lifeline shall not deflect more than 2” (50mm). This measurement shall be taken at the widest span between supports that are aft of the mast.
• When a deflecting force of 9 lbs (40N) is applied midway between supports of an intermediate lifeline of all spans that are aft of the mast, deflection shall not exceed 5” (120mm) from a straight line between the stanchions.
• The maximum spacing between lifeline supports (e.g. stanchions and pulpits) shall be 87″ (2.2m).
• Boats under 30′ (9.14m) shall have at least one lifeline with 18″ (457mm) minimum height above deck, and a maximum vertical gap of 18″ (457mm). Taller heights will require a second lifeline. The minimum diameter shall be 1/8″ (3mm).
• Boats 30′ and over (9.14m) shall have at least two lifelines with 24″ (762mm) minimum height above deck, and a maximum vertical gap of 15″ (381mm). The minimum diameter will be 5/32″ (4mm) for boats to 43′ (13.1m) and 3/16″ (5mm) for boats over 43′ (13.1m).
• Toe rails shall be fitted around the foredeck from the base of the mast with a minimum height of 3/4″ (18mm) for boats under 30′ (9.14m) and 1″ (25mm) for boats over 30′. An additional installed lifeline that is 1-2″ (25-51mm) above the deck will satisfy this requirement for boats without toerails.
• Trimarans are exempted from the lifeline requirement where there is a trampoline outboard of the main hull, except that a lifeline must run from the top of a bow pulpit to the forward crossbeam at the outboard edge of the bow net or foredeck. Catamarans with trampoline nets between the hulls are exempted from the lifeline requirement. All catamarans are exempted from the need for pulpits and lifelines across the bow.

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Dyneema Abrasion Test

Influx of off-brand products prompts study..

As outlined in our previous report on lifelines, high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fiber rope has revolutionized sailboat rigging during the past decade (see Fiber lifeline Protection Plan , PS September 2015 online), however sailors arent the only ones benefitting from the introduction of this super-strong, low-stretch cordage. Virtually any application that once employed a stranded wire-rope-ranging from tow cables to hoists-is now also served by HMPE. The widespread availability of generic brands of this super-strong, low-stretch cordage made us curious. How do these non-marine brand products compare to known marine brands? And what types are best suited for the various sailboat applications?

Photos by Drew Frye

Dyneema, a popular brand of multi-strand HMPE rope made by the Dutch multinational DSM, is offered in a range of fiber types and weaves-from SK 99 down to SK 25, with the smaller number indicating lower density, lower strength fibers. DSM has factories in the U.S. as well as China, where a line of generic HMPE ropes-identified only by tensile strength (bearing neither the Dyneema name or SK number)-are made. Other name-brand HMPE products include Spectra by Honeywell, and Acera by Timm/Willhelmsen.

In this report, we will compare the characteristics of conventional Dyneema to that of heat-set Dyneema, which is stronger and stretches less than conventional Dyneema of the same dimension and weave. We will also compare generic HMPE to the Dyneema brand SK cordage.

In any assembled rope, stretch comes in two forms: construction stretch, when knots, splices, and the braids tightens under load; and fiber stretch, when the rope fibers elongate. During heat setting, the fibers are stretched and heated in a carefully regulated process, which effectively accelerates the construction stretch that normally occurs under load. New England Ropes STS (stronger than steel) is a heat-set Dyneema.

What We Tested

We limited our testing to New England Ropes Dyneema products (New England Ropes) and one generic HMPE (Dyneema) product marketed through Amazon as winch cable.

How We Tested

In the lab, testers compared strength by pulling to failure a short length of each rope sample with eye splices at each end. Abrasion resistance was tested using a 75-pound weight swinging like a pendulum and dragging the unprotected rope across a cinder block about 20 times per minute for 10 minutes (see photo).

Our breaking strength data was supplemented with observation from various Dyneema products used aboard our test sailboats.

Dyneema Lifelines

There is also an ongoing lifeline test. In 2012, we fitted a PS test boat with New England Ropes STS Dyneema lifelines for a long-term test. At present, the lifelines are showing no significant wear, nor do they reveal any indication that they’ve lost any significant strength. We plan to load test them in the future.

Shortly after the test began, after a few racing failures, World Sailing (then ISAF) restricted the use of Dyneema lifelines to inshore racing (Categories 4 and 5). Their concern was the lack of field data. Eventually, the risk factors were identified. Most commonly, stanchions that previously held bare wire cable had developed burrs at the edges.

In 2015 World Sailing once again allowed HMPE lifelines, though only for multihulls and near-shore racing (Categories 4 and 5). To combat chafe, World Sailing increased the specified diameters for smaller lines. Data collected so far suggests these lifelines will remain as strong as steel through a five- to eight-year lifespan, depending on use. The World Sailing specifications for sailing boat lifelines are available online at https://www.sailing.org/specialregs

Although World Sailing permits smaller diameter lines, we recommend a minimum of -inch Dyneema for the top lifeline. This guarantees a longer service life for just a few dollars more. The most important installation step-other than following splicing instructions-is to very carefully prepare the stanchion holes, removing all burrs and polishing with 1200 grit sandpaper. Chafe guards can also be inserted, made from 2-inch lengths of plastic tubing or nylon tubular webbing (see Fiber Protection Plan , PS September 2015).

Observations

New England Ropes STS (heat set Dyneema) is quite firm. It reminded us of the Amsteel cables used in our pull testing rig, which have seen hard use. New England Ropes HTS 78 and Endura 12 (conventional Dyneema) are a very supple line with the same braid as STS. Safeway Lines Tow Cable (generic Dyneema, aka HMPE) has a considerably looser weave and is slightly more prone to snagging. By the time of publication, we could no longer find this brand, although nearly identical products are offered under other brand names. All of the tested ropes spliced very easily.

Strength. Heat-set Dyneema has a slight advantage over normal Dyneema in initial strength, the result of the fibers and the molecules within them being better aligned. However, data from ropes suggest that this process also happens naturally under high load, and were inclined to believe that. We’ve see the changes that occur in highly loaded rigging and in cables that have been repeatedly loaded to high fractions of breaking strength on test stands; the rope becomes firm, like heat set, and stretch is reduced.

All of the products, including the generic HMPE tow cable, met the manufacturer specifications. The tow cable was the equivalent to SK 65 fiber.

Fatigue. The argument against heat setting is that it is just a carefully controlled, accelerated aging process. The rope is made stronger and less stretchy, but lifespan is curtailed. Manufacturers of heat-set rope emphasize that heat-set ropes are stronger and thus have an inherently longer fatigue life. We’ve found no third party data comparing heat set vs. conventional HMPE fatigue life.

As a practical matter, it probably doesn’t make much difference. Correctly sized ropes will fail from chafe or UV damage long before fatigue becomes an issue. Colligo performed a 10-year study of Dynice Dux (heat-set Dyneema) that showed a straight-line decay from full strength to half strength in eight years. Obviously, usage and climate has an effect, so the recommendation for cruisers in the tropics is for replacement in five to seven years-fine considering the overspecified sizes for Dux. However, at the rate that Dyneema loses strength, the only thing keeping up the mast at 15 years will be wishful thinking. If you have Dyneema standing rigging, respect the replacement schedule.

Abrasion. Several riggers told us heat set Dyneema was less abrasion resistant than conventional Dyneema when used with a turning block, tackle, or adjustable backstay. However, during the pendulum torture test, none of the samples showed any appreciable damage after being tested for an hour across wood. Not a fiber was out of place, implying that even cheap Dyneema has a very long service life if properly installed. Polyester double braid showed 10-20 percent chafe damage under the same conditions.

The cinder block, on the other hand, was highly damaging to all of the samples. In all cases, some of the strands were chafed more than 50 percent through, but no strand chafed completely through. The accompanying photos reflecting chafe can be misleading because the weave of the heat set Dyneema remains tight, while the looser weave of the generic cable show damage more readily.

However, when corrected for differences in fiber strength, there was relatively little difference in abrasion or strength loss between the heat-set Dyneema and the cheap tow cable. The tow cable was abraded a bit more, but it was SK 65 fiber versus SK 78. The looser weave may also have contributed to the additional chafe.

The other interesting result was the performance of polyester double braid. In previous research ( Abrasion and Break Testing , PS March 2015), Dyneema was much more durable in linear, push-pull testing than polyester, but in side-to-side testing over rough surfaces, the tightness of the braid is more important than the material. This is why polyester mooring bridles, such as Yales well-respected Maximoor, often outperform Dyneema pendants.

We like that HMPE is compact, strong, and low stretch, but it needs protection when dragged sideways across aggressive surfaces.

Conclusions

The best product depends on the job to be done. For standing rigging and other applications where minimal stretch and maximum strength are required, heat-set Dyneema from a reputable rope manufacture is the top choice. However, where flexibility and abrasion resistance are important-split backstays, lifelines, and low friction ring tackles, for example-conventional Dyneema will run much more smoothly.

Is there a difference in fatigue life? Were not sure. The heat set Dyneema does not like flexing around a pulley and the minimum recommended bend radius is greater.

The only clear advantage of heat set Dyneema is that when used for standing rigging, there is less construction stretch, making installation and rig tuning quicker and more predictable. In our experience, after a few months of hard use, regular Dyneema does seem to behave like heat set rope.

What about non-critical and low strain applications? The HMPE tow cable packs a lot of strength in a small space and offers a strength/dollar ratio that no other fiber can touch. On smaller boats Dyneema is nearly always over specified because the smaller sizes are just too difficult to handle. Dyneema is commonly used in low friction ring systems not because it is amazingly strong, but because it glides around turns so well.

We’ve also found many applications related to anchoring and mooring loops and pendants, where generic Dyneema delivers incredible strength in minimal space, and incredible durability if covered with a chafe guard. However, the difficulty in identifying the manufacturing source of some brands and confirm quality control keeps us skeptical. Although our field experience with generic HMPE rope has been very good to date, cost savings would be quickly erased by a failure in some critical application.

During the chafe testing, wear ranged from 20 to 50 percent of the original diameter, and breaking strength testing after chafe testing was generally proportional to the amount of damage.

None of the twisted strands comprising the woven rope chafed through completely. In the adjacent images, the weave was separated for closer inspection.

• The Endura 12-strand held 42 percent of its strength after chafe testing.
• Heat set New England Ropes STS held about 40 percent of its rated strength.
• The Safeway Tow Cable held about 38 percent of its rated strength.
• Compared to the damage caused by the cinder block (images 1-3), the wood-chafe was far less aggressive. The generic Safeway Tow Cable, is shown here after the wood test.
• Polyester double braid with a Maxijacket coating lasts longer than 12-plait Amsteel in side-by-side abrasion testing on the cinder block.

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Dyneema lifelines

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Adam, congrats on your project. What's the word on dyneema chafing through the stanchions?  

I have been thinking of doing this the next time I replace lifelines in a few years. How do you prevent chafe at the hole entry exit of the stachion? Does a difference in temp change the length. How abot attaching fenders to them? Keep us updated on this Dave  

We use dyneema around the cockpit, but be aware that if you're racing PIYA or ISAF sanctioned events, you cannot use dyneema where people are hiking. Also, where you connect wire to a pulpit, the length of the lashings cannot exceed 4". Can't quite recall the strength that the lashings are required to hold, but it's substantial. I'll look it up if anyone wants to know. For cruising, it doesn't matter and is all good. Just a heads up if it's relevant. Adam, it's certainly a great upgrade from your old covered lifelines! (Heat has no effect on length)  

If your splicing is causing wear, couldn't you just use bowline knots at the end? That Amsteel Blue is rated 5400lbs so with a bowline you have half the rating, 2700lbs, still sufficient I would think. If not go up a size to 1/4", 8400 lbs or 4200 with the knots. Guess the big question is will it hold a bowline, it's very slippery. How to avoid wear at the rope to stantion connection is another question.  

MarkSF, dyneema needs to be spliced. it's too slick for a bowline.  

I haven't even tried a bowline because of how slippery the line is. As for chafe at the stanchions holes, well, we'll see. The holes are a lot bigger than the line and rounded a bit at the orifices... I'll try to get a photo today. I'm disinclined to hang fenders off them. Currently my fenders are tied to the stanchion bases, which has its own attendant problems, but the "hairiness" of the line scares me a bit and I want to avoid avoidable chafe. As for racing rules, well, I have done very little racing. One of the reasons I did the upgrade now is because I'm thinking of entering a singlehanded race in a few weeks and I don't think my own lifelines would have passed inspection, as they were quite saggy with no room left at the turnbuckles to tighten them further. I'll post again as things change. My next step will be to reinstall the pelican hooks from the old lifelines so that the new lines can be unhooked under tension. This will also shorten up the lashings quite a bit, I think to 2-3 inches, which I'll feel better about.  

I used amsteel on my last boat ( about 4 yrs ago ) with CS Johnson splice line hardwear, Plan on doing the same on our current boat soon. You should get 4-5yrs out of it, maybe longer before you should replace it Looks great BTW  

I'm doing amsteel but haven't run the lines yet. I was thinking of using some tubing over the lines at that stanchons for chafe.  

Maybe use one of the tube flare jigs; take a piece of 1/4 x 1" copper tubing as a insert at each stanchion and flare the copper tubing on either side of the stanchion hole, that way you have a sleeve that won't come out, will move with the movement of the lifeline and ya won't have a sharp edge  

tap said: For where my lifelines go through the stanchions I have some clear plastic hose. The dyneema goes through the hose. Some tape is wrapped around the bit of hose on either side of the stanchion so it won't slide through anymore. Click to expand...

You could use electrical heatshrink over the dyneema where it passes through the stanchion.  

This looks interesting! Does the dyneema need to be covered at all? And, if you do cover it, does it last significantly longer? I see that the amsteel at west marine goes for $0.85 per foot. For a 32 foot boat with 2 levels of life lines, I would assume that one would need around 120 feet. Also, if you use the "zig-zag" pattern on the lower lifelines to keep stuff from rolling between the toerail and the bottom lines, would that chaff the dyneema too much? I have also noticed that this stuff comes in various colors; is one color better than another for fading/UV protection?  

Amsteel I've had Amsteel life lines on my boat for quite a few years (8?) and they are holding up well. Did mine very similar to yours. However I read not long ago on the Dyneema web site (I think) that they always recommend that the ends use thimbles since the line doesn't like making sharp bends. It weakens them quite a bit.  

It is an interesting idea but I doubt there will be sufficient strength after 5 or 6 years UV exposure. That is the area where stainless wins hands down.  

cheaper and stronger than wire though.  

Sharp bends: I read on the Colligo Marine sight someplace that this is the case for Dynex Dux but not so much for Dyneema. Dux is much stiffer. Heatshrink: Dyneema has a very low melting point, so I'd be hesitant to use heatshrink on it. Short lifespan: my plan was to set them up in such a way that they could be easily removed and stored. There are plenty of times when I go several weeks without sailing, so there's no reason the lifelines need to absorb UV that whole time. Furthermore, at $70 for the whole boat it's less than half the price of the raw materials for steel, which is supposed to be replaced every ten years (i.e. twice the expected lifespan of dyneema), and which requires professional labor. From a purely financial standpoint it's a no-brainer. I've heard that there's some research which says that after the initial exposure, Dyneema becomes opaque to UV and so the 5 year rule is a conservative estimate. I'm still perfectly happy to replace mine in 5 years barring more support for this theory, but it's good to keep in mind.  

Adam Where do you get the 10 year lifespan of stainless from? A local rigger in Victoria figures 15 to 17 years for stainless standing rigging in our climate. The stainless is washed by rain on a regular (too regular?) basis. The same rigger recommends 7 year replacement of wire rigging in tropical waters. Heatshrink can be put of without too much heat and if done carefully I see no problem with it. You are not looking for a waterproof bond as with wiring connections, just a snug fit for chafe protection.  

From what I've read, one should not cover them. This allows one to see any cuts or areas of significant chafe. Most racing regulations, ISFA special offshore, PIYA, etc. now allow dyneema lifelines. Some race boats, like the Melges 24, come from the factory with them and so a decent amount of data is building up about how well they do. Rules typically require one to use single braid uncovered line. Ends must be spliced. The final join can be done with a lashing and typically the length of the lashing must be limited to 4" or less. AdamLein is right about the low melting point. Head shrink and dyneema don't belong together. UHMWPE line is excellent it most attributes, chafe resistance, UV resistance, strength, but melting point is one place where it's weak. My tube over the lifeline works very well. You can slit the tube to install it after the lifelines are already in place as the tape holds it together. It allows you to inspect the lifeline at the stanchion while an opaque covering wouldn't. Anything attached to the lifeline tends to get pulled out of position. The tubing isn't attached to the lifeline, the line slides through it, so it stays in position. 3/16 dyneema will rip the pulpits off your boat. You could go up to 1/4 or 5/16 and it would still be lighter and cheaper to install than steel. Even if UV degradation cuts that strength in half after five years (and data suggests it's not anywhere near that significant) the line is still stronger than steel and still strong enough to rip the pulpits and stanchions off the boat. But talk about line strength ignores the reality of how lines fail. It's not because they aren't strong enough. It's because some weak point in the system fails. For steel, it's usually been rust. In the wire where it enters the swaged fittings. Hidden under a plastic cover (plastic coated steel isn't allowed for racing anymore). Inside the center of an uncovered line, so it wasn't visible to inspection. In a poorly swaged fitting that looked fine but pulled out at a fraction of what the line's breaking strength should have been.  

I've noticed some sailors simply go oversize (1/4" and even 5/16"). The strength allowence will then forgive a lot of UV and chafe. 3/16 5,400# 1/4 8,600# 5/16 13,700# 3/16" seems to be cutting it thin, IMHO. Slide 10 of this study show the UV effect; 65% after 2 years, and then nearly flat. I would guess that the UV only penetrates so deeply, so the diameter of the rope matters, and they were testing 30,000# rope. I'm guessing 50% strength after 2 years is closer for 5/16" Amsteel. http://www.samsonrope.com/site_files/High_Performance_Synthetic_Ropest.pdf There is also discussion that after many cycles of heavy work the line can lose ~ 40% of it's strength, and then the loss basically stops. That being the case, 5/16" Amsteel would last 4-6 years at greater than 5,000# strength ... unless there is visable chafe or some other reasoning. Of course, the SS wire strength requirement has in it anallowance for wear and tear, based upon expereince. I suspect 3,000 pounds is realistic for a well-used (not corroded) SS lifeline. So 1/4" should be good for 4-6 years and 5/6" for 6-10 years. Hard to say. Real-world long-term testing has a lot of variables and is too expensive. Lacking dating tags, I can see why a race commitee would reject 3/16" Amsteel.  

mitiempo, 10 years is the round number that I read very often for SS rigging. If it lasts longer in the PNW, well, we get less UV here as well, so I would expect dyneema to also last longer. Basically I'm assuming that the lifespan of dyneema is half that of SS wherever you go, so in my head I just double what I'm paying for the dyneema. I was considering going up in size on my dyneema lifelines to 1/4", but I wanted to be sure that I could install and remove the lines with the splices in them. Probably it would still work with 1/4", so when I next replace the lines I'll probably use 1/4". I am already up 50% in diameter (116% BL) from the minimum required for a 27-ft boat, which is 1/8". The PDF linked above shows that the strength approaches 60% with exposure to sun over time, which means I'm still above the minimum requirement when I replace them after five years. Edit: dating tags.... what do you think would be a way to do that in such a way as to satisfy a race committee?  

recommendations Check this out for recommendations from Colligo Marine. http://www.colligomarine.com/docs/respecttherope/RTRDyn1.pdf  

Interesting reading on the Colligo site. Dynex definitely makes more sense than regular dyneema or amsteel. And bigger being better makes a lot of sense as well. Question- why would you want smaller diameter lifelines on a smaller boat? If their purpose is to stop someone from breaking them when falling I think the minimum should be the same for most boats. 1/8" stainless seems weak to me on a 27' boat. I will be replacing the lifelines on my CS27' with 3/16" bare stainless.  

I dunno why you would go small with lifelines. My goals were as follows: 1) Have lifelines that I could respect. 2) Have lifelines that passed a race committee inspection. 3) DIY/low cost.  

Why not use leather chaffing gear at each stanchion. No heat require and if pre-punched easy to sew on. Use to use them on bronze life lines when I was in the Navy.  

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Dyneema lifelines

• Thread starter sigsgmret
• Start date Jan 13, 2021
• Catalina Owner Forums
• Mid-Size Boats

I want to replace the lifelines on my C22. However, Catalina Direct currently has a moratorium on vinyl covered lifelines. You can buy the uncovered, which I don’t want. I got to thinking about using Dyneema rope as it is nearly as strong as steel, has very low stretch, low weight and supposedly easy to splice. Just wondering if anyone has done this or knows someone who has.  

You can also buy the slit plastic covering to put over the bare wire. Mostly used on shrouds to protect sails.  

Richard19068

Google: splice lifelines Or search these forums for the same thing.  

+1 @Richard19068 - search this site for Dyneema lifelines May I ask what you have against bare (non-vinyl lifelines). Considering you're in salt water too, it would natural to be concerned with the state of your lines under that plastic. I have the original vinyl ones on my 20-yr old boat, and am careful about leaning against them. In areas where you plan to lean (cockpit or hiking out), you can buy some canvas covered line cushions which are very back-friendly. Standard disclaimer with Dyneema lifelines - watch the stanchion holes for chafe areas. While Dyneema has incredible tensile strength, it sucks on abrasion resistance.  

Dyneema works great for lifelines. It is strong, but does deteriorate quicker than bare stainless steel lifelines. It will take some care installing them. You will need to clean up all metal parts used with dyneema. Stanchions can have edges that contribute to chafe. Chafe weakens your dyneema.  

Project_Mayhem

Does lighter colored Dyneema look dirty after a while? Steel is virtually maintenance free in that regard  

Project_Mayhem said: Does lighter colored Dyneema look dirty Click to expand

Dynemma life lines is on my project list for this spring. Need to start putting together a list of hardware and @jssailem has been helping me to learn the finer aspects of splicing dyneema.  

Thanks for the reply, it's good to know that there is a lot of interest in doing the conversion. Also, I am very familiar with Barnegat Bay, I moved to Pensacola in 2008 from Toms River. Mostly to escape the snow.  

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Peter Dansie loses second appeal against conviction for the murder of wife Helen

A man who was found guilty of murdering his disabled wife by pushing her wheelchair into a pond has lost a second appeal against his conviction.

Peter Rex Dansie, 75, was sentenced to life in prison for killing his wife, Helen , who drowned in a pond in Adelaide's southern parklands in April 2017, in what the sentencing judge called "ultimate evil" and a "despicable act of domestic violence".

Following a trial by judge alone, Dansie was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 25 year non-parole period in 2020.

During the trial, prosecutors alleged Dansie murdered his wife because he regarded her as a financial burden, and had developed an interest in pursuing a sexual relationship with another woman in China.

Mrs Dansie, a former microbiologist, suffered a stroke in the 1990s that left her with long-term disabilities.

She was on an indexed pension for life, a large portion of which Dansie was entitled to as her full-time carer, the Supreme Court was told at the time.

Dansie denied that he pushed his wife into the pond deliberately, and argued that he had attempted to do all he thought he could to save her from drowning.

The court rejected his claim, describing Mrs Dansie's murder as "evil and despicable" and the "ultimate act of domestic violence" .

Dansie 'deliberately' pushed wheelchair into pond

Dansie originally had an appeal against his conviction rejected in South Australia's Court of Appeal in 2020.

But he took his fight to the High Court two years later which unanimously found the appeal court misapplied the law, granting him a rehearing.

In the Court of Appeal on Thursday, Chief Justice Chris Kourakis, Justice David Bleby and Justice Sophie David unanimously dismissed Dansie's appeal and ordered that his conviction and sentence stand.

"Following our independent review of all the evidence … we are satisfied the evidence was sufficient in nature and quality to eliminate any reasonable doubt that the appellant was guilty of the offence of murder," the judgement said.

"We are satisfied as a result of our own assessment of the whole of the evidence adduced at trial that the only rational inference available on the evidence was that the appellant deliberately pushed the wheelchair into the pond with an intention to kill his wife."

Dansie's son — Grant Dansie — spoke outside court, and said the outcome was a "big relief" and that he finally felt that justice had been served.

"It has been seven years and it's been back and forth and mistrials, and appeals courts and the High Court, so we're really, really happy to get it over and done with," he said.

"We finally feel justice has been served after so many years."

He paid tribute to his mother outside court as a "beautiful" and "kind" woman.

"Mum was fantastic … and everybody liked her," he said. 

"The person I am today is because of Mum, because she was always there and stood up for me and looked after me and led me to become a good person like herself."

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DIY Install: Dyneema Synthetic Lifelines on a Sailboat

by Rachel | Nov 26, 2022 | Affiliate Article , Boat Projects & Improvements , Mosaic Voyage Blog | 10 comments

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a small commission if you purchase items through the links in this post. All recommendations are genuine. We would absolutely purchase and use ourselves any and all items that we recommend on this blog. Now, on to the good stuff.

Click-to-Buy Supply List for your DIY Dyneema Lifeline Installation:

• Splicing Fids
• 1/4″ Dyneema (or whatever size best fits through your stanchions)
• 1/8″ Dyneema for lashing
• Steel Thimbles
• Gate Hooks: Pelican Hooks or Quick Release Snaps

How To DIY Install Dyneema Lifelines on a Sailboat

Back in April 2019, we decided to replace our original standard cable lifelines with Dyneema synthetic lifelines. I had already done several projects that helped me learn how to splice Dyneema line. ( This is the set of splicing fids that I use ! It works great!) This project seemed like it would be a good option for us and fairly easy to apply. 

In updating this post in November of 2022, we can report that our Dyneema lifelines have held up spectacularly over the past 3 1/2 years. We’ve cruised from the Pacific Northwest in the Puget Sound down the west coast of the USA and into Mexico aboard our sailboat . 

Step-by-Step Instructions for Splicing and Installing Dyneema Lifelines

On our boat, we have a mid-section of our lifelines that is stainless steel tubing so I needed to just replace the gate section on each side. Plus a longer section toward the bow on each side. I used 1/4-inch Dyneema for this project.

You will likely have a different arrangement on your boat so the project will merit some critical thinking and careful planning. But, that said, if you’ve got the desire, I assure you this is a project that you can absolutely tackle yourself. Contact me if you’d like to brainstorm ideas for installing Dyneema lifelines on your boat!

Measuring for the Dyneema You’ll Need

Our gate section, mirrored on each side, is 7-feet long and a straight shot (no stanchions or obstructions from start to finish). The forward section of lifeline is 13.5 feet long and has a stanchion that the line has to pass through. Of course, you’ll need extra length on each end of every section for making your splices. On my project, I calculated that I needed a total length of about 108 feet. I wanted to give myself some extra room, so I purchased 120 feet of Dyneema .

For the gate pieces, I calculated that I needed 13″ (bury) + 10″ (splice loop on one end) + 84″ (7-foot stretch) + 5″ (splice loop on thimble side) + 13″ (bury) = 125″ which is about 10 1/2 feet. So I need 4 lengths of that measurement as we have 2 lifeline gates on each side of the boat. That’s a total of 42 feet.

For the forward pieces, I calculated that I needed: 13″ (bury) + 10″ (splice loop on cow hitch side) + 162″ (13.5-foot stretch) + 5″ (splice loop on thimble side) + 13″ (bury) = 197″ which is about 16 1/2 feet. Again, times 4 = 66 feet.

Making and Installing Dyneema Lifelines with Stanchion

I spoke with several “seasoned” sailors about the project and had my plan in place. To start, I would just need to splice a locking eye-splice into one end of the Dyneema line. I would cow hitch that around the stanchion or through the attachment point like below.

Then, after threading the line through the stanchion, I would make another eye splice and insert a thimble . The thimble will protect the lifeline from chafe. I passed a smaller diameter piece of Dyneema through that thimble several times to tension the lifeline and lash it in place.

So, before doing anything else, I measured the distances again to double-check. For the forward section, I confirmed 13.5 feet. Then I made my first splice. For the eye splice, I would need a bury length of 12.5 inches, which I rounded up to 13″. On the cow hitch end, which I was doing first, I wanted an inside loop of about 10 inches.

**I’ll drop a link at the bottom of this post to the YouTube video I used for making my Dyneema Brummel locking eye splice using only one end of the line.

Here’s the first splice.

From that point, I needed to go up to and start working on-site. First, I detached the old lifelines and cut them off with a cable cutter to remove them from through the stanchion.

Once I had removed the old lifeline, I cleaned up the connection points. Then I attached the new lifeline to the forward stanchion with a cow hitch knot. For the bottom lifeline, I wrapped the line all the way around the stanchion and used the connection point as a guide.

For the top, I just cow-hitched it through the attachment point.

Then, I passed them through the stanchion, measuring to where I wanted the splice and thimble to be. I wanted it a good 6-8 inches from the attachment point on the other end to give plenty of room to stretch the lifeline tight before lashing. Remember to give yourself the extra room for the splice and bury.

Here you can see the 13″ marked on the line at the end for the bury, and the 5-inch section marked for the eye splice and thimble .

Once measured, go ahead and make your splice and insert the thimble .

From that point, you need to prepare your lashing. For mine, I used a smaller Dyneema line that I already had here at the boat: 1/8-inch Dyneema .

First, attach one end of the lashing line to the lifeline at the thimble with a double figure 8 knot. See below.

First, tie a loose figure 8 knot in your line, near one end.

Next, pass the tail through the thimble and then retrace the figure 8 knot backward through the knot.

Then, carefully tighten this up as much as you can.

Now you’re ready to do your lashing. Wrap it around at least twice and pull it as tight as you can get it. When it is tight, finish the lashing with a bunch of half hitches.

That wrapped up the first of the forward sections of Dyneema lifelines on our sailboat.

Doing the gate sections was a little different. I didn’t need to worry about a stanchion in the middle but I did need to figure out how I was going to tension it. That could be with a lashing or could be integral to the clasp, depending on what type of clasp you use.

Installing Synthetic Dyneema Lifeline Gates

Measuring for my gates was a little more complicated because I was trying to get them to be the correct length to be tight without using a lashing section as a tensioner. Instead, I used the adjustability of the screw section of my ‘pelican hook’ gate hooks to be able to shorten or lengthen the run.

The pelican hooks I used were the existing ones ( like these ) from the previous set of lifeline gates. (Hey, ya gotta save money anywhere you can when outfitting a cruising boat!) The problem I had was that I needed an eye bolt or some other way to cow hitch on the Dyneema lifeline gate. Here are two options that I found online which I think would work well: pelican hook or quick-release .

Thankfully, rather than buying new pelican hooks, I was able to get some assistance from my stepdad. We worked out a plan for him to weld some eye bolts onto the existing threaded piece.

So, I started out by making an eye splice on one end of each of the four pieces of Dyneema that I was going to use for my gates. Be very careful at this step to make sure to do your calculations correctly. Don’t cut your pieces too short!

My gates are 7 feet long, so for each piece, I made my first eye splice. Then I measured out 7 feet from the end of the splice loop, plus an extra 5 inches for the loop and plus another 13 inches for the splice bury. I added just a few extra inches on each piece so I wouldn’t be short.

From there, I went up top and cow hitched those sections on and pulled them tight to mark where I would need the middle of the other end’s eye splice to lay.

Above, I have the section pulled nice and tight so that I could try to see where I wanted the middle of that eye splice to lay.

However! That is not truly where you want the center to be because you need to account for a few extra inches that will be taken up in the process of the cow hitch to attach it to the pelican hook.

Above, my left index finger is pointing right to where the line actually bent back when I passed the line through the loop in the pelican hook. The bend in the line above, about an extra 2 inches, is where I decided I wanted the actual center of the next eye splice to lie.

Once noted, I went back down below and made my next splices. I gave myself 4 inches on each side of that center mark for the length of the splice loop. Remember your extra 13 inches needed to bury the tail of the splice.

Once that was done, it was simply a matter of heading back up top and attaching the first section to the attachment point. I slipped the splice through the loop on the pelican hook and looped the splice loop back over the pelican hook. This allowed me to bring it back around into a cow hitch on the pelican hook side.

Then, it was just a matter of adjusting the length of the screw/threaded section to ensure a nice snug fit of the gate.

Note: the Dyneema lifelines will stretch out a bit over time (unless you get pre-stretched Dyneema). In just a couple days, I had to go back and tighten the lashings up and adjust the pelican hook settings to keep the lines as tight as we want them. So pay attention to that when planning your lifelines. You will need enough room in them to go back and make them tighter later on.

Overall, I am SUPER happy with how these look and how they turned out. They look so much better than our old rusty cable lifelines and I trust the strength of the Dyneema.

Do you have questions on the process at all? Are you ready to replace your old cable lifelines with synthetic Dyneema !? If I can do it, so can you! Give it a go!! Feel free to shoot me a comment or a message on Facebook or Instagram and I would be happy to help if I can!

Cheers!   ~Rachel

*Here’s a link to a YouTube video for the splice I used: Dyneema Brummel Lock-Splice with One Side Fixed

*And here’s a link to a YouTube video for the whole project: DIY Dyneema Lifelines by Tula’s Endless Summer

*We’re not associated with either of these videos in any way.

<Top Secret> Whatever you do, don’t click here <Top Secret>

10 Comments

How’s the project going? 🙂 ~Rachel

Hi Neil! We used 1/4″ Dyneema as that is the diameter that the cable lifelines were previously. Hope that helps! 🙂 ~Rachel

Thanks ! I will change them this weekend, can’t see anymore my old rusty lifeline 😅

What size Dyneema did you use?

Thanks! I’m glad you found the post useful. We’re still very happy with our lifelines and haven’t had any issues with chafe or anything at all. Have had to tighten them once or twice as they stretched out a bit, but no big deal there. 🙂 Thanks! ~Rachel

Great explanation, thank you! Are you still happy with your lifelines, would you do anything differently given the chance? Have you had any problems with chafe?

Are you going to make the conversion?

Great, Thanks!

You’re welcome! Hope it helps if you decide to make the switch. We still love ours! 🙂 Let me know if you have questions. Happy to help. ~Rachel

Nice explanation of each step including pictures. Thank you.

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Moscow Boat Tour

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Description

See all the gems of historical and cultural center of the capital in short time and without traffic jams or tiresome walking.

Depending on the itinerary and duration of the Moscow River boat trip, the tour can be 3 or 5 hours.

Highlights of the tour

• St Basil’s Cathedral;
• Stalin skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya (Tinkers) embankment;
• The Kremlin;
• “House on the Embankment” Stalin skyscraper;
• Monument to Peter I;
• The Central House of Artists;
• Christ the Savior Cathedral;
• Gorky Park;
• Moscow State University;
• Russian Academy of Sciences;
• Luzhniki stadium;
• Novodevichy Monastery;
• Kiev railway station;
• Europe Square;
• Moscow City Hall;
• Government House;
• Expocentre Exhibition Complex;
• and other famous sights.

You will learn about the different epochs of the city from the foundation in 1147 till Soviet times of 20 th  century.

Moscow River

Moskva river has the form of a snake and is the main waterway of Moscow, consisting of a cascade of reservoirs. Within the city, Moskva river is 80 km long, 120 m - 200 m wide and up to 14 m deep. The narrowest part of the river is the Kremlin area in the city center, and the most extensive is around the Luzhniki Stadium in the south. 

Bridges in Moscow

Undoubtedly, bridges and embankments are among the most scenic spots and main attractions of Moscow. Plus, they are so romantic.

• Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge –  Great Stone Bridge –  is the main bridge of Moscow . The first stone bridge was constructed here in the 17th century.
• Patriarshy Bridge  is one of the youngest pedestrian bridges, built in 2004. The bridge connects the iconic Christ the Saviour Cathedral with funky Bersenevskaya embankment, extremely popular place among locals for its trendy art galleries, cafes and panoramic views. Patriarshy Bridge used to be a shooting location for ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's New Year speech to the nation.
• Borodinsky Bridge,  erected in honor of the 100th anniversary of the glorious victory in the Battle of Borodino (which every Russian kid knows about), a fierce legendary battle during the Russo-French war of 1812.
• Bagration Bridge  one of the  pedestrian bridges with most picturesque views of the Moskva River with its numerous upper-level observation platforms. The bridge was erected to celebrate the 850th anniversary of Moscow city in 1997.
• Krymsky Bridge  used to be in Top 5 Europe’s longest bridges some 100 years ago. The bridge got its name after the ancient Krymsky ford which Crimean Tartars used to invade Moscow in the 16 th  century.

Embankments of Moscow

Moscow river boats 37 embankments, the most popular being Kremlevskaya, Sofiyskaya, Pushkinskaya, Vorobyovskaya and Kolomenskaya.

You can get the most spectacular views of the Kremlin from  Kremlevskaya and Sofiyskaya embankments.

• Pushkinkaya embankment  is the most romantic in Moscow. It meanders along Gorky Park and Neskuchnyi garden and is rich for all kinds of entertainment as well as cozy nooks, including Olivkovy beach, the famous Zeleny theater as well as a pier for river cruisers.
• Vorobyevskaya embankment  is part of Sparrow Hills nature reserve. This place opens a beautiful panorama of the river and city from the observation deck and is considered to be the place for taking serious decisions in life.
• Embankment in Kolomenskoye  Museum-Reserve has a special charm due to its peculiar geographical relief. The boat trip around Kolomenskoye would be the most peaceful in your life.
• Taras Shevchenko embankment  is popular among photographers for its modern Moscow City skyscrapers. Highly recommended for your night boat trip.
• Embankments of Moscow are the pride of the capital. A distinctive feature of each of the promenades is its architecture and beautiful views. In addition, almost all the embankments of Moscow have a rich history and a lot of notable buildings.

Different epochs

Taking a walk along the Moskva River by boat, you will witness the architecture of Moscow from different eras and styles. Archaeological studies indicate that already in the XI century there stood a fortified settlement on Borovitsky hill, which is now called the Kremlin. Little fortress could not accommodate all the residents of the rapidly growing city, and the Grand Duke ordered the construction of a new Kremlin, larger than the former.

Boat trip around Kolomenskoe Park

Moscow river boat trip starts from the pier Klenovy (Maple) Boulevard and provides reat views of Nicholas Perervinsky monastery.

Nicholas Perervinsky monastery was founded at the time of the Battle of Kulikov (1380). The monastery, got its name from the surrounding area – “Pererva”, which can be translated like “tear off” and because of the location –  here it abruptly changed its course, turning to Kolomna, standing on the opposite bank.

Nowadays Kolomenskoye is State Art, Historical, Architectural and Natural Landscape Museum-Reserve, which doors are open to everyone who wants to get in touch with the ancient history of Russia.

Take a break from the big city hustle in the shady parks and gardens of the Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve. Don’t miss a wonderful Church of the Ascension and Tsar Alexey’s Palace in Kolomenskoye!

Monasteries and temples

• Novospassky Monastery
• Founded in the 13th century on the site where now is located the Danilovsky monastery. After a few decades, in 1330, Ivan Kalita moved the monastery onto the Borovitskii hill of the Kremlin. However, in the 15th century, Spassky Monastery again moved, this time to a more spacious place on Krasnoholmskaya waterfront.
• Church of St. Nicholas in Zayaitskom
• Erected in the middle of the XVIII century in baroque style. The building survived after the 1812 fire, but the utensils were destoyed. Parishioners collected donations and restored the temple on their own. In Soviet times, it was closed and re-opened only in 1992.
• Cathedral of Christ the Savior
• The church was originally erected in honor of the victory over Napoleon and was being under construction for long 44 years. Notoriously demolished in 1937 to be a giant swimming pool under open sky. The current building was constructed in 1990s. It is the tallest and one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world.
• The temple was built in 1679-82, during the reign of Tsar Fedor Alekseevich, in late Muscovite Baroque style and can be characterized as bonfire temple. Each gable is a symbol of a heavenly fire.
• Novodevichy Convent
• The most famous concent and monastery in Moscow, presumably founded in 1524. Novodevichy’s status has always been high among other monasteries, it was in this monastery where the women of the royal blood, the wives of Tsars and local rulers of Moscow were kept in prison as nuns.
• St. Andrew’s church  (male acts as Compound Patriarch of Moscow)
• St. Andrew’s church stands right on the slopes of the Sparrow Hills, on the way down to the Moskva River, on the territory of the Nature Reserve “Sparrow Hills”. The monastery is small in size but is very cozy. It’s situated in a quiet courtyard surrounded by temples, fruit trees and flowers.

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow river cruise.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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This mega-city is running out of water. What will 22 million people do when the taps run dry?

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When Reina Cervantes Trejo heard the truck, gears grinding as it climbed the street to her house, she rushed outside.

“Thanks to our good Lord!” she said. “The water has finally arrived!”

Cervantes and her husband hurried to help the driver, Fredy Romero, as he yanked hoses from the truck to fill up a cistern and a hodgepodge of plastic buckets, pails and kitchen pots the couple had assembled on their patio.

The taps had dried up weeks ago, and Cervantes’ daughter had been calling the city nearly every day, pleading for the water trucks to come to their working-class neighborhood in the city’s south.

Cervantes desperately needed the water to bathe her father, who recently turned 100, and keep his clothes clean.

“I don’t like to see my father looking dirty and uncomfortable,” said Cervantes, 68. “He doesn’t deserve that, especially at his age. It is no way to live.”

Water shortages are becoming a way of life in cities across the globe — Los Angeles; Cape Town, South Africa; Jakarta, Indonesia; and many more — as climate change worsens and authorities often pipe in water from ever-more-distant sources.

“Water sources are depleted around the world,” said Victoria Beard, a professor of city and regional planning at Cornell University. “Every year, more cities will face ‘Day Zero,’ with no water in their piped systems.”

Mexico City — founded by the Aztecs on an island amid lakes, with a rainy season that brought torrents and flooding — might have been an exception. For decades, the focus has been getting rid of water, not capturing it.

But a grim convergence of factors — including runaway growth, official indifference, faulty infrastructure, rising temperatures and reduced rainfall — have left this mega-city at a tipping point after years of mostly unheeded warnings. Distant reservoirs and underground wells are drying up as leaders belatedly confront an existential dilemma.

“The water shortage has really intensified this year,” said Claudia Rojas Serna, a hydraulic engineer at the capital’s Autonomous Metropolitan University. “What we are going through now is as bad as we have seen.”

Now the ubiquitous water tankers are a lifeline as the 22 million people in this metropolitan area wait for rain and a little relief.

The jacarandas are in bloom across Mexico City, their blueish-purple flowers almost mocking in the stifling, polluted air of the dry season. Amid the season’s shortages, officials have resorted to rationing. Millions now have only intermittent service — sometimes an hour or week or less of running water, residents say.

The wealthy can buy water from private suppliers. But that’s not an option for most residents. For them, it takes a predawn scramble to reach sign-up sites to get their names on handwritten lists for the tanker trucks, known as pipas , or pipes.

“Without water, what do we do?” said Alejandra Rodríguez, 53, noting that a recent tanker was the first to arrive in almost two months at her Tlalpan housing complex, home to four families. “When I saw that the water truck was finally coming, I jumped for joy.”

In a national election year, the water crisis has taken on a decidedly political cast, as protesters demanding water regularly block streets and highways.

Claudia Sheinbaum, a Berkeley-educated scientist who is the ruling-party candidate for president, boasts of having improved Mexico City’s besieged water department as mayor from 2018 to 2023. But the opposition has dared her to publicly drink the water brought by tanker trucks, which the city says is potable.

Most residents say they drink only bottled water because they don’t trust city water, whether it comes from trucks or taps in their homes. And, they add, with the current shortages, many have been forced to rely on the expensive bottled water for washing as well, recycling it later to flush toilets. Critics of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Sheinbaum’s mentor, warn ominously of a dry future.

“We are at the edge of the precipice,” José Luis Luege Tamargo, a former national water commission director now affiliated with the opposition, told a radio interviewer. “We are going to find ourselves in a situation that we won’t be able to respond to.”

Allies of the left-wing president dismiss such talk as alarmist propaganda.

“There is no Day Zero, that’s a falsehood, fake news from the conservative opposition,” Mexico City Mayor Martí Batres, a member of the ruling Morena party, told reporters last month. “The service of drinkable water in Mexico City is guaranteed in the short, medium and long term.”

Scientists say a Day Zero anytime soon is unlikely. Even if persistent drought dries up the reservoirs outside town, the city still has reserves in its shrinking underground aquifer system, with hopes that coming rains will replace some of the year’s losses and stave off disaster. But no one one disputes that Mexico City’s water shortfall is getting worse.

The deficiency, experts say, stems from structural and climate issues that transcend politics.

Last year was among Mexico City’s hottest and driest on record. Scientists cite El Niño conditions linked to climate change. Drought and evaporation have left the far-flung Cutzamala reservoir system — which supplies Mexico City and environs with about one-third of its water — at less than 40% of capacity, almost half of historic levels at this time of year. Authorities began curbing distributions last year.

And massive leaks in Mexico City’s crumbling, 8,000-mile-long pipeline grid, regularly damaged in seismic shifts, further drain reserves. An extraordinary 30% to 40% of the water pumped into the aging system is lost to leaks and another culprit — illicit connections. Lawmakers have vowed to crack down on what they say is a growing number of individuals and gangs tapping illegally into water ducts.

“We cannot allow huachicoleo ,” Mayor Batres told reporters in January, using a term normally reserved for clandestine siphoning of gasoline from pipelines.

But many are desperate, as the water tankers — most holding about 2,600 gallons — quickly run out as they make their rounds to scorched colonias such as the outlying precincts in the Iztapalapa district, home to almost 2 million people.

“There was no water left for us,” said Jerónimo Gómez Cruz, 79, who steadied himself with a cane as he forlornly watched a water truck climb past his home on a dirt street.

Drivers are required to adhere to an official, compiled list of addresses of people who have waited for days or weeks.

“People blame us for the lack of water, but it’s not our fault,” said Moisés Pérez Medina, 27, maneuvering a water truck in Iztapalapa and deftly wielding hoses as his companion for the day, his 5-year-old son, Giovanny, watched proudly. “I’m from here, Iztapalapa, and am just trying to help people and make a living for my family.”

The Aztecs are sometimes referred to as the hydraulic wizards of Mesoamerica.

The Indigenous founders of Tenochtitlan , now Mexico City, built their capital on an island amid a series of lakes, a strategic setting that provided both security and access to water. They crafted a virtuoso matrix of canals, dikes, navigation channels, causeways, aqueducts and floating vegetable gardens ( chinampas ) — all in a mountain valley almost a mile and a half above sea level where rain, while often torrential, lasts only a few months.

Although they constructed sophisticated water systems, the Mexica, as the Aztecs were known, hedged their bets. After all, they inhabited a precarious cosmos where the prospect of drought menaced entire civilizations. Among the Aztecs’ most revered divinities — and the beneficiary of human sacrifices — was Tláloc, the god of rain.

But Spanish invaders obliterated the Aztec capital in the 16th century, smashing dikes and other Indigenous hydraulic works. Thus began a protracted process of draining lakes and waterways to transform the glittering island city into a European-like capital planted on terra firma.

As the city expanded, under both Spanish and Mexican rule, engineers wrestled with a vexing question: how to curb the often-catastrophic floods that regularly inundated the city, typically between May and October. Much of the post-Aztec water infrastructure was focused on finding ways to expel, not save, water.

Rainy season downpours still flood streets and highways each year, sending water cascading into subway tunnels.

“All of the great hydraulic works of this city have been designed to get the water out to avoiding flooding,” said Luege, the former national water commissioner. “The paradox is that we are going to be left without water.”

When it was inaugurated in 1900, the Great Drainage Canal of the Valley of Mexico, three centuries in the making, was considered an epochal engineering feat. The canal still carries sewage, mixed with rainwater, away from the city on a malodorous, 29-mile course.

“There has been a lack of strategy, not only in the last five years, but in the last 150 years or more,” said Eric Morales, a hydrologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. “Since the beginning, little thought has been given to separating rainwater from sewage.”

Mexico City still gets about 70% of its water from wells reaching deeper and deeper into a sprawling underground aquifer network. But centuries of unchecked development have depleted the subterranean bounty. Rain falling on urban expanses is channeled into drainage conduits, squandered.

1. People navigate the flooded streets of downtown Mexico City in July 1950. 2. People wade along a downtown Mexico City street in July 1950. (Courtesy of Museum Archive of Photography, Mexico City)

“Cities are basically nonporous environments,” said Beard, the Cornell professor. “Areas that need to be recharging the water table are smothered in cement and concrete.”

And, on the mountains flanking Mexico City, deforestation — a product of haphazard development and clandestine logging — is exacerbating the loss. The tree root pathways that curb soil erosion and help capture rain and snowmelt are being ripped out.

“The aquifer is being over-exploited,” Morales said. “We are taking out twice as much each year as can be recharged.”

As the aquifer loses water, Mexico City sinks — as much as 15 to 20 inches a year in some areas — in a process known as subsidence.

As vast quantities of water are extracted, the ground can often no longer hold the weight of the urban sprawl above, resulting in buckling streets, sudden sinkholes and the famously crooked appearance of some of downtown Mexico City’s most stately buildings — including the National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Palace of Bellas Artes.

The neighborhood around the Angel of Independence statue along the elegant Paseo de la Reforma sank so much that authorities had to add more steps just to reach the base of the monument.

Meanwhile academics, politicians and others regularly propose monumental, multibillion-dollar projects to preserve Mexico City’s water — to patch the pipeline leaks and build new systems to harvest and recycle rain — while also advocating managed growth, conservation and the expansion of green areas.

“If we were able to appropriate all the water, there would be no water crisis in Mexico City,” said David Barkin, an economist at Autonomous Metropolitan University. “This could be a green city.”

Bu t Barkin said that would mean “a tremendous urban redesign. It would require massive urban reorientation of people — and huge investments.”

President López Obrador brushes off talk of a water crisis. He speaks confidently of fixing the leaks and drilling new wells in distant locales and laying down pipelines at ever-greater distances.

“We understand very well the situation of the water in the city,” the president told reporters recently. “We are taking care of it.”

In the contemporary, helter-skelter sweep of Mexico City, there is one place — in the southern borough of Xochimilco — where a vision of a watery, pre-Columbian capital may still be imagined. Here, residents travel via boat and oar along miles of tree-lined canals, transporting flowers, vegetables and other products harvested on the artificial islands known as chinampas that were a mainstay of Aztec agriculture. Pelicans and ducks float alongside farmers’ boats and the colorful trajineras that transport tourists.

But even in this incongruously pastoral setting, shortages cast a shadow. Studies show that Xochimilco’s canals are shrinking and heavily contaminated.

“When I first came here, the water was crystal clear,” said Fortunato Dionisio, 48, who has planted on chinampas for three decades and was recently hauling a load of ornamental plants to market. “Now it’s very dirty and the level of the canals is much lower.”

A few miles away, in the Xochimilco village of Santa Cruz Acalpixca — known in Aztec times as “the place where canoes are watched over” — most homes lack plumbing. Residents draw on a public well, powered with an electric pump. Some still use burros to lug water from the well uphill to the village.

“I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years, and it has kept me healthy,” said Ana María Sandoval, 53, as she embarked on the climb with four 5¼-gallon containers of well water lashed to her donkey, Pancho.

She guided Pancho up a treacherous final stretch leading to her home, stopping to offer him water.

In recent years, Sandoval said, she has seen ever-larger numbers of users tapping into the well. Some fill up huge containers and load them in pickups, driving off to sell them. She worries it will run dry someday.

“People suffer a lot for water here,” Sandoval said. “But the problem in Mexico City is not the water. We have plenty of water. The problem is that so much water is lost, wasted. There’s a lot of greed. That is the real pity.”

She grasped Pancho’s lead rope in one hand and a wooden staff (and burro motivator) in her other. She continued along the dirt road, lined by cactus and brush, passed occasionally by motorbikes and battered Volkswagen Beetles, the water carried on Pancho’s sides sloshing as the burro trudged home.

Special correspondents Cecilia Sánchez Vidal and Liliana Nieto del Río contributed to this report.

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Foreign correspondent Patrick J. McDonnell is the Los Angeles Times Mexico City bureau chief and previously headed Times bureaus in Beirut, Buenos Aires and Baghdad. A native of the Bronx, McDonnell is a graduate of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and was a Nieman fellow at Harvard.

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