VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Another newbie question...

I discovered one of my front lines is frayed, with all the grey bits broken as well as one white strand ... meaning about half way through. I'm assuming this is now too sketchy to use and has to be replaced.

Wow, turns out new lines aren't cheap ... $150-180 for a set (Ocean Rodeo). And from what I can tell, you have to buy 4.

First question ... I could tie a knot above and below the fray, and then shorten the other lines. I have heard this knot weakens the line substantially. Is this a definite no-no, or is this something commonly done as a stop-gap?

Second question ... if you replace 4 lines for one frayed, and you did this yearly, that leaves a lot of old servicable lines sitting around, maybe more than you can use. Kind of like replacing your booties annually, you eventually stop collecting them after you have 5 backup pairs. So, anyone have a single grey 21m line they want to sell or donate? I figure it can't hurt to ask...does not seem unreasonable to trade beerz for old lines.

If your line is frayed near the end you can re-sleeve it http://www.windwizard.com/knots.html If it is frayed further out you can replace it or cut it & re-sleeve the 2 ends together & adjust your other lines to match ... Think like a sailor & use google I use the outer casing of 1/8 " line about 10" long to sleeve kite line.

Thanks JL ... as a newbie to this, my first question was more about "is this even a stupid thing to consider?". Appears from your response it isn't,at least not in your case. I'm assuming you've done this successfully, with the repaired line at least strong enough to be consider safe and useable.

I'll be interested to hear if others agree. I'm betting some people will say "don't take a chance", while some see it as a manageable risk.

You can cut out the worn bit ( anywhere in the line ) and then braid them back together with this kit : http://www.fixmykite.com/proddetail.asp?prod=microhook

Your repaired line will be ~12 inches shorter, so at the bar end, use the leader extender in the kit to make up that 12 inches.

I would also suggest swapping the front lines with the steering lines, just make sure you check the line lengths are all equal with the trim at full power, as OR owner's manual explains.

Might as well stock up with a few other common repair items to spread the shipping cost around a bit, maybe some Kite Aid for bladder patching, a good length of 1/4-inch Amsteel blue to replace your trim line, some leader line to replace the lengths on your rise bridle that the pulleys run over,...

Great video

Here is a kit for fixing the end of your lines when they fray: http://www.fixmykite.com/proddetail.asp ... ssleevekit

I asked the guy at the kite repair shop if he knew how to fix one of these and he replied... (wait for it)... "I'm a frayed knot"

Just spend the cash. You are new as you say and around the Island most places you can launch are not a waste deep lagoon with beaches that stretch for miles. If your gear fails here you may get dragged out to sea or be forced to climb some sharp boldery cliff or some other undesirable scenario. The least damage I could see if your home spun repair fails is you save 180 bucks and destroy your kite, the worst is ....well much worse.

If the ends are frayed just sleeve it & tie it: http://www.q-powerline.com/ click on enter then how to tie the right knot. (it doesn't have to be 'Q' once it's sleeved !)

Yes you definately need to retire that line and if you just replace one line with either a new one or used chances are it will not be the same length as others due to different stretching. My advice is two fold. If you have friends that have been around for a bit more than likely they will have lenghts of Q-Power line and you can custom build the line to the exact length you need. Otherwise I would say buy a new set and replace all of them....nothing worse than lifting off or coming in to land and blow a steering line. Thats my two bits anyways.