Dirt and salt can cause premature wear. Frequently wash line and running rigging with fresh water. For a through cleaning you can through your lines into the washing machine, using either cold or warm water. Some people add a little fabric softener to make them soft but don’t do it. Just rinse well and hang to dry.

Abrasion and sharp edges are a lines worst enemy. Check your mast head, exit slots, blocks, stays, or any surfaces the line may run against to make sure that there are no burrs or sharp edges. All cotter pins, split rings and turnbuckles should be taped.

Sheave Diameter - As a rule of thumb, the diameter of any sheave should be at least 8 times the diameter of the line (for 3/8” line, use a 3” sheave). The sheave groove should be a gentle curve, not a “V” or a double groove (as used with wire rigging). The groove should be approximately 10% wider than the rope.

Eliminating Twist - Wrapping line around winches and cleats puts a tremendous amount of twist into line. Twist makes line hard to handle and more prone to kinking or worse, jamming in blocks. Twist wears the line faster and reduce its strength. Trail your line behind the boat and let halyards hang free at both ends to eliminate twist.