MacGregorSailors.com

The WM catalogue online has two separate listings for AmSteel Dyneema single-braid line.

One spreadsheet listing, with all the sizes,several different colors, and prices, is described as AmSteel Dyneema-Blue.
You can get it red, black, gray, green, and blue.

Then another entirely different listing, similar spreadsheet with sizes, colors and prices is only described as AmSteel Dyneema single-braid.
NO mention of 'Blue" in the name.
It is offered in red, black, gray, and green, but not blue.

West Marine telephone answering rep. was clueless, as to differences, and tried to explain they were the same.

Samson Rope in WA phone answering rep. at their 7Am says that BLUE is an improved line, and has greater strength, as is noted in the specifications in West Marine's listings. I will have to call again later to catch an engineer to tell me if-and-which line has greater abrasion resistance.

I'm researching Amsteel as well - for the trailer winch.
Appears that "Blue" references a less slippery coating.

Here's a suppliers Catalog cut:
http://www.paynesmarine.com/documents/C ... rdware.pdf

page 518 or search in your acrobat reader on "amsteel"

I saw Amsteel Blue at west marine and the line color was actually gray. Go figure. Super strong stuff. I believe the breaking strength on 1/4" line was something like 6,000 lbs (4 times standard line.) It doesn't have an outer shell, however, which would concern me in using it for any kind of running rigging. May be a great replacement for standing rigging though, especially with our trailerable boats, being able to avoid kinks in the cable shrouds and much easier to bundle up.

There must be ways to attach the ends for standing rigging. Knots reduce the strength of any line by half or more, at the knot, where rope usually fails. How would you attach the AmSteel Dyneema line to the mast hounds and adjusters ?

Otherwise it is intrigueing to consiser replacing the stainless steel cable for standing rigging, with AmSteel line. Probably would not do well for a regular forestay with sail clips scraping it constantly, and I can't see it replacing the internal forestay of the roller-furler. Even for the stays, it doesn't seem right.

By using an eye-splice and thimble, the breaking strength will remain at 95-100% of original.

~Rich