PVC Protective Rope Sleeve – Anti-Chafe Cover (sizes 6.5×28×91 mm, 9×30×86 mm, 15×54×120 mm)

This PVC rope protector addresses one of the most common issues in mooring and anchoring: rope chafing. A line that continually works over the edge of a dock cleat, through a metal chock, or across a boat’s rail during towing can eventually chafe through or weaken from friction. Instead of frequently replacing expensive ropes, you can use these protective sleeves at the critical points. The protector is placed exactly at the contact zone – for example, where a mooring line rubs on the boat’s gunwale or the dock’s edge, or where an anchor rode passes through the bow chock. The PVC cover, with its smooth rounded surface, takes all the abrasion and wears down instead of your rope. And when the cover is worn, you simply replace it – far cheaper and easier than replacing an entire line.

Sizes & Design: There are three sizes of protectors available to cover different rope thicknesses and scenarios: the smallest (6.5×28×91 mm) fits thin lines (~6–8 mm diameter) – typical of small boat sheets or light mooring lines. The medium (9×30×86 mm) suits ropes ~8–10 mm – common dock lines for mid-sized yachts, anchor warps for boats ~5–7 m, etc. The largest protector (15×54×120 mm) is for ropes ~12–15 mm – heavy docklines for larger vessels or towing hawsers. The dimensions are given as thickness × width × length of the protector; for example, 15×54×120 means the sleeve is 120 mm (12 cm) long and covers a surface 54 mm wide, intended for about 15 mm rope. These correspond to the rope diameters listed under code 03305.

The protectors are flexible yet semi-rigid – stiff enough to shield the rope, but with some flex to bend around curves of a hull or fitting. Some models feature a longitudinal slit (split sleeve) that allows installation on an already rigged rope: you simply open the protector like a clam and clamp it around the rope at the desired spot (it can be secured with tape, cable ties, or even a bit of whipping twine). Other models are a solid tube – with those, you need to slide the protector on from the rope’s end or during splicing/knotting the line, which is a bit more effort but gives 360° coverage with no seam.

Usage: Position the protector just ahead of the high-chafe point: for example, if a line passes through a fairlead, the protector should be placed such that it’s the one contacting the fairlead’s edges, not the rope itself. On dock lines, you might put one protector near the boat (at the toerail where the line rubs) and, if needed, another at the dock edge (if the line chafes there too). For anchor rodes, especially if you use an all-rope rode through a bow chock (without a roller), a protector around the bow eye or chock will safeguard the rope as the boat sways on wind and waves. When towing, if a rope runs over a transom or through a chock, placing a sleeve there will prevent it from sawing into the boat’s gelcoat or into the rope itself.

Advantages: Using chafe guards greatly increases the lifespan of your lines. Instead of having your ropes worn through at contact points after one season, they remain almost intact, with the inexpensive plastic guard taking the beating. This is especially valuable for costly double-braid lines – by periodically replacing small protectors, you can extend the safe service life of the ropes by years. Additionally, the sleeves reduce the risk of sudden breakage – often a rope fails exactly where it has been chafing. By protecting these spots, the rope retains its full strength.