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8-Plait Multifilament: Lightweight Floating Polypropylene Rope
8-Plait Multifilament is a floating polypropylene rope manufactured by English Braids in Malvern, Worcestershire from European stabilised polypropylene yarns in an 8-strand construction. The specific gravity of 0.91 is below the density of water, meaning the rope floats on the surface and remains visible and recoverable in marine environments. The European stabilised polypropylene provides improved UV resistance compared to standard polypropylene grades, extending service life in permanent outdoor and marine installations. The construction is soft, flexible and easy to handle for light-duty applications including dinghy control lines, fender lines, floating safety lines and general marine lashing and tying. Extension at 50% breaking load is 19%; extension at break is 25%. Heat resistance is ~150°C. 8-Plait Multifilament is stocked in six colourways (white, red, blue, black, yellow and orange) across seven diameters from 2mm to 10mm.
- Floating safety and rescue lines
- Dinghy fender lines and deck lashing
- Dinghy control lines for light use
- Marine lashing and tying
- Buoyancy and throw line applications
- General purpose marine and utility rope
- Cable pulling guide lines
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Technical Overview
| 8-strand polypropylene construction, floats on water |
| European stabilised polypropylene for improved UV resistance |
| Lightweight and soft to handle |
| Flexible for easy knotting and general use |
| Six colourways for immediate visual identification |
| Available from 2mm to 10mm |
What Is 8-Plait Multifilament and Why Does It Float?
8-Plait Multifilament is an 8-strand polypropylene rope manufactured by English Braids using European stabilised polypropylene yarns. Polypropylene has a specific gravity of 0.91, which is below the density of water at 1.0, meaning the rope floats on the surface rather than sinking. This is a fundamental material property rather than a treatment or coating, so the buoyancy is permanent and does not degrade with repeated immersion or UV exposure. For marine applications where a dropped or deployed line must remain visible and recoverable from the water surface, a floating rope is the correct specification. The European stabilised polypropylene used in 8-Plait Multifilament provides improved resistance to UV degradation compared to standard polypropylene grades, extending service life in outdoor marine environments where continuous solar exposure would otherwise cause fibre degradation and loss of strength over time. Extension at 50% breaking load is 19% and extension at break is 25%, making this a relatively elastic construction appropriate for light-duty lashing, tying and general-purpose floating line applications rather than load-bearing or low-stretch rigging.
English Braids manufactures 8-Plait Multifilament at its facility in Malvern, Worcestershire as part of the polypropylene rope range. The construction is light, flexible and soft to handle, and knots cleanly without the stiffness of heavier constructions. It is stocked in six colourways (white, red, blue, black, yellow and orange) across seven diameters from 2mm to 10mm, making it suitable for colour-coded identification across safety, rescue and marine applications within the dinghy rope range and beyond.
8-Plait Multifilament Applications: Dinghy, Safety and General Marine Use
In the dinghy sailing context, 8-Plait Multifilament is used primarily for fender lines, deck lashing and light control lines where the floating property prevents lines from fouling the keel or rudder if they enter the water. The 2mm to 6mm diameter range suits chandlers and club stores supplying general-purpose floating line alongside their specialist dinghy rope range. For safety and rescue applications, the rope’s positive buoyancy and high-visibility colourways make it appropriate for throw lines and floating safety lines in club and rescue situations. For more demanding dinghy control line applications where low extension is the primary requirement, English Braids’ pre-stretched polyester constructions within the dinghy rope range are the correct alternative.
Breaking loads from English Braids’ internal datasheets: 50kg at 2mm, 130kg at 3mm, 275kg at 4mm, 440kg at 5mm, 560kg at 6mm, 1,060kg at 8mm and 1,400kg at 10mm. These figures position 8-Plait Multifilament as a light-duty utility construction rather than a structural or load-bearing rope. For the full English Braids polypropylene offering see the polypropylene rope range.
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