Chafe Guards

Chafe Guards: Covers, Spiral Wraps and Leather Kits for Mooring and Running Lines

Chafe happens where a line rubs a fairlead, chock, cleat edge or sheave while the boat moves, and it cuts the cover first. A chafe guard sits between the line and that surface so the wear lands on the guard instead of the rope. This collection covers three ways to do it: a polyester protection cover, a spiral wrap that goes around the line, and a leather kit sized to the mooring line. The choice comes down to the diameter of your line and where it rubs.

Chafe Guard Families in This Collection

• Premium Ropes protection covers: heavy-duty polyester covers in black, listed by cover diameter — 16 mm (5/8 in), 20 mm (13/16 in), 26 mm (1 in), 34 mm (1 3/8 in), 44 mm (1 3/4 in) and 56 mm. Our listing describes them as protection for ropes at high-abrasion points that guards the rope from UV and chafing. Start with the 16 mm or the 34 mm. The same six sizes also have their own page, Premium Ropes chafe guards.
• Spiroll chafe guards and rope protectors: spiral guards that wrap around the line, in black or high-visibility orange. The chafe guards come for lines up to 5/8 in. (sold as a pair) and for lines of 3/4 in. to 1 in. (orange or black). The rope protectors are listed for lines of 1/2 in. and greater, in black or orange.
• Sea-Dog leather mooring line chafe kits: leather wraps sized to the mooring line — 3/8 in. and 7/16 in., 1/2 in., 5/8 in. and 3/4 in.. Our listing for the 1/2 in. kit says it protects the line against dock cleat friction and installs without removing the line.

The Premium Ropes figure is the diameter of the cover itself, not a rated line size. The listing does not say which line diameter each cover fits, so check the product page before you order.

Which Type Fits Where the Line Rubs

• Cover (Premium Ropes): a heavy-duty polyester cover for ropes at high-abrasion points, sold by cover diameter in six steps from 16 to 56 mm.
• Spiral wrap (Spiroll): wraps around the line, and the listings describe it as easy to install. It is made for dock, anchor and rigging lines, and the orange version is listed as high visibility.
• Leather kit (Sea-Dog): made for dock and mooring lines running through a chock or over a cleat, in five line sizes from 3/8 in. to 3/4 in.

Sizing the Guard to the Line

Measure the diameter of the line first. For Spiroll, pick the size listed for your line: up to 5/8 in., 3/4 in. to 1 in., or the 1/2 in.-and-greater rope protector. Those ranges overlap, so a 5/8 in. or 3/4 in. line can fit more than one listing; check the product page and choose the guard that matches the line at the point where it rubs. For Sea-Dog, take the kit that matches the mooring line diameter exactly: 3/8 in. and 7/16 in. share one kit, and 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 in. each have their own. Our guide on when to replace running rigging shows what chafe looks like on a cover.

A Guard Protects a Healthy Line

A guard is for stopping chafe, not for repairing it. In a double-braid line the cover carries a share of the load, so a spot chafed through to the core is a loss of strength, not only cosmetic damage. If you already see the core, follow the replace-or-cut-back advice in the guide above and fit the guard to the new line, at the point that caused the damage.

Who It's For

Owners whose dock lines run through chocks and over cleats, and anyone whose halyard, sheet or control line rubs at a fixed point. Racing foils have their own pieces: see the Harken Carbo Racing Foil chafe guards (units 0, 1 and 2). For the rope itself, browse the sailboat lines and ropes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which chafe guard do I need for a dock line?
Measure the line, then match the diameter. A leather Sea-Dog kit comes in 3/8 in. and 7/16 in., 1/2 in., 5/8 in. and 3/4 in.; Spiroll covers lines up to 5/8 in., 3/4 in. to 1 in. and 1/2 in. and greater. Put the guard where the line passes the chock or cleat.

What is the difference between a Spiroll chafe guard and a rope protector?
Both wrap around the line and come in black or orange. The listings differ in the line sizes they name: the chafe guards for lines up to 5/8 in. and for 3/4 in. to 1 in., the rope protectors for lines 1/2 in. and greater. Because the ranges overlap, choose from the diameter of your line.

What size Premium Ropes protection cover should I buy?
They come in 16, 20, 26, 34, 44 and 56 mm. That is the diameter of the cover, so compare it with your line on the product page. The cover is heavy-duty polyester in black.

Are leather chafe kits better than spiral guards?
They are made for different jobs. The Sea-Dog kit is built for mooring lines and dock cleats, while Spiroll guards are described for dock, anchor and rigging lines. The better one is the one sized to your line at the point where it rubs.

Can a chafe guard fix a line that is already worn?
No. If the cover is worn through and the core shows, the line has lost strength; see how to know when to replace your running rigging, then fit the guard to the new line.

Related reading from our How-To Guides

• How to Know When to Replace Your Running Rigging