Once again, it was fantastic to head back up to Port Stephens for the Women Who Sail Australia Gathering on the Bay. This event has become a real highlight in the calendar — a few days packed with learning, shared experiences, and plenty of practical conversations about life on the water.

This year I was invited back to speak for the 10th Anniversary, and my session focused on: rope selection and the different types of rope we use on boats. It’s one of those topics that comes up constantly — What rope should I use here? Why does this one feel different? Do I really need Dyneema® for that? — and it was great to be able to break it down in a relaxed, and have the discussion with a great room full of Women keen to learn more. I try to do a different topic each year to mix it up a little.

The room was full of sailors with a huge range of experience, from those just starting to rig their own boats through to women who’ve spent years offshore both cruising and racing. That mix always leads to the best questions and discussions, and it’s exactly why these gatherings work so well.

I talked through:

• common rope constructions and fibres
• how to match rope choice to the job (rather than just what’s already onboard)
• why stretch, cover grip, and handling matter just as much as strength
• and a few real‑world examples of where the “wrong” rope can make life harder than it needs to be

There’s no single “best” rope — it’s about choosing the right construction and fibre for the job and the way you use your boat.

A resource I often point people to is the LIROS rope catalogue, which includes a really clear guide to rope types, constructions and typical onboard applications. It’s a great reference whether you’re refitting a whole boat or just trying to work out what to replace one line with, and it helps take a lot of the guesswork out of matching rope choice to purpose rather than habit.

As always, the conversation didn’t stop when the talk finished. There were plenty of follow‑up questions, hands‑on rope inspections thanks to the Boat Show Display I took up, and good chats over the time I was there — which is really what these events are all about.

I’m always grateful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learnt through DeckHardware and through time on the water, and even more grateful for the community that Women Who Sail Australia continues to build year after year.