Lesson Objectives

• Materials used in making rope • Use, selection and care • How to store rope • About rope/line hardware • Useful • How to secure the boat’s line

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 1 Seamanship • Art of handling & working all kinds of fiber, synthetic & wire rope • Includes • Knotting, splicing, worming, parceling, serving & fancy work • What to a landlubber is - ROPE • To a seaman is - LINE

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 2 Type of Line

• Natural • Manila, Sisal • Shrink when wet and rot when dry • Weaker size for size than synthetics

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 3 Type of Line (cont’d)

• Synthetics • Nylon • Strongest size for size of synthetic • Stretches most, resists chafing • Does not shrink when wet • Good for dock lines, towing and anchoring

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 4 Line

• Natural fiber • Manila, Sisal, Hemp, Jute, Cotton, Flax • Synthetic • Nylon, Polyester (Dacron), Polypropylene • Wire Rope • Steel strands

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 5 Natural Fiber Line

• Best is Manila • Has strength, durability & minimal stretch • Sisal is cheaper, but inferior • Disadvantages • Shrink when wet • Rot if stowed wet • Size for size, weaker than synthetic

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 6 Synthetic Line

• General - good wet/dry strength, resists water, mildew & rot • Nylon - strongest, resists chafe, has most stretch, good for anchor and mooring

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 7 Synthetic Line (cont’d)

• Polyester - costs more than nylon, easier & smoother to handle, use anytime, no stretch • Polypropylene - floats, costs less, deteriorates in sunlight, hard, slips on cleats, cuts

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 8 Manufacture of Line

• Laid • Right laid • Left laid • Braided • Single braided • Double braided

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 9 Kinds of Rope

Braid

Twist

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 10 Composition of Right Laid Line fibers strands yams

rope

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 11 Double Braided Line

core

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 12 Wire Rope

• Maximum STRENGTH • Minimum STRETCH • Used mostly on sailboats for standing and running rigging • Used on davits

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 13 Yachting Ropes

WEIGHT AND STRENGTH COMPARISON SIZE NYLON DACRON MANILA Diameter (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) (lbs) weight Breaking Weight Breaking Weight Breaking Per 100ft Strength Per 100ft Strength Per 100 ft. Strength

1/4” 1.7 1,750 2.2 1,300 2.0 600 3/8” 3.5 3,200 4.5 2,850 4.0 1,350 1/2” 6.6 6,600 7.6 4,900 6.1 2,650 5/8” 10.5 10,200 12.4 7,800 13.1 4,400 3/4” 15.0 13,500 19.3 10,780 16.3 5,400 7/8” 20.5 18,500 23.5 14,000 22.0 7,700 1” 27.0 24,000 31.3 17,500 26.5 9,000 1-1/8” 34.5 32,000 40.4 23,500 35.2 12,000

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 14 “Ends” of Line

• Ends need to be protected from fraying & unlaying • Ends can be • Whipped with thread/small stuff • Taped with waterproof tape • Dipped in plastic liquid • Melted with heat/flame

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 15 Temporary Whipped

start finish Pull & cut

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 16 Making Up Lines

• Faking • Laying out line in figure eights so it is free to run without tangles • Flemishing • Neat, ornamental way to store line on deck • • Proper way to put line away in a locker or compartment

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 17 Faked Lines

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 18 Flemish Lines

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 19 Coiled Lines

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 20 Losing Strength in Rope

No knots or splices 100 Anchor or Fisherman’s bend 76 70-65 knots Round 70-65 Two Half-hitches 70-65 60 60 or Weaver’s 55 Square or 45 95-90 splices Long splice 87 Short splice 85 Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 21 Parts of a Line

Overhand Working Loop End Underhand Loop

Standing Bitter Part End

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 22 Round Turn

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 23 Basic Mariner’s Knots & Bends • Figure 8 • Square Knot • Clove Hitch • Sheet of Becket Bend • Anchor Bend • Timber Hitch • Bowline • Half Hitches • Rolling Hitch

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 24 Figure 8

• The • It can be untied after being jammed • Used on all lines on sailboat except spinnaker sheets

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 25 Square Knot

• Reef Knot - Alternate name • Used to secure reefed sail to boom • Fasten two lines of equal size • Difficult to untie if jammed • To tie • Right over left, then • Left over right

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 26 Clove Hitch

• Used to tie line to piling • Knot will jam under load • Difficult to untie if load cannot be relieved

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 27 Sheet Bend

• Becket Bend - alternate name • Ties two equal sized lines together • Easy to untie after heavy strain

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 28 Two Half Hitches

• Used to tie a line to a Ring, Piling, Post or Grommet • Easier to untie under tension and more permanent than a clove hitch

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 29 Round Turn with 2 Half Hitches • To tie a line permanently to a piling

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 30 Anchor or Fisherman’s Bend

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 31 The Bowline

• To make a temporary loop • The rabbit comes up through the hole • Around the tree • Then back down into the hole

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 32 Bowline

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 33 The Bowline

• The King of Knots • Easy to untie • Tie Jib sheets to Clew of Jib • Tie lines to fittings • Tie lines of equal or unequal size together • Tie a rode to an anchor

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 34 Timber Hitch

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 35 Rolling Hitch

Around again, cross over first turn passing between the first turn and the standing part of its own line Around once Tie a

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 36 Cleats and Chocks

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 37 Mooring Cleat

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 38 Belaying to a Cleat

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 39 Jam Cleat

Working End Standing Part

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 40 Lark’s Head

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 41 Cam Cleat

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 42 Chock

• Used to protect boat and line

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 43 Securing Cleats

• Use “through bolts” and backing block

Deck

Backing Block

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 44 Securing Lines

Bow Bitts

Samson Post

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 45 Dipping the Eye

• Other boat’s eye on piling • Your eye can be removed or put on without disturbing the other boat’s line

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 46 Turnbuckle

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 47 Blocks

• On a vessel, pulleys are called blocks shackle Outer Strap Cheek Inner Strap

Sheaves Pin Shell

Becket

Thimble

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 48 Double Sheave Block

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 49 Thimble

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 50

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 51 Special Lines

• Lead Line • Measures Depth of Water • Weighted with a lead weight • (Hollow end for bottom sample)

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 52 Dock Lines

• Stern line • Bow line • Breast line • Spring line

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 53 Dock Lines

• Spring line

• Bow/Stern lines

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 54 Fenders

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 55 Special Lines

• Wire to Rope Lines • Used in Halyards on Sailboats • Dipping the Eye • Used to place one line under the other on a piling

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 56 Boathook

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 57 Summary

• Natural fiber vs. Synthetic line • Laid vs. Braided line • Coiling, Faking, Flemishing • Knots, Bends, Hitches • Splices • Securing lines • Dipping the Line

Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc 58