It may be fixed to some part of the vessel or spars, or even tied to the end of a rope. The third step was laying the three or four strands out parallel to their full length. At one end of the walk these strands were attached to a laying machine. This was basically a cart from which the strands, attached at one end, were twisted into rope as it moved down the walk. In America, a group of Bostonians solicited English ropemaker John Harrison to establish a ropewalk in 1641 near where the South Station is today. The first crops of hemp were grown in Salem, Massachusetts in 1640 and taxes at the time could be paid with hemp.

Six Years Sailing on a Classic Boat

HOLDING-ON. The act of pulling back and retaining any quantity of rope, acquired by the effort of a capstern, or tackle; also the end of a stopper, nipper, &c. FUTTOCK-PLATE. A narrow plate of iron, having a dead-eye bound in the upper end. An eye is made in the lower end, which is put through a mortise in the sides of the top, to hook the futtock-shroud to. FOXES. Twisted rope-yarns; used for making of rope bands, &c.

Knowing The Ropes

Nettles, used for hammock clews, and where very neat stops are required, are made by laying up two or three yarns in a taut twist with the thumb and fingers, and then rubbing it down smooth. Ratline Stuffis three-stranded, right-handed small stuff of 24, 21, 18, 15 or 12 threads. Each strand has a hemp heart, and the rope itself has a heart usually of the same material; this adds greatly to its pliability. Four-stranded rope is now but little used except for lifts, preventer-parrels, Jacob’s ladders and rigging laniards.

BUOY ROPES. One end is unstranded for one yard in length, stopped with rope-yarn, and one of the nine smaller strands taken out of each of the three larger strands, which are then laid together again. If a single buoy rope be knotted after the knot is made, make a bend at one end, and attach a tackle to it, and make fast the other end; then bowse upon the tackle, and close the knot as before. JIB-HORSES hang under the jib-boom, and are knotted at certain distances, to prevent the men’s feet slipping. TRAVERSE-HORSES are of rope, or iron, for sails to travel on, &c.

Standing rigging is placed under tension to keep the various spars securely in position. Stay – a rope that doesn’t move, part of the standing rigging, usually located in the fore-aft plane of the vessel. The structure and strength of rope is based on the principle of opposing twists. Tiny barbs on the individual fibers help hold the thread together. The threads are formed into strands with a twist in one direction and the strands formed into rope by a twist in the opposite direction.

If weight saving is a major issue aboard your boat, note that many of the high-tech ropes available are core dependent, and the cover can be stripped off. On the majority of cruising boats, however, the effect would be negligible. The price of sail boat rope varies depending on its materials, length, covering, and brand. These ropes can cost as little as $2, but can also cost as much as $1500. The most expensive rope doesn’t necessarily mean better quality but it would be wise to steer clear of any price that seems too good to be true.

The noose made at the breast of a block, to make fast the standing part of a fall-to, is also called a becket. HITCHES. CLOVE-HITCH is two half-hitches, one at the back of the other, made by the ratlings round the shrouds, and by buoy ropes round anchors. Take the end of a rope, or fall of a tackle, round the back of a tackle-hook, and jamb it underneath the standing part.

Wire halyards are a thing of the past now, particularly when rope can cope with almost the same loads for its size, with few of the drawbacks. A Dyneema pennant can be a size or two smaller than the standard braidline item, yet will be just as strong and will stay tight once set up. Although the resulting rope’s performance is streets ahead of its braid-on-braid equivalent, it is prone to chafe and is more likely to slip around the core.

High quality polyester line double braided with grip fiber . Sailing boat rope with a mix of HT Polyester and Cordura fiber, providing an unmatched grip, soft feel and durability. The Eco Cruiser is the shining result of our continuous development efforts combined with our sustainability goals. It is a complete and balanced rope and can therefore be used for various applications.

The only complete American ropewalk in existence is at the Charlestown Navy Yard near Boston. The 1/4 mile long stone building produced most of the rope for the U.S. The Charlestown Navy Yard has preserved a length of 25 inch cable.