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- Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017
This guidebook with basic seaman knots and fancy rope work is great for Boy Scouts and boaters alike. Rope is an essential tool to boaters, campers, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Knowing the proper way to tie knots is important. With a little practice, anyone can learn how to tie the strongest knot.
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Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Knowing the Ropes
Chapter 2: Tight Finishes
Chapter 3: The Knots to Know
Chapter 4: Tying to Lines and Rings
Chapter 5: Splicing
Chapter 6: Additional Uses
Index
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Chapter 1Knowing the Ropes, page 10 Choosing the appropriate rope for the job is just as important as choosing the knot to tie it with.
Chapter 2Tight Finishes, page 14 Whether whipping or seizing, finishing off a rope end will keep it from unraveling.
Chapter 3The Knots to Know, page 18 In choosing the right knot to use, the boater should be guided by the purpose needed.
Chapter 4Tying to Lines and Rings, page 48 Boaters need to know how to secure lines to other lines and to rings.
Chapter 5Splicing, page 58 The best way to make a permanent loop in a line is to make an eye splice.
Chapter 6Additional Uses, page 76 A solid knowledge of knots will allow a boater to make ladders and lanyards as well.
INTRODUCTION
Ropework: Plain and Fancy
Beyond the 10 or so basic knots, splices, bends, and hitches that every boatman must know, there are an almost infinite number of additional rope forms, decorative and utilitarian, which can be mastered to improve both the beauty and function of his vessel. The multiple half hitches being bent onto a steering wheel, for example, appear to be designed just for decoration; actually, they serve the eminently practical function of giving the skipper a firm grip on the helm. The Portuguese bowline was designed long ago for straightforward utility, yet like all of the other ropework shown on subsequent pages, it has a handsome and seamanly look to it (pages 28–29). In addition to the useful and aesthetic virtues of these knots, the tying of them is itself a satisfying pastime, a kind of maritime sculpture that quickly takes form under the hands and eyes of the boatman. That is one reason why sailors since ancient times have occupied themselves with this practice; the crews of sailing ships used to while away the long sea voyages by trying to outdo one another in knotsmanship.
All these knots have a long history. In fact, some have outlived their initial purpose and survive today in an entirely new guise. The tack knot (pages 44–45), for instance, was once used on windjammers to secure the tack, or forward edge, of a sail. Today, though, metal fittings have taken over the function of securing the tack; but the tack knot is still being tied—usually as a decorative fillip for the end of a bell rope or grab line. One old seaman’s yarn tells of an English tar named Matthew Walker who was condemned to death, then offered a pardon on condition that he tie a knot that the judge—himself a former seaman—would not be able to undo. The sailor disappeared into his cell with 10 fathoms of rope and devised, exactly in the middle of the line, the deceptive knot that today bears his name. He then reemerged to present his invention to the judge. The judge was stumped, and Matthew Walker received his pardon as promised.
This story conveys a number of enduring truths about knots. One is that in the sailor’s world, a knot exists for every conceivable purpose—including saving the life of a condemned man. Another is that the vast majority of knots in the nautical spectrum, though they may at first appear incomprehensible even to a fairly well educated eye, are easy and relatively quick to tie once the boater learns how. The knot that confounded the judge, for example, can be fashioned within about two minutes—though nowadays it is generally made near the end of a line rather than in the middle—by anyone who knows the trick (pages 46–47) of unlaying the strands before he starts. Several of the other knots on these pages are, like the Matthew Walker, started by unlaying the line and reworking the separate strands. Others, among them the intricate-looking monkey’s fist (pages 32–35), are tied with the end of the line remaining intact.
Different kinds of rope have special qualities that suit them to certain kinds of knots. The easiest material to use is cotton; it can be manipulated comfortably—without chafing fingertips or splitting nails, which prickly manila has a tendency to do—and it serves well for knife lanyards and ditty bags. However, cotton is neither strong nor durable and should never be used for working lines. For heavy-duty apparatus, such as sheets, halyards, anchor lines, or a water-ski rig, modern synthetics such as nylon and Dacron are best; they neither shrink nor rot after having been soaked in water. And for good, workaday versatility, many boatmen feel that nothing beats manila; it makes a sturdy knot whose sculptural outlines clearly show, and has an old-fashioned look that warms the hearts of tradition-minded seamen.
CHAPTER 1:
Knowing the Ropes
Rope is the seaman’s most essential tool. It tethers every vessel to a dock or mooring, or secures it to an anchor. For the man in a sailboat, ropes are, in addition, the reins that harness the wind in his sails.
The flexibility and strength of rope are astonishing. It can be made into knots, bends and splices; it coils neatly for stowing; and yet an ordinary manila rope thinner than a man’s little finger can carry a load of hundreds of pounds.
The reason for the pliancy and holding power of rope lies in its construction. The basic structural element in virtually all rope is a collection of threadlike fibers that are twisted together into thicker components called yarns. These yarns, in turn, are twisted into strands; and the strands are either laid up (i.e., twisted once again) or else braided together, as shown on page 12, to form the finished rope.
In the past, rope fibers were made from natural materials such as bark, grasses, or leaves—and some still are. Hemp, manila, cotton, and linen rope still find favor on many modern boats. However, all natural fibers tend to rot, and most boatmen have turned to longer-lived synthetics such as nylon and Dacron.
Not only are synthetics immune to rot and mildew, but they are also considerably stronger than natural materials. Both nylon and Dacron will carry more than twice the load of a manila line of equal size. Nylon rope, furthermore, will stretch up to 20 percent of its length, making it useful for docking and anchoring lines, which require elasticity (pages 90–93). Dacron, on the other hand, stretches very little, so it is ideal for running rigging, which holds sails tautly in place.
Both nylon and Dacron have another inherent advantage. They are smoother and even more pliable than natural fibers. Hence, the synthetics can readily be made up into braided line. And a braided line shows far less tendency to snarl than does a line laid up in twists.
The strongest and most long-lasting of all rope is made of steel wire, commonly used aboard powerboats for their vital steering cables, and on sailboats for such maximum-stress rigging as shrouds and stays. Halyards, too, are generally wire, at least along some of their length: their standing parts are of steel to take the heaviest strain, while the tail ends are of Dacron for easy handling.
The Right Rope for the Right Job
anchor rodes
nylon
docking lines
nylonmanila
towlines
nylonmanila
shrouds and stays
wiremanilaDacron (prestretched)
sheets
Dacronmanilalinenwire (with rope tail)
halyards
wireDacron (prestretched)manilalinen
steering cables
wire
life lines
Dacronwire (plastic-coated)
fender lines
Dacronmanilacottonlinen
centerboard pennants sail boltropes
wireDacron
flag halyards
cottonlinenmanilaDacron
whipping and seizing
hemp (oiled) linennylon (waxed)manila (oiled)cotton (oiled)
Unraveled to show its anatomy, a typical rope is built up from fibers twisted in a counterclockwise direction or into so-called right-handed yarns. The yarns, in turn, are formed into strands, and the strands laid up into rope. The direction of the twist reverses at each step so that the last twist conventionally is a right-handed one.
