Marlinspike Instructors: Rope Materials, Knots, and Techniques

1. ORD-6 Ordinary Marlinspike Instructors: George Crowl

2. Course Outline • a. Name the various materials used to manufacture rope, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and the characteristics of laid and braided rope. Discuss the meaning of lay, thread, strand and hawser. Explain how rope is sized and measured.

3. Course Outline • b. Using both large and small lines, tie and explain the following knots: stevedore's knot, French (double) bowline, bowline on a bight, timber hitch, rolling hitch, marline hitch, midshipman's (taut line) hitch, and trucker's hitch. • c. Demonstrate your ability to secure a line to pilings, cleats, and rings, and to coil, flake, and flemish a line.

4. Course Outline • d. Demonstrate how to cut and heat-seal a synthetic line and whip the end of plain-laid line using waxed cord or similar material.

5. ORD-6a a. Name the various materials used to manufacture rope, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and the characteristics of laid and braided rope. Discuss the meaning of lay, thread, strand and hawser. Explain how rope is sized and measured.

6. Rope Materials – Natural • Cotton – cheap, weak, not shockabsorbent (clothsline). Woven orlaid. NOT to be used nautically. • Sisal – inexpensive, weaker thanmanila. Must dry, will rot, laid. • Manila – best natural material.Expensive. Must dry, will rot, laid.Minimum stretch. ¼” = 600# test.

7. Rope Materials – Synthetic (1) • Polyethylene – floats, chafes,no rot, sunlight deterioratesrapidly, ¼” = 1200# test • Polypropylene – floats, no rot, sunlight deteriorates rapidly, slightly stronger, resists oil • Dacron (polyester) – minimumstretch (9%), better for sheets &halyards, no rot, oil resistant, usually woven, ¼” = 2400# test

8. Rope Materials – Synthetic (2) • Nylon – maximum stretch (20%), best for anchoring and towing.Oil, chemical, abrasion resistant.Sunlight resistance good.¼” = 1800# test. Usually woven. • Samson Amsteel – Proprietary new material,4% stretch, sunlight resistant, woven,¼” = 8600# test = steel

9. Laid Rope • a. Slivers • b. Slivers of fiber twistedin one direction = yarn • c. Yarns (3) twisted in opposite direction = strand • d. Strands (3) twisted in opposite direction = rope • e. Rope twisted in opposite direction = hawser

10. Laid Rope Info • Normally three strands • Normally right-handed • Cable-laid – three ropes laid together • Hawser – any rope over 5” circumference • Can be four strands with heart

11. Braided Rope • Core surrounded by fully-sheathedbraid protects core • Braided core • Stranded core • Core provides strength • Braid provides protection from • Abrasion • Sunlight

12. Rope Sizing • Normally sized in diameter up to 2” • 3/16, ¼, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, ½, etc. • Then sized in circumference (3.14 x dia) • Old times, all nautical rope was sized in circumference, but no more. • 5” hawser is circumference, should be about 1.6” diameter! • 7” rope is a bit over 2” in diameter

13. Rope Length • Rope in store – normally FEET or METERS • Could be in fathoms (6 feet) • Coil of rope usually: • 100 fathoms (land) • 200 fathoms (nautical)

14. ORD-6b b. Using both large and small lines, tie and explain the following knots: stevedore's knot, French (double) bowline, bowline on a bight, timber hitch, rolling hitch, marline hitch, trucker's hitch, and midshipman's (taut line) hitch.

15. Good Animated Web Site • www.animatedknots.com • If the link does not work, just type in the link separately, or go to animatedknots.com

16. Stevedore's Knot • Stopper knot • Make loop • Wrap 1½ times • End through loop • Pull tight

17. Stevedore Animated www.animatedknots.com/stevedore/#Movie

18. French (Double) Bowline • Start as a regular bowline (right) • Run line around the loop again (right) • Bring line up through hole as with regular bowline (middle) • Bring line around back, down through hole, as a regular bowline • Pull knot tight (left)

19. French Bowline Animation • Can't find

20. Bowline on a Bight • Make a bight (big, long loopin line) • Start it just like a bowline • Bring the end of the loop down and around the big loop(or feed big loop through) • Slide the loop end up and adjust all to fit need • Loops hold same size

21. Bowline on a Bight Animation http://www.animatedknots.com/bowlinebight/

22. Timber Hitch • Run a line around a timber, leaving 6”-1' left • Bring the bitter end around the standing end, and tuck it back on itself • Tuck a minimum of three times, tighten • You may want to put a half hitch around the towed end for a big or long timber

23. Timber Hitch Animation http://www.animatedknots.com/timber/

24. Rolling Hitch • Wrap one full time around • Wrap a second full time around • Cross over the two lines • Come under the crossover line • Tighten • Pull along the length of the pole (down)

25. Rolling Hitch Animated https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX_kU_jYecU

26. Marline Hitch • Start with a clove hitch around boom(s) and sail • Space out 1-2 feet, hold, and put a half hitch • Insure the half hitch goes in on top and out the bottom • Cover the whole sail (or other long skinny object) • Tie off with clove hitch or to something else

27. Midshipman's (Taut Line) Hitch • Pass line over the bar or line you are tying to • Bring it down, around, and in between your line and the bar. • Make a second loop in between • Continuing the samedirection, cross overthe two loops, wraponce • Slide under your wrap,tighten

28. Midshipman's Hitch Animation http://www.animatedknots.com/midshipmans/

29. Trucker’s Hitch • Form a small loop in the standing part • Feed the tail around your anchor point • Bring the tail back up through your small loop • Pull down hard on the tail to tighten the hitch • Finish off with two or more half hitches close to the small loop

30. Trucker's Hitch Animation www.animatedknots.com/truckers/

31. ORD-6c Demonstrate the ability to secure a line to pilings, cleats and rings and to coil, flake and Flemish a line.

32. Cleat • Know from Apprentice • Full turn around cleat to start • Remember – parallel ropes undercross rope • Do not add many loops!

33. Piling • Piling – big tall post, often in water • Use a fixed knot – eye splice or bowline • Temporary – two half hitches or midshipman hitch • Don't use clove hitch or other knot that slips under constant movement

34. Rings • Lines are attached to rings semi-permanently by larks-head knots in an eye splice. • Use a bowline, or midshipman's hitch

35. Coil a Line • Right hand, even loops • Half twist as you coil • Save two loops to finish • Wrap around middle • Finish with bight through top

36. Coiling Animation http://www.animatedknots.com/coiling/

37. Flake a Line • Used to make a line run out without kinks • Take the kinks out of the line, beginning at where it pulls from • Start at the other end, lay figure 8s on the deck • Each 8 is on top, and slightly closer to the payout side

38. Flake a Line http://www.animatedknots.com/fig8flake/

39. Flemish a Line • Shake the line out so it is not twisted • Turn the bitter end in a small circle • Keep the line flat on the deck • Use two hands as the circle gets bigger • If needed, coil the line instead

40. Flemish Animation • The author prefers Plan B. http://www.animatedknots.com/flemish/

41. ORD-8d Demonstrate how to cut and heat-seal a synthetic line, and whip the end of a plain-laid line using waxed cord or similar material.

42. Cut and Heat Seal • Synthetic line should be cut and heat sealed • “Guns” and “knives” do both at once – best • Can use knife and lighter • Keep end small to go through blocks

43. Common Whipping (1) • Lay a bight along rope • Start wrapping tightlyfrom end of rope • When whipping length = rope diameter, slide cordend through bight • Pull bight under whippingabout half way • Trim the ends

44. Common Whipping (2) • Make a large loop of twine • Lay one end 1” over the end of the line, the other end 2-3” down the rope • Start wrapping tight from the rope end • Wrap at least the diameter of the rope • Pull the twine at the end of the rope until it pulls the loop½ way under the whipping • Trim the ends

45. Questions?