| Neatness counts, especially
because it’s also safer. Don’t throw lines in heaps about
the boat. They’ll kink, tangle or jam when you need them and you
and your passengers are likely to trip over them.
Get into the habit of
coiling your lines when they are not in use, and flemishing any lose
ends on deck or dock. There is a good reason for this (besides looking
good): stepping on a loose line can be like stepping on a marble,
while stepping on a flemished line is like stepping on a mat. It also
protects your lines from unnecessary (and unsafe) wear and tear and
helps preserve the lay of twisted rope.
Twisted rope should
be put into round coils. Right-laid rope, as
most twisted rope is, should be wound clockwise, while left-laid
rope should be wound counterclockwise. Preserving the lay of
the rope in this way will make for line that coils easily and plays
out smoothly.
Braided rope has no
preferred direction and often loops into figure eights naturally.
This will also run out smoothly.
Stowing the line
Take three or four feet
of line from the back of the coil and make three turns around the
coil. Pass a loop of the free end through the top of the coil. Pass
the free end through the newly created loop. Take the loop over the
top of the coil and pull the free end to fasten. The free end should
hang slightly longer than the coil so it can be located quickly.
Another method better
suited for storing the line in a rope locker is to double the end
of the completed coil to form a long loop. Pass the loop, in a clockwise
turn, around the head of the coil, passing the end of the loop under
its own midsection. Take another turn around the coil to the left
of the first one and tuck the end of the loop under this second turn.
Pull tight so that the end of the loop stands free and can be used
as a hanger. Again, make sure the free end hangs down a bit so it
can be located quickly.
Tips . . .
Chafing (repeated rubbing
of an area of the rope against an abrasive surface) will greatly weaken
the line and make it unable to bear strain. Protect the line from
chafing by sliding a snug plastic tube over the area that comes in
contact with a dock or other surface. Alternatively, cover the surface
with a smooth, sturdy material.
Tying knots or hitches
in the same place often will cause that part of the line to weaken.
Occasionally switch the line ends (like rotating your tires) and try
to tie knots and hitches in different areas of the line. Prolonged
exposure to rust, dirt, sand or mud deteriorates rope. Any stiff or
hard lines should be replaced.
Whichever lines you
choose to use make sure they are kept out of the sun when not in use,
clean, unfrayed, dry and coiled neatly. Don't leave knots in a stowed
line for long periods of time. To clean rope, scrub it with a solution
of liquid soap and water. Dry completely before storing.
A line under tension,
especially nylon line, can be a lethal weapon if it, or what it is
attached to, fails. The line will recoil with a force that can cause
serious injury and/or damage. Keep your lines in good condition, replace
them when worn and always monitor lines under stress. Do not allow
anyone to stand in line, or within 45 degrees on either side, of a
line under stress.
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