Knot practice

[rgano]

This a not a bad thing to do during your winter days with your boat laid up. I have been working with the icicle hitch because I believe it is the best hitch to use with my braided snubber which holds rope or chain equally well. It can be a tricky little booger, especially for us left-handers. I also use one with the smaller line I use to hold a small loop of shore power cord at the plug on the boat.

Here it is. https://www.animatedknots.com/icicle-hitch-knot-end-method

If you ever have a mooring line under tension, which you cannot slacken at the cleat without bad things happening, a braided snubber could be secured to the line with this hitch and then run to a winch or just using Norwegian steam to relieve tension on the line under strain. I saw it done a few times in the Navy.

 

[menzies]

Slight derail, I am toying with teaching myself splicing over the "Florida winter" period when I am not fixing the brightwork! Something I have always wanted to do.

 

[rgano]

I enjoy splicing NEW twisted nylon. Polypropylene is hard on the hands. For double braid, I have to break out my Chapman's because I do it so infrequently. It takes a lot more technique than twisted, and while used twisted CAN be spliced, older double braid is about impossible.

 

[Bacchus]

I enjoy splicing NEW twisted nylon. Polypropylene is hard on the hands. For double braid, I have to break out my Chapman's because I do it so infrequently. It takes a lot more technique than twisted, and while used twisted CAN be spliced, older double braid is about impossible.

Agree
I have done a fair amount of 3 strand that looks pretty good. Never been able to master double braid that looks good. A year ago I needed to splice my 8 plait rode to a new piece of chain and "studied up".
1st try didn't look pretty but 2nd try was halfway decent.
IMO anyone interested can learn to do any of these with practice.

 

[Comodave]

I used to be able to splice 3/4” double braid but I find that the arthritis in my hands doesn’t let me do it anymore. 3 strand is pretty easy to do. West sells Mega Braid which is 12 braided strands that takes some studying to splice but it seems to stay soft forever.

 

[trawlercap]

http://www.briontoss.com/catalog/books.html

Book - Basic Braided Splices - Book 5 of the Working Rope Field Guides by Brion Toss

I knew Brion before he unfortunately died, a first class guy. His book on basic splices may not be available anymore, it is easily the best guide I ever used.

 

[menzies]

Well maybe splicing wasn't such a slight derail after all!

 

[trawlercap]

https://www.colligomarine.com

If you ever are curious or need line that is much stronger than steel wire of the same diameter, check this out. John is a friend and has a ton of info (free) on his site, including how to easily splice this hollow core 12 braid.
We rigged sailboats with DUX after my experience on work boats in AK. We replaced ALL steel wire on big fish trawlers in the Bering Sea.

 

[boathealer]

Last year I had some fun after learning to splice Dyneema braid (VERY easy). I went crazy making soft shackles for everything. They are very useful. I use one to attach my snubber to the anchor chain.

Link - Making Soft Shackles

 

[trawlercap]

Thats a great link, thanks...Synthetic line is so useful in so many ways (and so easy)

 

[Seevee]

Love this thread and messing with knots.


While I have my favorite set, there's always stuff to learn. Have yet to splice a line.... just no need, yet. But have the tools and will do it someday.


Over the past few years, been using a quick release knot more. Especially when leaving the dock with a strong wind pushing me off. Can release from the boat, easily.

 

[rgano]

When I needed to anchor my GB42 in sixty feet of water in the Gulf so they could tether an inert bottom mine to the technician-monitored instrumentation I carried, they rolled on a reel of 600 feet of 5/8" braided line while I was moored at the base. I told them I did not need that much, and the response was that it was considered "expended" and was not to be returned - too much paperwork. That's when I learned to splice eyes in that stuff, lots of eyes. The boat had been rented by the defense contractor I worked for, and I was just paid my normal salary as captain with a secret clearance.

 

[jleonard]

I have been splicing 3 strand nylon for years. Most of my dock lines , spare, and anchor thimbals I have spliced.
None have ever failed.
I also splice dog leashes, lanyards, tie down lines for my truck, etc.
I find it fun, relaxing, and rewarding.

 

[bayview]

On a tensioned line i suggest a rolling hitch.

 

[rgano]

On a tensioned line i suggest a rolling hitch.

It's quicker for me than an icicle hitch, and I'd use it if in a hurry, but the IH is very impressive in its ability to hold even slick surfaces.

Anybody up for some sailor's McNamara lace?