Coiling a line!!

[Alan]

OK, Don, I'm making my first attempt.So many sailors coil a line one loop on top of another. In coiling a line 'loop style' a twist is put in every time a new loop is added. As the line pays out a hockle(sp) or ashol is formed which inevitably will jam in a stopper or block, just where it isn't supposed to. To prevent this from happening(especially on our boat) we teach every new crew member to coil all lines 'figure 8' style. This is done by handing the line from one hand to the other WITHOUT turning the wrist over thereby producing a 'figure 8' as the rope is coiled. This procedure does not induce a twist as the line is coiled. Therefore, when it is payed out, no hockles will be formed and the line will not jam up. This may seem like an insignificant skill, but when it comes to dropping a halyard that has jammed with a hockel or a released sheet that has jammed on a turning block, the skipper will never be happy with the loss of time and speed.

 

[Rich L]

Congratulations, Alan!

Success on the first try! Yee-haw!This is one of my bugaboos, too. We coil extension cords and dock line (twisted) into loops. All braided rope into figure 8s. Amen.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I have a good friend

who si also a mountaineer.Took me a year sailign together to get him to stop the twist!Stu

 

[Don Guillette]

Coiling a line!

Alan: I don't know what happened to my first reply so here we go again. A BIG THANKS BRO for the tip. I never knew about that trick but I just went out to the garage to try it and it worked. I used to raise my main from the deck and I used the one loop on the other method to coil the line. No wonder when I took the line off the cleat to lower the main that I ended up with a mess on the deck.

 

[DRHartzell13448]

Coiling a line!

Hi AlanYou are very right to create a figure eight while coiling your lines. This works great for braided lines. For those who are getting use to this, it may help if you make your coils a little bigger and also put just a bit a backward twist into this line as you are coiling it until you clearly see the figure eight appear. With electrical cables, shrouds, or garden hoses, another technic is better. Make a single coil on the ground, followed by a backward or underneath coil. Alternate this with each coil. It takes a little practice, but once you master this, you can coil long lines much faster, neater, and without twist.The next time you uncoil you garden hose......., you will thank me. Danny

 

[Bill5763]

Alan, WOW, THAT REALLY WORKED !!!!!

Alan,I coiled my halyard as you suggested, nice figure 8, when I released my main on Friday, not a hockle to be found. My halyard slipped through the rope clutch like the clutch was not even there.Thanks for the good info.Bill

 

[turk]

Hand to hand

"This is done by handing the line from one hand to the other WITHOUT turning the wrist over thereby producing a 'figure 8' as the rope is coiled."I must be "rope" challenged but for the life of me I can't seem to get what you are explaining here. I understand that twist is being put into the rope if it is wound up like most of us do, but could you explain the technique with a little more detail for my thick skull!

 

[Alan]

turk

I'm trying to think of another way to describe it to you. This is an example of a 'picture being worth a thousand words'.If you are right handed, hold a line in your left hand, the bitter end facing you. Hold the continuation of the line in your right hand, as if you were going to jump rope. Now hand the rope in your right hand to the left WITHOUT turning your wrist. Repeat the process and each time the coil will automatically form a figure 8.

 

[Joe]

Braided vs. Laid

Laid line, such as three strand dock line, is constructed by twisting the strands together in one direction. The line will not coil, nor uncoil, neatly without compensating this natural twist.Braided line is constructed differently. There is no predominant twist, it actually twists both directions, and therefore should not be compensated for when coiling.So, don't twist braided line when coiling, just bring the sections together without twisting. The result will be a figure 8 shaped coil that will flake out cleanly without knotting.

 

[Rick Webb]

Works for the Pool Hose Too

It can be like wrassling with a snake.

 

[Rick Macdonald]

Turk

Turk - Alan's last comment gets us closer. I think the detail that is missing is that you end up holding the figure 8 in the middle, with the loops hanging down on each side. You're not holding the top like when you make a round coil by adding twists as you loop....RickM...

 

[Don Guillette]

Braided vs laid

Joe(San Diego): Where have you been as we have not heard from you lately? I figured you won the lottery and sailed off to Hawaii or something!!

 

[Paul J. Rusyniak]

Coiling a Line

May I suggest that you always try to start the coil at the working and coil towards the bitter end?Steve, this is where tossing the halyard into the cabin works to your advantage!!!There are two methods answering to the figure eight description.In one, you have a coil as you normally would have, except that the line crosses with each layer. Hung, it looks like a bunch of 8s. I think this is what Alan is describing.In the other, the one Rick’s talking about, you actually have two coils with opposing twists, resulting in no twist.Both methods work well.When I’m ready to drop sail, I toss the coil into the cabin just before releasing the clutch.Pauls/v The Lord Nelson

 

[Alan]

Holy Cow!! *yks

When I first posted this thing, I figured most of you guys would be laughing in your beer about a topic like 'coiling line'. I would not have dreamed that it would get this kind of attention, but it's sure good to know that more than a few have picked up on the idea.

 

[Franklin]

Actually....

I've heard of the figure 8 thing and have never really gotten into it but didn't know the reason for it either until this thread. I used to get my jib furler line stuck because of the tangled unroll when I'm not paying attention but no more....thanks Alan.

 

[Don Guillette]

Coiling a line!

Alan: I hate to admit this but we are all friends here. My mainsail halyard was coiled as you describe when I bought the boat but it did not look nautical to me and you can't imagine the amount of time I spent straighten out that line. I even towed the line behind the boat so I could coil it in a loop fashion. I wanted to be able to just take it off the cleat and drop it on the deck so I could drop the main and it would coil off. Unfortunately, it tangle up each time so I just re-towed the line time and again and again. Eventually I replace the halyard so it would coil RIGHT but it turned out to be WRONG. Sailing is a learning process.

 

[Dick Westwood]

Anchor Down and Alan

I'm pretty sure that Alan is right: the line is getting twisted as I make the coils around the figure 8s. The more coils I make, the more the remaining line (remember, it's the load end we're talking about) corkscrews.Alan, I didn't understand your solution. Could you try again?And I'm thinking: when I'm ready to use my line, and uncoil from the figure 8s, perhaps my line will lay just perfect and thus avoid jams - whereas if I avoid the natural twisting when I coil the line, it'll twist when I uncoil, won't it?Who'd have thought we'd have so much fun discussing coiling lines! Thanks to Alan for getting us started.Dick

 

[Alan]

Dick Westwood

I'll try again,After the last figure 8, form a loop with the remaining line and pass it around the top of the loops and back up through itself. Tighten the formed slip knot and hang the loop on a cleet. To release, pull the loaded end which will pull the loop in the slip knot out and drop the coils on the deck.

 

[Joe]

Don, re: San Diego

Don, my boat's in Mission Bay...but I've been living in Riverside for the past 6 years. I lived in San Diego for many years, as well as Orange County, so I've always maintained connnections and friends in both places. When I trailered my NACRA I spent a lot of time in Long Beach, sailing off Belmont Shores. I trailered down to Mission Bay a alot also,(btw still no launch fees in SD.) I started crewing in local beer can races during the 90's and decided to get a keelboat. Maybe just getting older, but certainly staying drier, was the motivation, and having my accomodating 27 footer in a beautiful resort atmosphere only 1 1/2 hours away has its benefits.

 

[Mick]

Coils That Tangle

I thought I was the only one who didn't like what happens when you try to unravel those neatly coiled halyards. I learned from a young man years ago to drape the line back and forth over one hand so you have loops hanging down on both sides, then wrap a couple turns around the loops and lock it the way you do coils. Then when you undo it lay the loops out end to end, and it usually pays out without tangling. I will give this figure 8 method a try next time.