Different types of rope

[gtg]

Been kept out of the sun. What is the super stiff rope for? Did the oil anchor rope for some reason?

 

[dlochner]

Nylon three strand rope gets stiff with age and use. The brown line is an anchor rode that spent some time on the bottom and was put away wet multiple times. The shorter lighter colored line is probably a dock line, again age and use will make them stiff.

The double braid is probably polyester, probably not a stiff as the nylon.

Sailboats collect line, I'm not sure how it happens, perhaps long periods with lack of supervision leads to procreation.

 

[dLj]

You can take the stiff line and wash it with fabric softener and it may well become much more flexible. @dlochner has basically told you everything else...

dj

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Makes a great lariat!

 

[LloydB]

I think I'm seeing a pattern here. Is shampoo rinse the same as fabric softener?

 

[rgranger]

I wash my lines every few seasons or so. It really make a big difference in how they look and feel. I put mine in a mesh laundry bag similar to this one...

Then toss the entire thing in the wash. The bag keeps the lines from getting all tangled up. Make sure you turn off the spin cycle! After the wash, just lay your lines out in the sun to dry. You will love the difference. I use a bottle of Woolite.

 

[ggrizzard]

The Whole Bottle????

 

[Mark Maulden]

I used a half bottle of Downey (cheapest) for a 50‘ three strand in a garbage can with about 2’ of water. Used a garden rake for an agitator every once in awhile and then let soak over night. Worked very well. Sweetest smelling lines on the dock!

 

[rgranger]

The Whole Bottle????

Well ... yeah... I was also washing a sail in a new trash can on the same day so by the end of the day... I had used a bottle.

The sail looked better but it still had some rust stains that did not come out.