Splicing Nut

[Roger Long]

I'm a splicing nut... I like to splice..Not too long ago, "Good Old Boat" ran an article about how people connect their sheets to the headsail.

Here's another, especially good if you like to splice. It has the minimum tendency for part of the knot to hang up on a forward shroud.

http://www.rogerlongboats.com/Strider06work.htm#jibsheets

I haven't actually used it because I decided the two lengths of rope I bought were too stiff for sheets and turned them into jacklines. I went with a single length of line tied as shown farther down.

 

[catsailor]

Shake loose? Never for me...

Potential to work loose? Jeeze I must be doing something wrong because in 35+/- years and literally thousands of nm I have yet to see even one bowline work loose. I've used them on jib, genny, spin sheets that all flap and flail during tacks, dinghy painters and many, many other applications for years. I have also used bowlines while ice climbing and I'm still not dead.. My halyards are always spliced.. The key with a bowline is that you can actually un-tie it. How many of the other knots will come undone after a day, summer or year of sailing??

Perhaps others have had one work loose but if you leave a little tail I think it is very, very unlikely. Never happened to me and the bowline is one of my most used knots.

We once towed a 35 foot sport fishing boat 15nm using a bowline in 3-4 foot seas and about 20 knots of wind. When we got to the dock we simply untied the bowline and retrieved our line..

How many of you guys have had a bowline come loose? I'm now a little curious??

But I am not making the comment up. You will find my comment in numerous texts, and tied with insufficient tail, I did witness one come lose. The climber died about 15 minutes later after falling about 120 feet.

On a sail, without hesitation, it is my favorite. I would NOT tie a bosons chair with one unless the tail was secured to the line with an overhand or such. Besides, a figure-8 on a bight is just as fast and easy to untie. That is the preferred knot for climbing, if the mountain guides and texts are to be believed.

 

[Ross]

A short length of small stuff tied as a constrictor knot seizing the tail to the loop will preclude any posible failure of a knot.

 

[sailingdog]

So will a half-hitch in the tail, and it's easier to do and easier to undo.

A short length of small stuff tied as a constrictor knot seizing the tail to the loop will preclude any posible failure of a knot.

 

[Nereussailor]

Uh.......Why don't you just make a new splice. It's knot that hard (pun intended)

 

[Ross]

So will a half-hitch in the tail, and it's easier to do and easier to undo.

Seizing the tail is more fair.

 

[Ralph18422]

Bowline Failure

In response to Maine Sails question: I have only had this knot fail once, tied to the clue of my genoa. It was properly tied, but not much tail (couple of inches). Since then I leave more like 4 -6 inches and so far so good.

 

[Ross]

A properly drawn up bowline will not fail but a bowline as tied and drawn up by hand still is not tight. The final tightening may cause the tail to slip.

 

[sailingdog]

True, but takes a lot more time and effort.

Seizing the tail is more fair.

 

[jibes138]

The Halyard should be spliced

You should use braided line and splice your halyard directly to the shackle. This way you have less chance of a jam in the sheave at the top of the mast, it is a neat clean way and incredibly strong, probably 95% of the strength of the line. You can use my magic splicing tool that you can make yourself just search in the archives for a picture. I posted it years ago. I used it for hundreds of splices and found it way better than anything you buy, plus it is free. You can make the tool in about 1.5 minutes. Making the splice will take a little longer.

 

[Ross]

You should use braided line and splice your halyard directly to the shackle. This way you have less chance of a jam in the sheave at the top of the mast, it is a neat clean way and incredibly strong, probably 95% of the strength of the line. You can use my magic splicing tool that you can make yourself just search in the archives for a picture. I posted it years ago. I used it for hundreds of splices and found it way better than anything you buy, plus it is free. You can make the tool in about 1.5 minutes. Making the splice will take a little longer.

Please post the photo again. It seems to have been lost in the change.

 

[Roger Long]

You should use braided line and splice your halyard directly to the shackle. This way you have less chance of a jam in the sheave at the top of the mast.

Actually, I used the buntline hitch because my sailmaker and rigger told me that the knot was less likely to jam in the sheave than the tapered thickening of the splice. The knot also has less distance from the shackle to normal diameter rope than the splice would. The hoist on my old main was on the long side so the headboard was close. He also said not having the splice wrapping around the sheave was a good thing.

Halyards are almost always considerably oversize relative to required strength for stretch and handling considerations so any difference in strength between the splice and knot is of little consequence.

 

[jibes138]

Magic splicing tool

I tried to search the archives and it looks like the picture is gone. The note was from 2001. But I did find this. I will have to find the picture in my old photo CD's or I will take a new one. The tool is just made from a coat hanger bent in half and a little hook on each leg made with a pair of needle nose pliers. Like I said, cost is free (if you have a coat hanger you can spare) and it works better than any of these tools they charge you 20 bucks for. I used this for 5/8 line but if you are using smaller diameter line you can do the same thing, and I have done it, with stiff wire, seizing wire will probably work if you twist it to make it stiff.
How to use the magic_splice_tool


I can't draw pictures so follow if you have experience otherwise refer to a web site that has splicing instructions illustrated. Just use this tool instead of the ones described: 1. Multiply 24 times the diameter of the line. Measure that length and mark the letter A with a pen. 2. measure two times the line diameter farther down the line and mark B with a pen. 3. Make aloop of desired eye size from B to C and mark C on the line with a pen. Move down the line eight diameters and mark point CC with a pen. 4. 6 feet from C along the line make a overhand knot with a bight of line. 5. Use a pick to open up the braid and extract the core at point C. Mark the core at point C as point D as soon as you start to extract it. 6. Insert the coat hanger tool into the core a little way and hook the hooks through the braid. Using a piece of whipping twine wrap the tool and core tightly and then wrap a few wraps of masking tape over it. The hooks will provide positive grip on the core and the twine and tape prevent it from coming apart. 7. Insert the coat hanger tool at point A and work it through the outer sheath past point C to come out at point CC. 8. Remove the tool from the core. Reattach the tool to the end of the sheath in the same manner as described. 9. Pull more core out of sheath from end of line towards the overhand knot. From point D move down the core 8 diameters of line and mark point DD. 10. Insert the coat hanger tool attached to the sheath at point DD of the core and work it through the core to bury the sheath inside the core. 11. Work the loose end of the core and the sheath to tighten the crossover. 12. Cut the coat hanger tool loose from the sheath on a very long angle (this creates the taper in the sheath). Let the sheath disappear inside the core 13. Place the loop from the bight of the overhand knot over a cleat, or a post or tie the line around a pole, Starting at the overhand knot (6 feet down the line) start milking the sheath down over the core and crossover until marks B and C are matched up. I try to bury mark B. Cut off the loose end of the core still protruding at point CC and bury it. 14. With a needle and whipping twine whip the throat of the eye splice to give it additional strength. This can be very confusing without illustrations but I hope experienced splicers will understand. Once you do it a few times it is pretty easy. My tool design works really great, it is strong, stiff for working it thru the line, and does not have sharp edges to snag fibers in the line and cause it to jam up. I made a few dozen splices in 5/8 braid building a series drogue and I found the tool far superior to tools I bought and hated.
Dave