Splicing Rope

[AllenF]

OK...I've heard that there's no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people who ask questions.....or something like that. Anyway, I've decided that it's finally time for me to learn to splice braided rope. I went to the web and found some reasonably good instructions with easy(?) to follow diagrams and graphics. However, they talk about double braided, 12-strand single braid, 16, 20, 24, and 32 strand rope. The rope-supply websites don't seem to refer to any of these terms. My boat is used only for week-end cruising. My first project is going to be replacing the main-sheet and the traveler sheets. Can anyone offer me some clarification of the right kind of rope to use and any other advice?

Thanks.

 

[Ross]

The best advise I can offer is that you should purchase this book. It will answer all of your questions and provide many hours of good reading and education.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Complete-Riggers-Apprentice/Brion-Toss/e/9780070648401

 

[AllenF]

Thanks. After I posted, I tried the archives (yeah, I know I should have gone there first) and found some helpful info also. I'm ordering the book as soon as I leave this site. Thanks.

 

[Randyonr3]

It can be confusing when you see all the different types of rope avalable and what would fit your needs, but It pretty simple.
The main concerns are of size, strength and strech. the two areas where you are concerned, the halyards and traveler, should have somewhat low strech, as you want them to stay where you put them. T
3 strand Nylon has a lot of strech, and as the type of line goes to lower strech, the price goes up... Even to some new Carbon Core that has almost no strech. The different colors are just to use to identiufy the lines as used.....
A good example, on my halyards, I'm using "sta-set X" (low strech).. On the traveler I use "sta-set". on the sheets I use "yacht braid" and for the life lines I've chosen 3 strand Nylon..

 

[Warren Milberg]

Ross is right (as usual). Buy the book by Brion Toss. I would also recommend his video, which actually shows how to do some of the more common splices. I have found that some of the books that have pictures of the various steps in splicing anything more complicated than 3-strand can be hard to interpret. The video makes it a lot easier. Here is a tip I learned the hard way: when you are learning to splice, do not use old line. Buy and use new line to practice on. Old line makes splicing much harder. Another tip: if you are a cruiser, you may only need to know how to splice 3-strand (and you can buy Dacron as well as nylon 3-strand as it stretches less), and Dacron double braid. You can learn how to splice these lines very quickly. I think the high-tech lines are much harder to splice, cost a lot more, and are not helpful on a boat used for cruising or occasional racing.

 

[Dave Groshong]

Hi Allen, we have about 36 books on knots and splicing here in the chandlery, including Brion Toss' book "The Rigger's Apprentice'. Listed in the book section under "Knots"

http://shop.SailboatOwners.com/division.htm?fno=400&div=13

 

[Allan R]

You may also want to try the New England Rope web site, they have a decent "How To"

Splicing

 

[s sauer]

Double Braid vs 3 Strand:
Most of your running rigging will be some kind of double braid, with low stertch preferable for halyards such as StaySetX. Yacht braid (a double braid) is a normal OEM on mainsheets and travelers. However, the more 'stretchy' three strand nylon is preferable for dock lines where a little give maybe wanted.

Along with buying the books recommended, you should know that one or more fids, sized to the line you are splicing (available at West Marine) will be needed to do the double braid splices and they are inexpensive and come with decent instructions.

I'd start by doing a couple new three strand dock lines with end loops. The only splice you need on halyards is a tight eyesplice to attach the shackle, and to get that one correct you may need several practice shots on some type of cheaper double braid line, like yacht braid. You could also practice eye splices on the smaller refing lines.

I don't do the high tech splices often enough, so I most recently just bought a StaySetX main halyard with the shackle already eye spliced onto it. Several years ago I had replaced the Genoa and Main Halyards with XLS and did those shackle splices myself. It took a couple tries on the first one to get it done to my satisfaction, but I enjoyed a couple hours on a nice day 'learning the ropes'.

 

[Capn Ellis]

As to what line to use, the West Marine catalog has a great chart in its line section showing boat size, use (e.g., crusing v. racing) and application (e.g., halyards v. sheets).

 

[appleman]

Do yourself a favor and get not only the book and video from Bryan Toss, but get the "splicing wand". My son and I spent several hours trying to learn to do eye splices with the Sampson fids, there was a lot of grumbling and cursing, and when he finally got one to come out right it was cause for a major celebration. With the splicing wand, I can now do a very nice eye splice in about 20 minutes. The video was well worth every penny.