Good ropes! not?...

Ballistix

Ballistix

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www.cinematreadwell.com
Hi all, I've invested in some nice looking mooring ropes...well they were not that cheap...anyway...3 weeks in and the white "centre" is extending out of the black "outer".../sigh

What is the best process to fuse them together again, cut square and match or is there something more scientific and certainly more permanent?

Regards,
T
 
3-strand are better, in preference to braidline.

Braidline does not stretch whereas 3-strand does. So you don't get "snatch".

But you already have braidline!

I had a boat rafted alongside this summer in lumpy conditions. During the night, I had to remove his braidline bow mooring, and use one of my 3-strand to stop snatch and squeak.
 
Unsuitable type of rope and Black for mooring warps is definitely not on as far as I am concerned, having tripped over one in the dark and very nearly gone arse over apex.

Use Multplait nylon, a 3 strand polyester or at least one with a braided core. eg Marlow Dockline.

Any colour provided it is white!
 
The trouble with polyester is that it gets squeaky if put on a cleat for more than a day or so as the turns tighten, especially an alloy one. I'm told nylon hardens in U/V and is unsuitable except for short-term mooring, so I think the ideal line has yet to be invented.
 
Ballistix,
Do you really give a muck? Whip the ends firmly & then cut cleanly with a hot knife. If necessary, fuse with the flame of a cigarette lighter. You may need to do this every season if it stresses you.
 
I have been sorting out some rope ends on my new, to me , boat. As I don't like using the inverter and there is no mains at my mooring, I bought a gas soldering iron. It worked great! I pulled the ropes tight and picked the best bit close to the end, then wrapped some self-ammelgomating tape around them. I then cut them with a good knife and fused the ends with the soldering iron. They look so good I am going to do all the ropes on the boat.
Allan
 
or use an old hacksaw blade heated over a gas cooker. This will even cope with slightly damp ropes!
 
Nylon is without a doubt the most suitable material for warps, either in 3 strand or multiplait. Some Nylon does seem to harden with age or UV exposure, but it still retains its streachability, which is course one of the reasons it is recommended for warps.
I have a quite a few Nylon warps, some of which have gone a little hard, but most are still as soft as when they were new. It seems as if different makers use slightly different yarns, the matt type seem to be more prone to hardening that the soft shiny types.

As for durability, I have just replaced some nylon warps that I made up in 1990, they appear to still have plenty of life left in them. I just thought that it was time that they were replaced.

Once a year I wash all of my ropes, warps, sheets & halyards, in a washing machine on a cool wash cycle. It really is a worthwhile chore that does prolong the life of rope.
 
Spend the long winter evenings putting palm and needle whippings on your lines. Vastly superior to the "butane backsplice".

Bit of practice and you'll be able to put a whipping on faster than most people can tie a bowline.
 
This is where outer has been subject to being pulled back and inner not. If you run your hand along the outer pulling it to the offending end - you often find outer will then match inner length.
A tip given us by a sailmaker to make quick and lasting ends to ropes. Whip tight or use tape to bind the end of rope once inner / outer match. Then drip superglue into the end. Not only does it glue all strands together but it also glues the tape or whipping in place.
It may not comply with old-sailors methods but it works.
Of course the best way is to splice the ends if mooring use.
 
had a bit of a bumpy stay in ramsgate in August, woke up in the middle of the night took off the braid as the boat was snatching very hard, and used a 100 ft length of 3 strand nylon that I keep as an emergency tow rope or for the sea anchor, it was great, slept like a baby all weekend /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: Good ropes? Not!!...

[ QUOTE ]
Spend the long winter evenings putting palm and needle whippings on your lines.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah mate, a rusty jubilee clip works for me!!
 
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