seamanship skills

[ChattingLil]

well, I am quite proud of myself today. I might be a hopeless helmsman, a vague navigator and a useless mechanic.... but I have now taught myself how to put an eye-splice in double braided rope! Of course, I didn't have the right tools, but made do with a skewer, an awl, roll of sticky tape and a lot of pini-persistence.

well pleased the results. The first one was a bit squiffy, but the two after look well pukka.

 

[Athene V30]

Well done - rope work can be enjoyable. My big brother tells of the enjoyment of splicing wire as he used to make up sweep wires in the 70's and 80's when the RN still did mine sweeping (other than just swiping drinks!).

 

[gruntle]

Is there a different form of Minesweeping then? Ah, the joys of stealing drinks in Joanna's nightclub in Southsea in the 80's.

 

[Athene V30]

Is there a different form of Minesweeping then? Ah, the joys of stealing drinks in Joanna's nightclub in Southsea in the 80's.

Ah those Blighters - not the sort of thing a Chap would do don't you know!

How's Malta? Have you sent SWMBO out to work and taken a permanent mooring yet?

 

[Fire99]

Good effort!! Where do I send my ropes to be spliced?

 

[MoodySabre]

...and there was me feeling chuffed about my eye splices on fenders that I did this year - with measly 3-strand using a fid

 

[Wunja]

well pleased the results. The first one was a bit squiffy, but the two after look well pukka.

Well done! I find splicing 3 strand quite therapeutic, but have never tried splicing braid on braid - this will have to change! I guess practising on old UV hardened halyards is not the way to go.

 

[gruntle]

Ah those Blighters - not the sort of thing a Chap would do don't you know!

How's Malta? Have you sent SWMBO out to work and taken a permanent mooring yet?

Permanent moorings are like hen's teeth here. On a visitors mooring you get moved around regularly as the mooring owners come and go, and as a result you arent supposed to leave the boat unattended without appointing an agent. It doesnt work like that of course...

Moira has looked into the Dispensing Optician thing, and it seems she wouldn't have too much trouble getting some work. We thought about it, and then decided we'd deprived everyone of our company for long enough.....

 

[ChattingLil]

 

[PaulGooch]

Well done, there's a certain satisfaction in making your own splices

I can do 3 strand and a chain splice from memory, but the braid on braid one needs some instructions to refer to, in my case. For anyone considering giving the braid on braid splice a bash, i found the instructions here handy :

http://www.thecoastalpassage.com/pro_splice.html

 

[johnalison]

Years ago I bought myself a kit and did some splicing on that cored stuff we mostly use for jib sheets. As far as I remember it involved poking a long rod down the middle and drawing the core back. It seemed to take for ever and I haven't bothered since, but if anyone wants the kit .....

 

[ChattingLil]

It seemed to take for ever and I haven't bothered since, but if anyone wants the kit .....

The first try took me about an hour... the second one was quicker and the third took about 20 mins...

If you look on YouTube you'll find a video of a pro doing one in about 3 minutes! Too quick to follow what he is doing though.

I was going to say yes to the kit, but my skewer was ok and I have enough boat tut clogging up my life!

 

[PaulGooch]

The first try took me about an hour... the second one was quicker and the third took about 20 mins...

If you look on YouTube you'll find a video of a pro doing one in about 3 minutes! Too quick to follow what he is doing though.

I was going to say yes to the kit, but my skewer was ok and I have enough boat tut clogging up my life!

Oh, in the absence of a skewer, a length of welding rod serves well. Pref a stainless steel one.

 

[Neville220]

Is there a different form of Minesweeping then? Ah, the joys of stealing drinks in Joanna's nightclub in Southsea in the 80's.

Hi I served on Mine sweepers and mine hunters in the Andrew (Singapore & Hong Kong) So I have an experts view on minesweeping, especially in HMS Terror etc & the Fleet Club. Plus I think we did something at sea also, usually my hoppo's tot.


HAPPY DAYS!!!

Nev

 

[Athene V30]

Hi I served on Mine sweepers and mine hunters in the Andrew (Singapore & Hong Kong) So I have an experts view on minesweeping, especially in HMS Terror etc & the Fleet Club. Plus I think we did something at sea also, usually my hoppo's tot.


HAPPY DAYS!!!

Nev

Gruntle might remember the tot - I am far too young!

 

[Jomo]

I am far too young!

And you look it too!

 

[gruntle]

Gruntle might remember the tot - I am far too young!

do you mean jelly tots?