Splicing Octoplait

[Ian_Rob]

I am wanting to make a couple of mooring warps using Octoplait. These will have a loop at one end and a galvanised thimble at the other. There are several YouTube guides showing how to splice the Octoplait loop but I haven’t yet found one showing how to splice the thimble. What I am really after is guidance on what initial loop size I should start with to end up with a tightly bound thimble but not so tight that I can’t complete the splice. Is there a rule of thumb allowance relating to the thimble diameter/circumference/rope diameter?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I am wanting to make a couple of mooring warps using Octoplait. These will have a loop at one end and a galvanised thimble at the other. There are several YouTube guides showing how to splice the Octoplait loop but I haven’t yet found one showing how to splice the thimble. What I am really after is guidance on what initial loop size I should start with to end up with a tightly bound thimble but not so tight that I can’t complete the splice. Is there a rule of thumb allowance relating to the thimble diameter/circumference/rope diameter?

Surely you just do it by making the splice with the thimble in place, so the first tuck is at the base of the thimble? That's how I'd do it. Indeed, I can't see any other way of doing it that won't end up with the eye being too large.

 

[alahol2]

As AP said, start the splice off with the thimble already in. When I did mine I did a couple of tucks, took the thimble out, tightened the tucks, forced/hammered the thimble back in place. A couple of whippings or cable ties near the base of the thimble to finish.

 

[Gsailor]

Good luck.

Sounds like a few more arms, perhaps 6 more, would make the job easier.

I don't envy that job.

 

[Ian_Rob]

Thanks. We are doing it with the thimble in place but whilst the the intention was 5 tucks I don’t think we are going to be able to do more than 4. The loop does seem to get smaller/ tighter with each tuck and we are thinking that the first tuck should have been made with a slightly larger starting loop.

 

[jwfrary]

Are you using a fid or just tucking by hand?

 

[Ian_Rob]

Are you using a fid or just tucking by hand?

…..a fid.

 

[Neeves]

Why are you using a thimble, they will inevitably rust. Consider hose pipe. All our mooring warps (all the cordage) is 3 ply but is spliced at the ends to take the swivel, near the seabed, at the top of the riser, on the warps from the riser to the bow all are made with domestic hosepipe for the eye. If they survive on the seabed they will survive in your application.

If you don't like the idea of domestic hosepipe - go and find some retired textile fire hose. I think you may find some hollow braided tape (on ebay?) of the right diameter in polyester and even dyneema.

Jonathan

 

[Daydream believer]

I assume that you mean a swedish fid
Put a whipping around the multiplait at the point where you want the loose strands to stop. You do it with the thimble in place. When you wrap the line around the thimble stop the whipping slightly short of the standing part to allow for stretch in the rope so it will go tight around the thimble. say 12mm for a 25mm line . Put some electrical tape on the ends of each of all the strands. One colour for right hand lay & another colour for left hand lay. That way you do not get mixed up & accidentally cross over to the wrong lay.

Make the first tuck with each pair of strands as pairs together. Then once you have got them nicely laid, you can split them & splice down the rope in single strands. As you get to the end take a pair of long nosed pliers & grip each strand in turn. Hold the strand at right angles. Then roll the pliers such that the strand rolls around the nose of the pliers. This has the effect of tightening the strand. You will see it pull up tight from the thimble to the whipping you put on earlier and you will not have any slack strands. You should then get enough pulled through to do the number of tucks that you need. It will tend to bunch the main line a bit but before you cut off the loose ends hold the splice in both hands & bend it back & forth & it will stretch out again. Some roll it under the foot. Then trim & melt the ends. I use a turbo flam lighter or my small blow lamp.

I have done a few now for our moorings, probably 200 , in 25 & 19mm & it works OK. But i do make sure I have plenty of tail for the splice.I sell these made up & charge .5 metre per end for the complete loop. It makes it so much easier for me to have some spare to work with.

For 25& 19 mm I use nylon thimbles. . Even for the mooring tackle below the water. We lift & service every 3 years( hosepipe rarely lasts a season in our area & setup. Even on deck) I have a technique for changing them which I do on every 3 years cycle. Even though the splice is drawn up tight I can get the old one out & the new one in.. Takes about 7 minutes. & I charge £3-50 Supplied & fitted to an existing mutiplait. So it is not worth using other systems. With galvanised thimbles rust can damage the rope meaning the owner has to buy a complete set up.They do not last any longer.

 

[Ian_Rob]

I assume that you mean a swedish fid

Yes, a Swedish fid though for tuck 4, we found it too big and used a smaller Selma fid.

Put a whipping around the multiplait at the point where you want the loose strands to stop. You do it with the thimble in place. When you wrap the line around the thimble stop the whipping slightly short of the standing part to allow for stretch in the rope so it will go tight around the thimble. say 12mm for a 25mm line . Put some electrical tape on the ends of each of all the strands. One colour for right hand lay & another colour for left hand lay. That way you do not get mixed up & accidentally cross over to the wrong lay.

Make the first tuck with each pair of strands as pairs together. Then once you have got them nicely laid, you can split them & splice down the rope in single strands. As you get to the end take a pair of long nosed pliers & grip each strand in turn. Hold the strand at right angles. Then roll the pliers such that the strand rolls around the nose of the pliers. This has the effect of tightening the strand. You will see it pull up tight from the thimble to the whipping you put on earlier and you will not have any slack strands. You should then get enough pulled through to do the number of tucks that you need. It will tend to bunch the main line a bit but before you cut off the loose ends hold the splice in both hands & bend it back & forth & it will stretch out again. Some roll it under the foot. Then trim & melt the ends. I use a turbo flam lighter or my small blow lamp.

I have done a few now for our moorings, probably 200 , in 25 & 19mm & it works OK. But i do make sure I have plenty of tail for the splice.I sell these made up & charge .5 metre per end for the complete loop. It makes it so much easier for me to have some spare to work with.

For 25& 19 mm I use nylon thimbles. . Even for the mooring tackle below the water. We lift & service every 3 years( hosepipe rarely lasts a season in our area & setup. Even on deck) I have a technique for changing them which I do on every 3 years cycle. Even though the splice is drawn up tight I can get the old one out & the new one in.. Takes about 7 minutes. & I charge £3-50 Supplied & fitted to an existing mutiplait. So it is not worth using other systems. With galvanised thimbles rust can damage the rope meaning the owner has to buy a complete set up.They do not last any longer.

Thats all really helpful. Thankyou.

Going to have another go today to see if we can do it better. We were looking at a video online last night of somebody splicing a loop (rather than a loop around thimble) and to allow for the tightening it recommended allowing the loop length plus 2 rope diameters.

How many tucks should we be aiming for?

7 minutes! We will be pleased if we can do it in 70.

 

[Stingo]

There are several helpful videos on the YouTube channel called Animate Knots.
https://youtube.com/@AnimatedKnotsbyGrog

 

[Sumara of Weymouth]

A while ago I made this Video when I used to work at Arthur Beale's shop. You may find it helpful.

 

[Daydream believer]

Thats all really helpful. Thankyou.

Going to have another go today to see if we can do it better. We were looking at a video online last night of somebody splicing a loop (rather than a loop around thimble) and to allow for the tightening it recommended allowing the loop length plus 2 rope diameters.

How many tucks should we be aiming for?

7 minutes! We will be pleased if we can do it in 70.

I do not do the splice in 7 minutes. I change the nylon thimble in 7 minutes. I do that without undoing the splice that I did 3 years earlier. It takes a lot longer to do the splice.
I suggest that 5 or 6 tucks but have enough length as if you were going to do 9-10 tucks. It is difficult struggling with short tails
If you just want a loop & no thimble then you make the loop any size that you want. I generally ask the client how big his cleats are & make the loop fit those.
For the thimbled loop you must do it around the thimble & pull it tight as I suggested .

 

[LadyInBed]

A while ago I made this Video when I used to work at Arthur Beale's shop. You may find it helpful.

Two minutes of verbiage before the fid appeared, I gave up!

 

[thinwater]

Splicing of any kind has a rythym that takes practice. Don't be hard on yourself if the first few are throw-aways. It gets easier with practice and as you learn little tricks and details. Also remember that strong does not have to be pretty.

 

[Ian_Rob]

Two minutes of verbiage before the fid appeared, I gave up!

I must say that I find that the pre-amble, pace and calmness of this video very helpful.

 

[Daydream believer]

Two minutes of verbiage before the fid appeared, I gave up!

Are you a teenager? My young grandson has limited attention span . A clip round the ear usually gets his back concentration again.
Just a suggestion

 

[Daydream believer]

Splicing of any kind has a rythym that takes practice. Don't be hard on yourself if the first few are throw-aways. It gets easier with practice and as you learn little tricks and details. Also remember that strong does not have to be pretty.

I know what you mean about trials. But how much rope has the OP bought?
I had a boat hook from Thomas Foulkes once. ( the famous chandlery from under the Leytonstone railway arches & LIBS stand not to be missed)
One would buy an 8ft pole & a galvanised hook for the end. You had to fit the hook to the pole yourself. I do not think that there was a single person on our trots who hade a pole longer than 5 ft after all the trial whittling. Even then one was lucky if the hook did not wobble a bit. I ended up with a stick & no hook after a couple of mooring efforts I should have used a bigger nail.
So be carefull when telling the OP about "throw aways". His boat might end up a rope short of the pontoon