Uncoiling new rope - might be a dumb question?

[lenten]

i can understand that towing natural fibre ropes was the old method of preparing them--- but has anyone got first hand experience of towing modern polyprop ropes-----i ask because i have a coil of 12mm polysteel to tame/soften and i can t get into my usual field to car stretch it-----mind you even if the towing behind the boat method worked---it might be considered slightly anti social to be towing 1/8 mile of unmarked floaty rope behind the boat

 

[Rum Run]

Z laid rope should be taken from the centre 'against the sun', ie, with the end facing clockwise. Depending on the hardness of the lay you may need to tow it behind a car/boat, but I usually put it in a bin, and walk away twirling the end. Foolproof is use a spinner, a turntable with a spindle and four wedges, pull the rope off as it went on, from the outside.

Thank you Fisherman, I was hoping you would chip in.
Towing 220m of rope down the Blackwater on a weekend might cause some comment.......

 

[fisherman]

Football field, if desperate. Start half a coil from the posts. Pull the rope out as I said, tie the middle round one of the posts, lean back and stretch each end in turn, you will feel if it has a twist, twirl the end until it's 'dead'.

 

[fisherman]

Pull it back into the bin, if it develops a twist, twirl the bin.

 

[afterpegassus]

As previously suggested, run it out from the stern and tow for a bit.
If you want shorter lengths, an alternative to the bucket/ cone is to wrap the coil with duck tape and take from the centre.

 

[oldharry]

I thought that was from the days when they had to adjust the rope tension every night when the dew fell, or every time it rained, to prevent the rope shrinkage from pulling the boat apart. I remember having to adjust tent guys when I was in the Scouts for this reason. Always necessary the first few nights camping if the guy ropes were really dry after being stored all winter.
Towing new rope behind a barge would "pre-shrink" it.

Natural fibre ropes will shrink or expand according to how wet they are. Canvas tents do the same, hence the need to slacken the guys in wet weather to allow ropes and canvas to shrink. Newly laid 3 strand fibre rope was said to be 'vicious' until it had been towed. This would allow the rope to find its natural lay so that it could run through blocks and be coiled without kinking. Also new natural fibre rope was stiff until it had been worked a bit and the hemp softened, which towing would do. I too can imagine the intereting reults of doing this off Cowes on a busy Saturday! I can't see it would help with modern materials much unless the rope has aquired a twist, in which case towing would be a way of untwisting it.