Uses for old Sheets and Halyards

jac

jac

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Just about to replace Genoa sheets and main halyard will be not long behind them. Old sheets are basically sound but just a little short, starting to look tired.

So I'm left with two reasonably good lines, each 11m in length. They will stay on the board in case of need but not really any good as mooring lines as non stretch so will probably sit unused and unloved in a locker until I get fed up.

So what do you do with your old lines?
 
I used two old sheets as line for tying logs on my car trailer when we had a log burner.

This was amateur. We got very advanced with vastly overloaded trailers

woodforaging03.jpg



bit like this


logtrailer.jpg
 
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jac said:
So I'm left with two reasonably good lines, each 11m in length. They will stay on the board in case of need but not really any good as mooring lines as non stretch so will probably sit unused and unloved in a locker until I get fed up.

So what do you do with your old lines?
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Like you they hang in the locker most of the time. I will sometimes take one or two out to use if I'm drying against a wall or tying up to a manky old buoy or between piles etc. Halyards gradually disappear as fender lines, tie downs etc.
 
Put them in a large tub in my shed. What happens when the tub becomes full is so far undecided :). Sometimes they get used for washing lines or other domestic purposes.

Pete
 
One trick I have used is to make a fender out of old rope. The idea came froma macrame book. Fold the rope in half so both ends are togehter. About 1 ft down from the middle loop tie the 2 ends together in a reef knot. Now tie another reef knot on the ends and yet another reef knot until you run out of rope or you have enough elnght of fender. The reef knots make an insulating lump to hang over the side by the middle loop.

Nice photos Lakey. However I might be teaching grandma how to suck eggs. But one often sees loads tied down like yours simply over the top hoping that friction in holding down will stop load from sliding forward or backwards or even sideways.
A far safer tie down involves a rope around the front of the load to restrain it sliding forward. Another loop or rope around the back to stop it sliding backeards. yet another to restrain it to port and another to restrain it sliding to starboard. In the process you have probably restrained it down wards but this does not need to be tight. In fact all these restraints can be relatively loose. Far better than hoping the friction downward will hold load in place. olewill
 
We have an old 5m. length of main halyard complete with snap shackle as a first line ashore from amidships. The snap shackle clips onto the shroud U-bolt and the modest 5m. length is quick to thread through or around whawever shore fastening is available. The rest of our old rigging just hangs around on the boat or ashore ....I never seem to actually throw any away.
 
William_H said:
Nice photos Lakey. However I might be teaching grandma how to suck eggs. But one often sees loads tied down like yours simply over the top hoping that friction in holding down will stop load from sliding forward or backwards or even sideways.
A far safer tie down involves a rope around the front of the load to restrain it sliding forward. Another loop or rope around the back to stop it sliding backeards. yet another to restrain it to port and another to restrain it sliding to starboard. In the process you have probably restrained it down wards but this does not need to be tight. In fact all these restraints can be relatively loose. Far better than hoping the friction downward will hold load in place. olewill
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#

If you notice the ropes pass by the ends of logs , and not by accident.
However friction is exactly what holds loads like this in place. You can't slide timber like that over other logs (unloading a trailer of logs soon teaches you that). As long as you prevent it lifting off the underlying logs (bumps in the road) it will never move. And never has done.
 
prv said:
Put them in a large tub in my shed.......
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Too true! My two cars and my FILs all have tow ropes in the boot courtesy of sailing and there are a few tree swings around the place as well.

William_H said:
One trick I have used is to make a fender out of old rope. .....
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Rope fenders can trap chunks of dirt and stuff which then scratch topsides quite badly. Not the best solution for a fender material on GRP boats, in my experience.
 
Find a tree by a suitably muddy ditch and tie the rope to an overhanging branch. Within an hour or so you'll be getting £250 off Harry Hill.
 
The old three-strand polyester hemp-lookalike ropes from my old woody used to be made into doormats.
I just cheesed them then tied the rounds together with seizing line on the reverse (down) side.
I still have two of them, about three feet diameter.
 
Hi Jac
Get a book on making rope mats ( The Marlinspike Sailor by H G Smith ) It will keep you out of mischief and looks good on the pontoon so you can clean the c*ap off your shoe before getting onboard, then you will hear That looks good could you make one for me ? lol
 
I strip the sheath from the core. Sheath is used for sailties (cut into lengths of 1m to 1.5m, stick a bowline in the end so you've a loop about 6 inches long). Then the core I turn into strops of various sizes which have a myriad of uses.

You can never have too many sailties...
 
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