Splicing Modern Ropes 2nd edition

The definitive guide to making strong, reliable splices in braided rope, using step-by-step photographs and clear instructions to help readers master this important but tricky skill. For any seafarer, splicing rope is an essential skill. But the traditional 3-strand rope is fast disappearing. So how do you splice braided rope?This is the ultimate guide to this crucial knowledge. Most of the techniques are easy to master - and also fun to do. See why splices are better - and stronger - than knots or shackles for joining or shortening rope, and follow the photographs and steps to find out how to splice efficiently.In this fully updated second edition, you will learn how to: Select ropes in the materials that best suit your on-board requirements Customise your ropes to make your setup easier and safer Optimise your deck layout and save weight on board Taper your sheets for ease of handling Splice an extra cover on your ropes to give better grip in clutches, avoid chafe and make them last longerWhile a knot can reduce the strength of a rope by as much as 50%, a well-spliced rope loses only 5-10%. The techniques, insights and suggestions within these pages will be invaluable to all boaters, whether recreational or commercial. This refreshed new edition has been updated to take in to account developments in fibre technology and includes new splicing techniques and updated photography.>

Auteur

Jan-Willem Polman is a line specialist and tool retailer. He has written several books for the leisure boater as well as magazine articles for the yachting press.

Contenu

Introduction

1. Synthetic fibres
   Developments
   Technical features
   Breaking strain
   Safe working load
   Stretch
   Creep
   Synthetic fibres used for ropes
   Polyester
   Polyamide
   Polypropylene
   HMPE (Dyneema/Spectra)
   LCP (Vectran)
   PBO (Zylon)
   Aramid (Kevlar/ Technora)

2. Construction of ropes
   Twisted ropes
   Single braid ropes
   Double braid ropes
   Braided sleeve with a core of twisted strands or parallel fibres
   Additional adjustments

3. Which type of rope?
   Sheets and halyards
   Materials
   Diameter and tensile strength
   Length
   Mooring lines
   Diameter
   Length
   Ropes combined with camcleats
   Maintenance and troubleshooting
   Inspection
   Friction and wear
   Rope does not hold in camcleats
   Twisted ropes
   Cleaning ropes

4. Before you start
   Splicing tools
   Splicing technique and core materials
   The size of the eye
   How to remove a core from the sleeve
   'Tapering' the ends of a rope
   'Milking' the sleeve
   Long bury splicing

5. Eye splice in laid ropes
   Three-strand rope
   Eight-strand rope

6. Eye splice in polyester ropes
   Double braid rope
   Rope with a laid core
   Rope with parallel fibres in the core

7. Eye splice in Dyneema ropes
   Single braid rope
   Basic method
   Method for empty Dyneema sleeves with a non-slip fibre
   Lock splice
   Double braid rope
   Without using the sleeve
   Using the sleeve
   Double layer sleeve

8. Dyneema shackles
   Soft shackles
   Type 1
   Type 2
   Integral
   Soft shackle knot

9. Weight savings and tapering
   Tapering a doubled braided Dyneema rope
   Joining two single braid ropes
   Joining steel wire with double braid polyester
   Joining a single braid Dyneema rope with double braid polyester

10. Thickening and strengthening
    Splicing or sewing in an extra sleeve
    Splicing in an extra sleeve
    Sewing in an extra sleeve
    Splicing in an extra core

11. Continuous loops
    Double braid polyester
    For equal thickness, spliced without the core
    For strength, spliced with the core
    Single braid Dyneema
    Basic loop
    Loop with sleeve
    Double braid Dyneema

12. Whippings
    Double stitched whippings for braid ropes
    Common whipping
    Whipping for a three-strand laid rope

13. Reeving of new halyards
    Reeving eye ('Flemish eye')
    Reeving loop with whipping

14. Splicing tools
    Using a soft needle
    How to make a soft needle

Appendices
1 Features of synthetic fibres: a comparison
2 Diameters and breaking strains of ropes
Calculating breaking strains for sheets and halyards
Guidelines for diameters of sheets and halyards
Guidelines for diameters of mooring lines