“Nothin’ don’t seem impossible once you’ve clapped eyes on a whale.”
—Elizabeth Goudge
Basic ropework can sometimes seem anything but basic—all those turns and twists, in dizzying variation. But at least you’re working with whole line. Now we’re going to start taking it apart and reassembling it—it’s the only way to get the maximum strength out of a rope. Mysterious at first, and challenging, but wonderfully satisfying.
Splicing is ropework that joins two ropes by interweaving parts of each rope, which forms a semi-permanent joint. Splices can also form a loop, stopper, or eye in the rope. In the following section, you’ll learn how to make Backsplices, Eyesplices, Stoppers and Buttons, and Chain Splices with multistrand rope.
The most complex end-of-the-line work is done with the line’s component strands. To start with, there’s the Backsplice (the real thing, no butane as in Figure 3-42). To make a Backsplice, unlay the strands 8 to 10 inches, make a snug, counterclockwise Crown Knot, then tuck each end in sequence under one and over one, against the lay (Figure 4-1). Make three or four rows of tucks.
Figure 4-1. The Backsplice. Tie a Constrictor Knot or other light seizing 8 to 10 inches from the end. Unlay the rope to the seizing and crown the strands counterclockwise (A). Now the Crown Knot: Each strand goes over an end, then through a bight (B). Draw up snug and remove seizing (C). Take any end and pass it over the adjacent standing part strand, and under the next one (D). In order to tuck a strand in stiff rope, a good fid will make for the easiest and best splice. In the absence of a tool, twist with the hands as shown to raise a bight to pass the end under (E). Do not twist so much that the rope hockles (twists into loops). Tuck each strand in succession over one, under one (F). Repeat the process to make three full tucks. Trim ends one rope diameter away from the standing part, or whip just above them and trim them flush.
Further note: it is very difficult to get an optimal splice without a tool, as spaces made by twisting the rope don’t readily open in places for optimally-angled tucks.
The Backsplice is a lousy knot. Oh, it’s handy when there’s no twine or knife, but basically it’s a quick fix for raveling, too narrow to be an effective stopper but too bulky for reeving through chocks or for passing lashings. About the only place it’s much good is as a comfortable handhold, say at the end of a deck bucket’s lanyard. But there are a couple of very useful variations.
A Tree Surgeon’s Backsplice (Figure 4-2) is identical in structure to the above, but after the strands are unlaid and before Crowning, two-thirds of each strand is cut away. When tucked, the one-third-size strands do not greatly increase rope diameter.
Figure 4-2. Tree Surgeon’s Backsplice. Start as with the Backsplice, but lay out two-thirds of each strand before crowning (A). Tuck three full times and trim all ends short (B).
The Shackle Splice is a Backsplice with the Crown Knot made through the eye of a shackle (Figure 4-3). This can’t be beat for compactness and distribution of strain. The same splice can be used to attach an appropriate-sized rode to an anchor chain (see “Chain Splices”).
Figure 4-3. Shackle Splice. Pass one end through shackle (1). On other side lead it to the left of next (white) strand. Pass next (white) strand into eye of shackle from opposite direction over first strand (2). Lead it to the right of next (black) strand. Pass next (black) strand through eye of shackle from same direction as first strand (3). Pass over second (white) strand and under first, forming Crown Knot (A). Fair knot and tuck as before. This splice is compact, handsome, and distributes strain and chafe evenly among all three strands (C).
It’s a simple step from a Backsplice to an Eyesplice; the body of the knot is the same, and only the entrance differs (see sidebar on page 87, “Round Eyesplice Entry”). I should mention that my preferred entry is not the standard one—some might even consider it heretical—but it snugs up to a thimble better and is smooth on both sides (see the comparison in Figure 4-4). It is sometimes known as Lever’s Eyesplice, but if anyone gives you guff about it, call it by the name towboaters do: the Pro Splice.
Figure 4-4A–F. The Pro Splice. To finish, taper (E) or tuck strands full, three tucks minimum for natural fibers, five tucks for synthetics. The ordinary (or Mariner’s) Eyesplice (F) is not as fair at its throat as the Pro Splice.
Figure 4-5A–D. Tapering a three-strand splice. (A) After 2 full tucks, lay out about one-third of each strand. Choose sections that will be just trapped when the remaining portion is tucked again. (B) The first tapered tuck is made (upper arrow), and the laid-out portion is trapped (lower arrow). (C) “Back” the last tuck, as a form of final taper, by tucking with the lay. Enter the Phid where shown, so the strand runs down the lay, rather than across it. Note: for clarity, the slot in the Phid is shown facing the viewer; for the actual splice, rotate the Phid so that the slot faces the strand. That way you can seat the strand completely before removing the tool. (D) Completed backed tuck.
Start by unlaying the rope a sufficient distance for tucking, preferably to a Double Constrictor Knot, which keeps the three strands evenly aligned while you work. Bend the end around to form the desired-size eye and tuck the leftmost strand under, over, and under again, against the lay. Tuck the middle strand under where the first strand went over, then turn the work over and tuck the third strand under the last remaining uninvolved standing-part strand. It’s right there in the middle.
Fair the entry by pulling each strand snug, making sure that they all enter against the lay and come out at the same level; then commence regular under-and-over tucking to finish, as with the Backsplice. Don’t try to keep the strands round as you go; they’ll lie fairer and distort the rope less if they’re untwisted a little, into a ribbon shape, as you work.
Optional finishes:
1. Taper the splice by laying out one-third of each strand after three sets of tucks (four for nylon). Make another tuck with the remaining parts, then lay out half of each strand, and tuck again. The laid-out parts should be trapped under the tucks.
2. “Back” the last set of tucks. This means to tuck them with the lay. Sailmakers use this method, because it is more compact than tucking against the lay. It is also less secure, but this doesn’t bother sailmakers, because they stitch their splices to their sails. Riggers don’t have this luxury, so they tuck against the lay. But once you have enough tucks for security, you can back one more set for a quick taper. Note that backed tucks angle right down the standing part, instead of across it.
Round Eyesplice Entry
The teardrop shape of a regular spliced eye is fine for thimbled eyes, mooring lines, and most anything else. But it won’t set fair when made tight around yards or round thimbles. The entry shown here results in a fairer-leading round eye.
To make:
1 Set the eye size, then select the end strand that lies closest to the standing part. Tuck it under the nearest standing-part strand once, against the lay (from right to left when the eye is toward you).
2 Select the middle end strand and tuck it under the first two standing-part strands, against the lay.
3 Turn the eye over. You have one untucked end strand, and there’s one standing-part strand waiting for it. Pass the end over, from left to right (with the lay); then tuck back under, from right to left (against the lay).
Finish by tucking as for a regular splice: two more full tucks for manila and hemp; three more for spun Dacron; and four more minimum for nylon and other slick fibers.
If it’s multistrand bulk you’re after, the traditional knot is the Matthew Walker, structurally a series of interlocked Overhand Knots (Figure 4-6). The real challenge comes not in tying it but in drawing it up, a procedure that is for some reason always left out of knot books. The trick is to take out a little bit of slack at a time, first by hand, then with a spike, first pulling down on the bight, then up on the end. For a neat finish, lay the strands up again for a short distance (1 to 1½ inches), whip them, then cut the end flush at the top of the whipping.
Figure 4-6. Matthew Walker Knot. Tie a Constrictor about a foot from the end and unlay strands. Take first strand and make an Overhand Knot around the standing part with it (A). Take the next strand to right and make a second Overhand Knot around the standing part on top of the first knot. Pass second end up through bight of first knot, then its own bight (B). Take third end and make another Overhand Knot around standing part, on top of first two knots. Pass end up through all three bights (C). Carefully fair into cylindrical form, then draw up by first pulling a bight down, then pulling up on that bight’s end. Do this with each strand in turn, taking out a little slack at a time. Use a small spike to pull bight down as knot gets tighter. Finally, lay up and whip ends to finish (D).
Buttons can serve the same function as stopper knots like the Matthew Walker, but differ from them in that the ends are buried in the knot, obviating the laying-up-and-whipping step. But don’t think that buttons save labor; they are more intricate and harder to draw up. Their big selling point is that they are not only functional but also stylish and rare. The one shown here (#880 in Ashley) is my favorite for three- and four-strand rope. Like most buttons, it is built up from two basic knots, the Wall and Crown. We’ve already used the Crown Knot in the Backsplice (Figure 4-1), and the Wall Knot is just an upside-down Crown.
To make this button, tie a Constrictor Knot about a foot from the end, unlay the strands to it, and make a Wall Knot as shown in Figure 4-7. Fair this knot to make it even but not tight, then make a Crown on top of it. Now fair the Crown so that the combined knots look exactly like the drawing. Take a deep breath. Do you see the three bights (scallops or arcs) around the outside of the knot, with an end across the middle of each bight? Take each end and pass it up through the bight to its right, ahead of that bight’s end. Looks like a real mess, huh? Fair it into some semblance of order and take a look at the very center, down inside where the three strands fan out from the Constrictor. There are three spaces there, and you are going to drop each strand into the second space to its right. Got it? Good, that’s all there is to it.
Figure 4-7. Ashley’s Button Knot #880. Constrictor the rope about a foot from its end, unlay the strands, and “Wall” them counterclockwise by passing each strand under its neighbor to the right. A Wall is an upside-down Crown (A). Fair the Wall and make a Crown Knot on top of it, also counterclockwise. Fair the Crown, then pass each end under the bight to its right, ahead of the end to its right (B). Open the middle of the knot up a bit so you can see the three strands where they exit the Constrictor. Drop each end in turn into the second space to its right. Draw up slowly and carefully, working out a little slack at a time (C). Trim the ends off flush with the bottom to get the finished knot (D).
Draw up with a blunted spike or awl, making several passes along each strand, until the knot is hard. Carefully trim the ends off flush with the bottom of the knot. This button, the Matthew Walker, and related knots are most often used as stoppers on deadeye and other lanyards (see Chapter 10), as well as hand- and footrope ends, gaskets, beckets, and for decoration. Tied in small enough material, the Ashley #880 makes a lovely, fully functional button for clothing. A two-strand version of this knot is an essential part of my improved Soft Shackle (see pages 388)
Like a wire-and-rope halyard, a chain-and-rope anchor rode combines two materials in order to gain the virtues of both.
An all-rope rode of appropriate size is plenty strong to make a boat stay put. Made of nylon, it will be elastic, so that staying put will not involve hull- and teeth-jarring shock loads as the hull fetches up in a swell. But an all-rope rode will be subject to chafe; it will chafe away on rocky bottoms, and it will chafe away at the boat’s roller or hawse, particularly from storm-induced side loads. An all-chain rode is ultimately chafe-resistant, but it is also ultimately inelastic. It compensates somewhat for this inelasticity because in use its very weight causes it to describe that elegant, shock-absorbing sag we call a catenary. But in heavy wind and swell, the chain goes not quite straight and BAM!, instead of riding over waves, you’re colliding with them (as a friend of mine puts it, “There’s no catenary at 50 knots”). This is why, with an all-chain rode, a rope snubber is a good idea (see sidebar, “End-of-Bowsprit Anchoring”). You’ll find two other snubbers in Chapter 12 (see page 92).
With a snubber in place, you gain the virtues of chain and rope, so who needs a rope rode at all? But there are two other factors to consider. They don’t have anything directly to do with anchoring, but they can nonetheless be crucial to rode selection for your boat. The first is cost: Three-strand nylon is cheap compared to chain. For the yacht-poor sailor, this alone would make rope attractive—if there were a way to prevent chafe.
The second factor is weight. Particularly in light-displacement boats, anchor chain when stowed will trim the hull down at the bow. This cuts speed, exaggerates weather helm, and makes nose-dives more likely. To compound matters, the chain when deployed will leave the bow too buoyant, so that the boat will be inclined to sail around on its anchor.
If your boat is heavy enough and full enough forward that chain doesn’t affect your trim, then an all-chain rode with snubber can be a good (if expensive) way to go.
But for the majority of boats afloat, there’s a strong argument for combining rope and chain. Put enough chain at the lower end to provide catenary and abrasion resistance down there, and let the rest of the rode be strong, resilient, light, inexpensive rope. To avoid chafe at the upper end, see to it that your hawse or roller has smooth, wide-radiused sides, and that the rope cannot jump free under side loads. You can also cushion the rope with a length of split heavy-duty hose positioned to take the chafe. Finally, always hitch a separate rope snubber onto the rode for insurance, just as with chain.
This brings us at last to the Chain Splice, for we must have a way to join these two materials. The most often-seen way to do this is to Eyesplice the rope around a thimble, then shackle the thimble to the chain. It’s an easy method, but it has several drawbacks:
1. The thimble is inclined to chafe the rope, or to pop out, or both. You can seize the thimble to the rope, but seizings can chafe away, too.
2. The shackle can also chafe the rope, despite the presence of the thimble. In any event, it’s one more piece that can fail; a primary rule of rigging is to eliminate all possible links.
3. When hoisting the anchor, you run into trouble when the thimble hits the bow roller or hawse, and again when it reaches the winch—you have to wrestle it past both points.
This is why some authorities recommend a maximum chain length of approximately the draft of the boat plus the freeboard at the bow. With that length of chain, your anchor will have broken out by the time the thimble reaches the hangup points, and it’ll be somewhat less of a struggle to wrestle the thimble past them.
But for many boats, this means only 10 feet or so of chain, too little for adequate catenary or chafe protection. I recommend a chain section of about half your average scope. So, if the anchorages in your area are typically about 30 feet, you might veer a rode of 150 feet (5:1 ratio), 75 feet of which would be chain. If you’re in deeper water, or if the weather picks up when you’re in shallower water, the extra rode you’ll deploy will be shock-resistant, low-weight rope. And now back to the Chain Splice. This is, after all, a section about the Chain Splice.
For boats with bowsprits, rig a stout single-braid three-strand “snubber” line from deck, out to the end of the bowsprit, through a turning block, and back to deck underneath the bowsprit shrouds. After the anchor has been lowered and set, hook or tie the end of the snubber to the rode, then veer more scope so the snubber takes the strain.
If the rode is chain, it is probably best to use nylon for the snubber, as this material will provide significant elasticity to minimize shock loads, assuming adequate length (at least 30 feet, as a rule).
Snubber diameter should be the same as a rope rode would be for a given boat. Single-braid nylon has the best energy-absorbing characteristics.
If the rode is nylon rope, it is probably best to use a Dacron snubber. The idea here is that the rode provides all the elasticity needed, so the snubber can be of a more chafe-resistant material. Again, single- braid is the best construction, but here we like it for its superior handling characteristics and ease of splicing.
In either material, a snubber keeps the bow down and to weather to control yawing and pitching. It also prevents the rode from chafing on the bobstay or hull, and can be quickly and easily slacked or retrieved from deck. End-of-bowsprit anchoring is vastly superior to the practice of rigging a snubber from a fitting on the stem.
Source: Capable Cruiser
Lin and Larry Pardey
P.S. People invariably worry about subjecting the end of their bowsprit to anchoring loads, even though those loads are moderate compared to the ones that a jib puts on that same bowsprit on a normal day of sailing.
The trick is to join the rope directly to the chain, so that there are no hangups when you weigh anchor.
The Crown Splice (used in the Shackle Splice, Figure 4-3) is a good way to join three-strand rope to proof coil of BBB-grade chain. This is significantly stronger and more chafe-resistant that bending a whole rope through the last link of the chain; with the Crown, each strand has a bigger relative radius, and the load is distributed evenly among all the strands. Be sure to snug the Crown Knot down before cutting away the Constrictor. If the Crown is made snug up against the chain, the rope won’t move on the last link, and thus won’t chafe there. Instead, articulation happens at the next chain link.
Traditional Irony Chain Splice In the days before synthetics, rope was so large relative to chain of comparable strength that all three strands wouldn’t fit through the last link. The only thimble-free option was the very tidy, very secure, very tricky-to-do-well Chain Splice shown in Figure 4-8. Then along came nylon, which is much stronger than manila or hemp, so it can be much smaller: all three strands fit into the link, making the Crown Splice practicable. But now we have High Test chain, which is too small for all three strands of nylon or Dacron. So the only splice that will work is the previously archaic two-strand splice, now cutting-edge technology. Sweet irony, and it gets even sweeter: destruction tests show that this splice approaches 100 percent efficiency, while Crown splices and the like rarely exceed 80 percent.
Note: this is a high-skill knot, so make at least a couple of practice splices before you put one on an actual rode.
Before we move on to the making of this wonderful splice, I will just mention that there is now yet another skill-intensive rope-chain connection available: the Spectra Soft Shackle (see 388). Using this marvel, you can join the chain’s end link to an eyesplice in the rope. The connection is smooth enough to get past chocks and gypsies, but can be disconnected and connected at will, to switch out rodes as needed, depending on anchoring depth, or to replace worn components.
The splice: Prepare the rope by soaking 6 feet of one end in Elmer’s Washable School Glue, or similar product. This is a non-toxic gel that will wash right out when the splice is done. Massage it firmly into the rope. When it dries, the individual strands of rope will better hold their spiral shape, or “lay,” while you splice. But treat things very gently throughout the splice; unlike most others in this book, this splice requires that you preserve the lay perfectly. If you have no experience at articles like grommets, or the Mending Splice that soon follows, it will be a good idea to practice with one of them, and work your way up to this more difficult job.
Point Hudson Fid
The Point Hudson Fid (PHID) for three-strand and some single-braid rope is an obvious-once-stated advance on the old Swedish Fid. It is round in cross-section, so it makes a smaller hole in the rope to get the same clearance. And once it is in, you turn it over, so the slot is open facing the strand you want to tuck; you can leave the tool in the rope until the strand is completely home—no more dragging the end through a Dacron vise. (The PHID is available from the author.)
To start the splice, unlay the strands at least 3 feet. Tuck two of the strands through the last link of the chain (Figure 4-8A). Pull the two strands through until the link reaches the odd strand. Be gentle, so you don’t disturb the lay of the line. Lay the odd strand out a short way, leaving a groove. Take whichever of the two link strands that leads fairest to the empty space. Bend it down, give it a twist, and lay it firmly into this groove.
Figure 4-8A. Beginning the more comely Chain Splice for three-strand. Unlay the strands about 2½ feet and pass two of them through the end link, pulling them through until you reach the junction of the third strand. Now begin unlaying the third strand, leaving a vacant groove to be filled with the nearer of the two other strands (arrow)..
Continue laying out the odd strand and laying in the other strand until 6 to 8 inches of the latter remain (Figure 4-8B).
Figure 4-8B. Continue “laying out and in” until 6 to 8 inches of the “in” strand remain. As you go, give the “in” strand a firm twist and pull at each turn to make it lie fair. It should be indistinguishable from the other two strands.
Before proceeding farther, look back the way you came. Can you tell by appearance which strand you just laid in? If you can, that strand is imperfectly tensioned, which means it will bear more or less strain than the other two strands. Either way, the splice is weakened. Put everything in reverse and head back to the link. Go back and forth a few times until you can do it right. If the rope loses its lay, make up another practice piece. Remember, this is a high-skill splice; do not practice on your actual rode. The secret is first to twist the strand clockwise while holding a little tension on it, and then to pull it firmly into the groove. This same technique is also used for making rope grommets, long splices, and single-strand repairs, so it’s a skill well worth having.
When you’re a competent layer-in, return to the position in Figure 4-8B and cut off all but 6 to 8 inches of the laid-out strand.
Here you have options. For the smoothest splice, divide both the laid-in and laid-out strands into two equal bundles of yarns, right down to the rope, then tie an overhand knot with two opposite bundles, left over right. There should be just enough space between the strands for the Overhand Knot to fill (Figure 4-8C). A simpler, slightly bulkier option is to knot the whole strands together (not shown). Note: the bulky option is as strong as the compact version, and is simpler to make.
Figure 4-8C. Cut off all but 6 to 8 inches of the laid-out strand. An optional step: divide it into two equal bundles. Divide the final 6 to 8 inches of the “in” strand similarly. Overhand-Knot two opposing bundles, left over right. The knot should just fill the space between the strands.
With either method, the next step is to tuck the knotted ends against the lay, over one and under one, four or five times. If you split the strands, just leave the unknotted ends hanging out. Figure 4-8D shows the left-hand end already tucked and the right-hand end being tucked. (The splicing tool shown is the remarkable Fid-O Awl, a tool no longer available, but which inspired my own Point Hudson Phid (see Supplies).
Figure 4-8D. Tuck each strand (or half strand) against the lay four or five times, just as you would with the strands of an Eyesplice.
To finish this part of the splice, roll it underfoot to fair it, then whip or Constrictor over all exposed ends
Almost done now. Go back to the link and that lone, uncommitted strand. Tuck it under itself, against the lay (Figure 4-8E). Pull this first tuck snug, but not so much as to distort (i.e., weaken) the rope. Tuck another four or five times (Figure 4-8F), roll to fair, whip and cut (Figure 4-8G).
Figure 4-8E. Return now to the lone untucked strand, which with any luck still hangs forlornly from the end link of the chain. Pass it under its own part to form a Half Hitch ...
Figure 4-8F. ... then tuck it over and under, against the lay, five or six times.
Figure 4-8G. Roll the splice underfoot to fair, then trim the ends so they stick out at least one rope diameter. Presto! A finished Chain Splice.
Many people wonder how this splice can be strong enough when only two strands pass through the chain. But the load is split four ways, like a line going through a two-sheave block. The link radius is small, but both strands bear fully on it. That’s why this splice, done well, is the strongest of all chain splices.
The Shovel Splice Figure 4-9A shows another method: separating the rope into four equal bundles and weaving the bundles into the chain. This is particularly suited to double-braid rope, which cannot otherwise be spliced directly to chain. (For basic procedures on working with double-braid, see “Braided Rope Splices,” below.) Two bundles go back and forth through the links in one plane, and two go up and down through the links in the other plane. For maximum strength, adjust all the rope yarns as you go, so they all bear an even strain. Each pair is tucked six or seven times, then the ends of all four bundles are very securely seized to the chain (Figure 4-9B). Although this splice is easy to do, it is much weaker than any other spliced option. Also, if the rope ever touches the bottom, this splice brings up such prodigious amounts of mud that a friend of mine calls it the “Shovel Splice.” I’m including it here because it is the only way to splice double-braid to chain: you put a seizing on the cover; separate core and cover into four bundles; and splice away. However single-braid and three-strand rope are stretchier, absorb energy better, and are cheaper, so either of those constructions is better for rodes.
Figure 4-9A. The Shovel Splice—Part 1. It is weak, but will work when splicing three-strand rope to chain. But with three-strand a Crown or Irony splice is much better, and with double-braid, if you must use it for your rode, you can get a much stronger connection by putting an Eyesplice in the rope, then connecting that to the chain with an Improved Soft Shackle. To make the Shovel Splice, apply a Double Constrictor or other seizing about 2½ feet from the end of the rope, then separate the three strands (or double-braid core and cover) into four equal bundles of yarns. Weave two bundles back and forth through every other link, and the other two bundles through the intervening links, endeavoring to pull all yarns evenly tight as you go. Don’t pull so tight that you put slack in the chain (A).
Figure 4-9B. The Shovel Splice—Part 2. Tuck each bundle of yarns six or seven times, double the ends back on themselves, and seize thoroughly. It ain’t elegant, or strong, but is worth including here, if only as an emergency method. (B).
You might have noticed that only about half of this section’s text is devoted to splicing per se. This is because, at this level, any technique is only a reflection of the real business of rigging: understanding the relationships among boat type, strength requirements, sailing efficiency, cost, and convenience. Whether or not your boat can use a Chain Splice, you can, as a way to understand the rest of your rig.
A cord of three-strands is not quickly broken. Use this strong rope to make a Short Splice, a Mending Splice, or a Long Splice.
This book wouldn’t be right without a Short Splice (Figure 4-10), the strongest way to lengthen a rope whose end you’re not ready to come to.
Figure 4-10. The Short Splice is a very strong multi-strand bend. Unlay the two ropes far enough for three tucks (minimum) in manila, five in synthetics. Marry the two and tuck each set of strands over and under as for the previous splices.
To make one, unlay two ropes of the same size to Constrictor Knots, as for the Backsplice. “Marry” them and tuck each strand over one and under one, against the lay. Remove the Constrictors, snug things up, then continue tucking as with the other splices. Carefully done, this knot can’t be beat for towlines, pendants, and all sorts of temporary repairs, particularly in emergencies. Its one drawback is that it bulks too much to pass through a block.
Short Splice, short explanation.
Every so often a boat will slash away at a piece of running rigging with a burr on a masthead sheave mortise, for example, or an unsuspected sharp porthole corner. You can smooth out the edges that did the damage, but what about the line? You can darn a lightly chafed yacht braid cover with needle and thread, but a deep cut is impractical to mend. So about all you can do is replace it and hope there’s a long enough piece of whole rope left to use where you need a shorter line.
But if you damage three-strand rope with a sudden slash, it’s possible that most or all of the damage will be done to one strand. And if that’s the case, the Mending Splice will repair it.
You’ll need about 3 feet of the same diameter, construction, and material as the damaged piece. If the damaged piece is plenty long, cut 3 feet off its end. Soak this section in the same gel you’d use for the Traditional Irony Chain Splice; this is to keep the line from losing its spiral shape, or “lay,” as you work. Let the line dry, then gently unlay one strand right out of it. This is your mending strand.
Now go to the damaged piece and cut the wounded strand the rest of the way through. Undo, or “lay out,” the two resulting ends a full turn each, and set the middle of the mending strand into the space they leave. Lay out one of the wounded ends another turn, and lay in behind it with one end of the mending strand. Twist the mending strand clockwise, with a little tension on it, and pull it firmly into the groove. It should be indistinguishable from the two strands next to it. If it is tighter or looser than they, or has more or less twist, it will take more or less strain than they do, and the rope will be weakened. So, practice until you can lay in smoothly (Figure 4-11).
Figure 4-11. Mending Splice. Cross and finish the ends as for a Chain Splice or Long Splice.
Lay out and in until there are 6 to 8 inches of the wounded new strand remaining, and split both strands in half down to the standing part, leaving a small space between the two pairs of strands (as in 4-12B). Tie an Overhand Knot, left over right, with half of each pair. The knot should just exactly fill the space. If it fits poorly, undo it and lay up or unlay the halves until you get two that fit well when knotted. Leave the other two halves hanging out, and tuck each of the knotted ends against the lay four or five times. As a simpler but lumpier option, you may tie the whole strands together and tuck them.
Repeat the procedure with the other two ends, wash the gel out, and you’re done.
With a little practice at delicate handling, you will find you can skip starching all but the softest-laid line. This will qualify the splice as not only clever and economical, but also valuable as an emergency procedure.
It’s worth noting here that boats are always doing non-emergency damage to rope. They chew on it with fairleads, sheaves, winch drums, and especially with chocks, stoppers, and self-tailing gear. They chew on it gently, but steadily; about the only thing you can do is to try to blunt their teeth. Use bigger fairleads and sheaves. Carefully angle leads to winches so you get no wraps. File gentler curves into the edges of chocks and bow roller side-keepers. Minimize the use of stoppers and self-tailers. And end-for-end lines when wear becomes noticeable, to get the most life out of them.
All of these little details are a lot less dramatic, but in the long run even more valuable than the Mending Splice.
In all of rigging, there is no knot more often asked about nor less often useful than the Long Splice. There’s something undeniably fascinating about it, about the way it leaves a line’s appearance and diameter almost unchanged. Perhaps it reminds people of those ever-popular Cut-and-Restored tricks (see Chapter 11)—“And now I will take this severed line and make it whole again!”
Handy as that ability might seem, most of the times I’ve been called upon to make a Long Splice have been because of mistakes (for instance, a halyard that was made too short), or in emergencies (for instance, a halyard that used to be long enough that suddenly became too short). In either instance, a Short Splice might serve as well, so long as the splice doesn’t have to go through a sheave or stopper. And in that case, just having some spare rope as a replacement is the best solution.
Making a Long Splice requires quite a bit of rope and a lot of skill. And unlike the more practical Mending Splice, which only disturbs one-third of the rope, the Long Splice requires that you deal with all three strands of two pieces and that you get them all evenly tensioned to preserve rope strength. As with the Traditional Irony Chain Splice, it’s a good idea to practice with a simpler splice, like the Mending Splice, before tackling this one.
Still want to learn it? Okay, here goes:
First, the ropes must be of the same diameter, material, and construction.
Next, it’s a good idea to stiffen the ends with washable school glue (see the Traditional Irony Splice), to help the strands to hold their spiral shape, or “lay.” This is particularly important with nylon rope. Gel at least 4 feet (1.2 m) of line for every 1 inch (25 mm) of diameter. So, a ½-inch (13-mm)-diameter piece would be starched at least 2 feet (0.6 m) from the end.
When the rope is dry, gently unlay the two lines almost to the untreated section. “Marry” the ends just the way you’d lace your fingers together (Figure 4-12A). Take any convenient strand from the line on the left and “lay it out” of the marriage without disturbing any of the other strands. Hold it off to the left, leaving a space where it had been. Now adjust the position of the two lines, pushing them slightly closer together or pulling them slightly farther apart so that the corresponding strand from the right side falls neatly into that just-vacated space. This is the most difficult part of the splice; it’s tricky getting a good, close marriage while keeping everything together while you make these initial setting-in moves. But just as with a real marriage, you only need to be careful, attentive, and to take your time.
Figure 4-12A–C. The Long Splice. Marry the two ends and Constrictor four of the six strands together. The other two, which lie in the same groove, are laid “in and out,” with the one on the left being removed from the groove and the one on the right taking its place (A). Lay out and in as for the Mending Splice and Chain Splice until the “laid-in” strand is just long enough to make four splice tucks, then halve the two strands (optional), Overhand-Knot, and ... (B) ... tuck the ends to finish, again just as for the Chain Splice (C).
With that right-hand strand neatly in the groove, seize or Constrictor together the four strands that are still married. This part is easier with an assistant.
Leaving the married strands for the moment, go back to the two working strands and lay them out and in, just as with the Mending Splice. Either knot and tuck whole strands, or, for a more compact splice, split them first (Figure 4-12B,C).
Come back to the married pairs and cast off their seizing. Overhand Knot two whole opposing strands together—with just enough tension to hold them in position for the moment—and lay the other two strands out and in, off to the right (Figure 4-12D). Splice ’em.
Figure 4-12D–E. Now return to the other four ends. Cut away the Constrictor and tie two ends together while you lay the other two out and in (in the opposite direction from the first pair). Split and tuck as before. Then untie, adjust, fair, retie, split, and tuck the middle pair right there at the original marriage site (D). A finished Long Splice. Leave all ends a half-inch or so “proud,” or whip over all junctures and cut the ends flush (E).
Return once more to the original marriage site and undo the Constrictor Knot. Make any adjustments necessary for a fair lead (twisting, untwisting, tightening, slacking). Reknot and splice, splitting the strands first if you prefer. Wash the gel out, and you’re done (Figure 4-12E). In an emergency, I’d be inclined to do an eye-to-eye splice or a Short Splice if that part of the line didn’t have to get through a sheave or stopper.
As with basic knots, splices have undergone evolutionary changes in this century due to stronger, slicker materials, and more concentrated rig loads. But whereas contemporary knots are for the most part evolved from old knots, the introduction of single- and double-braided ropes has necessitated the from-scratch invention of splices completely different from any previous ones. Therefore, splicing today involves upgraded traditional skills for three-strand, and a whole new vocabulary for braid.
Many a sailor’s response is to say, “Forget that braided stuff. I’ll stick to something I can understand.” Others say, “I don’t understand braid, but I can hire somebody to splice it.” These are legitimate attitudes, but I believe that most people stay away from splicing the braid, and particularly double-braid, because of horrible instructions and, to some extent, awkward tools.
Braid is well worth dealing with when low stretch and high strength are important. An extra benefit is that it isn’t as weakened by going over a small radius as three-strand is; the fibers on braid can flatten out more, for better bearing. Why is this a “benefit”? Because it means that, for all but the most extreme applications, you don’t need a thimble to provide that bearing. Without a thimble, setup is easier. And without a thimble you can make very small eyes for halyards, to give you extra effective hoist length and less bulk to chafe on things up there.
The concept of splicing braid, once you strip it of all the “fid lengths” and assorted marks it is usually obscured by, is very, very simple. What follows are streamlined instructions for several braid splices. Which splice you use is determined by which rope construction you select. And that is determined by the job you want it to do. (For more on this subject, see the “Characteristics” sidebars in Chapter 2, pages 25-26) Double-braid is the most common construction, but I strongly urge you to start with the Stropsicle and the 12-Strand Eyesplice, to become familiar with details and technique.
As with any knot, a splice is secure if it can generate enough friction that no amount of jerking or extreme of load can pull it out. A braid splice accomplishes this by the Chinese Handcuff principle, whereby the exterior of the braid compresses on what’s inside as the load is applied. The only trick is to be sure you have buried enough tail for that handcuff effect to work.
As you’ll see, tail length varies depending on rope material and construction. Just as with three-strand rope, the stronger and slicker the rope, the more friction you need for security. But instead of making extra tucks, you bury extra length. A good field rule for single- and double-braid Dacron and nylon ropes is to make a splice tail that is 24 times the diameter of the rope. And a brilliantly simple way of calculating it is this: Find the rope diameter in sixteenths of an inch, increase the numerator by half, and bury the result in inches. If, for example, you have 
-inch rope, you’d increase the 7 by half and get 10½, and your splice tail would be 10½ inches long.
If you had ½-inch-diameter rope, that would be 
inch. Since 8 plus half itself is 12, you’d bury 12 inches. So then, ⅜ inch is 
inch, and 6 plus 3 is 9; 9 inches is your tail. With this formula, brought to you by Christian Gruyé, my extremely smart spouse, you’ll never have to deal with the pesky fid lengths that confuse standard instructions.
The Icicle Hitch (Figure 3-12) will hold better than any other knot, but you can maximize its effectiveness with this first splicing project. The hollow tail grips tenaciously, while the eye stays open and easy to tie to. The Stropsicle is a short length of rope, configured to take maximum advantage of the Icicle Hitch. Start with a piece of ⅜ -inch double-braid Dacron about 6 feet long. Measure 9 inches for the tail, and form a small eye. Stick a paper clip or safety pin through the rope at the middle of the eye. Pull the core out of the rope at both ends of the eye and cut the core ends. The paper clip will hold the core in the eye in place (Figure 4-13A).
Figure 4-13A. The Stropsicle. Hold the core in place with a paper clip.
Splicing Wand
The best tool for splicing braided rope is the Splicing Wand, and I’d say that even if I didn’t invent it. The Wand is available at some chandleries, and from the author. You’ll see it in use in Figures 4-13, 4-16, and 4-18.
The Splicing Wand makes the job less intimidating. Once the tool is in the rope, it slides back to reveal a snare. The snare grabs the tail to be buried and tucks it.
That said, you can do these splices using any tool, including a coat hanger; it just won’t be as easy. Regardless of which tool you use, be careful to avoid snagging any interior yarns with the tool.
Note: The Stropsicle can be made with any-diameter rope; adjust the splice tail length to suit, using the simple formula described in the introduction to this section for the double-braid splices.
Brummel Splice The Brummel Splice provides extra security for this strop: Tuck the tail through the standing part at the end of the eye. Pull the tail through until the core fetches up in the hole. Tuck the standing part through the tail right below where it emerges. Pull it up snug. Figure 4-13B shows a Splicing Wand (see sidebar) being used for tucking; other fids will also work. (See also the double-sheet application of the Brummel Splice in Chapter 5, page 167.)
Figure 4-13B. A Brummel Splice, using a Splicing Wand, provides extra security.
Finishing Taper the tail, as in Figure 4-16D (page 109). Bury the tail about 13 inches in the standing part, starting just below the Brummel Splice (Figure 4-13C). Stitch through the rope a few times with a thread, to secure the end. Tape or seize the end of the standing part (Figure 4-13D).
Figure 4-13C. Bury the tail, starting just below the Brummel Splice.
Figure 4-13D. Tape or seize the end of the standing part.
A single-braid rope might be made with 4, 6, 8, 12, or some other number of strands. It might be made of a “conventional” synthetic like Nylon or Dacron, a high-modulus fiber like Spectra, or some sort of blend. It would be nice if one splice could be used for all the forms of single-braid, but that is definitely not the case. Some constructions require that the ends be unbraided, so that they can be woven into the standing part. Others have enough room in their centers to allow a (preferably tapered) end to be tucked inside. Consider this splice, which is of the latter type, to be an introduction to the topic. It was developed specifically for New England Rope’s Regatta Braid, but it can be adapted to similar constructions made with conventional synthetics.
A single-braid rope has a hollow center, and this splice simply consists of tucking the end of the rope into this hollow, to form an eye.
To start, measure 24 diameters from the rope end, using the simple formula given earlier. Pull a single yarn (not an entire strand) out of the end of the rope to mark this point. Be very careful to avoid disturbing the braid beyond this point.
It will be a lot easier to tuck the end into the rope if you taper the end first. It’ll be like driving a wedge in instead of a blunt-ended cylinder. A tapered splice is also stronger, as there is less of a stress riser to weaken the rope where the splice ends. A tapered splice will also last longer, as it has no sharp shoulder to chafe. And if all that isn’t enough, a tapered splice just looks a lot better. This is significant, as splices can be as desirable for clean appearance as they are for brute strength.
So, have I convinced you to make a taper? Good. Count about 10 chevrons from the end. Pull out a pair of strands, one leading to the left, the other to the right. Count five more chevrons and pull out the fifth pair. Repeat three more times, pulling out every fifth pair of strands (Figure 4-14A). If you counted right, you will now have eight strands laid out. Finally, go up six more pairs and pull out a single yarn.
Figure 4-14A–C. 12-Strand Single-Braid Eyesplice. The single yarn marks where the eye will begin (A). Bury the tail into the standing part (B). Cut the laid-out ends off flush as they are about to enter the bury (C).
Starting at the single yarn, measure the eye circumference you want. Bury the tail into the standing part, starting at the far side of the eye, for about one-and-a-third times the length of the tail. You bury for the extra tail length because the braid you are tucking into will expand and shorten (as we all do), as it gets filled with the tail. This extra bury is the rule for all braid splices. If you are using the Splicing Wand (see sidebar), enter it at the mark, exit it at the eye, grab the end, and withdraw. Milk and massage your way through, keeping the rope bunched up to make more room (Figure 4-14B).
Cut the laid-out ends off flush as they are about to enter the bury. Waiting to cut them helps keep them from backing out before tucking (Figure 4-14C).
Pull the end down until the lone yarn just reaches the bury; you will then have the eye size you wanted. Remove the tool, then smooth and massage the rope out straight. The tail will disappear inside (Figure 4-14D).
Figure 4-14D. Pull the end until the single yarn reaches the bury. Smooth and massage the rope out straight.
Thread the single yarn onto a large sail needle or darning needle (for an easy needle-threading technique, see sidebar on page 106). Stitch back and forth through the throat of the splice a few times to secure it. Tuck the needle in about ⅛ inch from where it emerged for the previous stitch, so the stitches don’t show (Figure 4-14E). Don’t pull too tight; just get the slack out. This stitching is very important, because our handcuff effect only kicks in as the load goes up. Under light loads, such as on a sheet in light air, or a mooring line in a quiet cove, the splice can crawl apart. The stitching holds things for the first few pounds.
Figure 4-14E. Stitch the single yarn
Figure 4-14F shows the finished splice.
Figure 4-14F. The finished splice.
This is a very weird splice, for single-braids made from Spectra, Technora, etc. These ropes are much stronger than either nylon or Dacron, so they need much longer buries to generate enough friction to guarantee high-load security. In addition, they need more low-tension security than a lock stitch can readily provide—and low loads for this stuff can be measured in tons. Therefore, in addition to stitching, make a Brummel Splice. This is the same splice you used for the Stropsicle, and you can make it the same way, if you wish. But because the halyards that the exotics are usually used for are so long, it can take a lo-o-o-ng time to drag the standing part through. So, someone came up with the Brummel shown here, which somehow materializes without passing the standing part. My thanks to Stanley Longstaff and Robbie Young for showing me this version. And yes, there are other versions, including some that allow you to “stack” multiple Brummels. For these and other splicing variants, see my other books in the Sources section.
Instead of 24 diameters, measure 72 diameters from the end. Tuck the end through the rope at this point (Figure 4-15A). Pull the end through, massaging if necessary, until the rope capsizes and smooths out, forming a little hole (Figure 4-15B).
Figures 4-15A–E. The Mobius Brummel. Measure and tuck (A). Pull, and capsize to form a hole (B). Measure, tuck, pull, and form second hole (C). Work eye length up through end-side hole, pull (D). Adjust splice until it locks together (E).
Measure the eye circumference you want, beginning at the hole and working away from the end. Then tuck the end through again at this point, which is the far side of the eye. Pull the end through to form a second capsized hole (Figure 4-15C).
The eye length lies between the two holes. Using an awl, a piece of string, or your fingers, work the eye length up through the end-side hole. Pull it through until the other hole comes through, too (Figure 4-15D).
The eye length still lies between the two holes. Pull it through the standing-part-side hole this time, until the hole capsizes back. Adjust the splice until it locks together (Figure 4-15E).
Taper the tail before tucking. Count six to eight strands away from the Brummel, and pull out one strand. Pull out seven or eight more strands at regular intervals, alternating left and right strands. Finish the taper by cutting the end on a long angle (Figure 4-15F).
Finish the splice by tucking it into the standing part about one-and-a-half times the length of the tail, as for the 12-Strand Eyesplice (Figure 4-15G). This is just one taper for this construction of rope. Some ropes are very loosely laid, and won’t hold together once you pull all those yarns out to taper them. If this happens to you, check the ropemaker’s recommendations for your rope.
Figures 4-15F–G. Finish the taper (F). The finished splice (G).
Materials needed:
20 feet (6 m) of ½ -inch (or 13-mm) double-braided Dacron
heavy-duty scissors
small marlingspike or awl
sail needle
China marker
tape measure
splicing tool
To de-alienize the procedure, first picture the rope. It’s made of two braided tubes, one inside the other. Why make rope this way? Because you can get more yarns into the same diameter than with three-strand, so the rope is stronger for its size. And because of the angle of the braids, the yarns travel a shorter distance between the ends, so there’s less stretch. The two tubes are not attached to one another, so if the ends are not whipped or (shudder) melted, you can slide back the outer tube (the “cover”) to expose the inner tube (the “core”). It’s just like sliding the wrapper back to expose a straw. This independence of core and cover is the key to splicing double-braid.
Squint-free Needle Threading
It’s tough to get the bulky yarns of rope into even a large needle when stitching a braided rope splice (see text), unless you know this old embroiderer’s trick: bend the thread around the needle shaft, and pinch it tight up against the shaft with thumb and forefinger. Slide it off the shaft, and you’ll have a flat little nubbin between your fingertips. Just hold those fingertips up against the needle’s eye and push. Threaded.
If you can’t get the whole yarn in, even with this trick, split out half or less of the yarn. Thread and use that to stitch, and trim the rest flush.
Half the strength of this rope is in the cover, and half is in the core, so it’s very important that both take an even strain if the splice is to be maximally strong. All the measurements you’ll be doing are there to make things come out so there’s no slack in core or cover when you’re done.
To make things easier when you’re doing practice splices—and please do a few—use new, color-covered Dacron or Nylon rope of good quality. If your rope contains high-modulus fibers, use the Core-to-Core Splice, in the next section.
Setting Up, Part 1 Measure a splice tail whose length is 24 times the diameter of the rope (see formula at the beginning of this section). Pull a lone yarn (not an entire strand) out of the end at this point. This is the Cover Marker Yarn. Be very careful to avoid disturbing the braid beyond this point.
Starting at the yarn, measure an eye of the circumference you want. When you’ve located the far side of the eye, measure about 8 feet farther and tie a Alpine Butterfly Knot (Figure 3-16) or other jam-proof loop knot.
Go back to the end of the rope, and pull out as much core as you readily can. Just slide it out until the cover is bunched firmly against the knot. Then loop the knot over a good anchor point and smooth the cover back toward the end. Do this with real firmness, squeezing the cover with both hands while you slide them toward the end. You are doing all this in order to balance the core and cover. On a well-made rope, the cover might get right back to where it started, because the whole length of the rope was balanced at the factory. But you have to make sure, because the measurements and marks we are about to make will only work if the rope is balanced.
Return to the far side of the eye. Bend the rope sharply here, and hold it bent while you use the point of an awl (or spike) to nudge the cover yarns aside in all directions, to expose a small portion of the core. Finally, use the awl to bring the core out of the cover. Work it out, easing the cover yarns out of the way. As soon as the core starts to come out, stick the awl through it, to mark this spot, the Core Exit (Figure 4-16A).
Figure 4-16A–B. Double-Braid Eyesplice. Measure and mark (A). Make a mark on the core eight diameters from the exit point (B).
Setting Up, Part 2 Pull the core end right out of the rope. Leave the awl in place, or remove it and make a light mark with your China marker where the awl was. This is the “zero point,” which would line up with the cover if you were to smooth the cover out again. Unfortunately it will no longer do so after we distort the cover by tucking extra material into it. So we have to establish a new zero point, to make the splice come out even.
Starting at the awl or mark, measure one-third of the cover tail length (see Table 4) away from the end. Mark the core vividly at this point, or pull out one core yarn there. (Figure 4-16B). This is the second core mark, your new zero point, around which you will orient the splice.
Tucking the Core Let’s get back to the cover tail. Measure about two rope diameters toward the end from the Cover Marker Yarn. You can mark this spot if you feel compelled to, but it is enough to make note of where it is (Figure 4-16C). Using a Splicing Wand or other tool, insert the core into the cover, and bring it out at the 14 diameter mark (also Figure 4-16C) The core will travel away from the cover end, refill the now-hollow eye, and dive into the standing part, sliding along between core and cover (Figure 4-16C). (If your rope has tracer marks, this length is about four of them. If your rope does not have tracers, see the accompanying chart for this length. You can see the tracer marks in Figure 4-16D.)
Figure 4-16C. Pull out extra core, to bunch up the cover, then slide the Wand in, starting about 14 rope diameters from the throat of the splice. This is about four tracer lengths. Bring the tool out about two diameters past the cover marker yarn. Pull on the core, to make sure that it wasn’t snagged by the tool; if it is free, it will slide in and out
Figure 4-16D. Using tracer marks, taper the cover. (Note that yarns will be longer than shown here.)
If you want to splice a closed shackle on, you need to do it before making this tuck. Have I ever finished an entire splice, then realized I had forgotten to put the shackle on? Nahh.
Tapering the Cover Bring the core end a short way out of the cover. Measure a tracer length or so toward the end of the cover from where the core goes in, and pull three sets of yarns out. Go down another tracer length and pull another three sets of yarns out. Do this twice more, pulling out three sets of yarns each time. Alternate left- and right-leading sets of yarns. Finish the taper by combing out eight diameters of the end, and cutting it on a long-taper (dotted line, Figure 4-16D).
If you handle the rope gently to keep it from raveling, you can cut the laid-out ends off flush now. Or you can cut them off as you tuck, as in the 12-strand splice.
Some ropes have three yarns in each set, others only two. This taper works for either con- struction.
Tucking the Cover Measure one-and-a-third times the cover tail length, starting at the mark on the core, and continuing away from the cored end. The cover tail will be buried into this length of core. Again, we show a Splicing Wand doing the tuck (Figure 4-16E).
Figure 4-16E–F. Insert the Wand into the core, about one and one-third times the length of the cover tail from the cover tail’s entry point. Tuck the cover (E). Tuck the cover into the core at the core mark. Exit the cover about 14 rope diameters—or about 4 colored marker lengths—down the standing part. Be careful to avoid snagging the core (F).
Tidying Up The spot where the two ends go into each other is called the Crossover. Snug up the Crossover by (a) pulling on the core end while holding the cover just above where the core emerges, then (b) pulling on the cover end while holding the core just above where the cover emerges. Lock the Crossover down tight (Figure 4-16F).
Smoothing The Crossover is tight, but the rope is all bunched up. Smooth it out by (a) holding the core side of the Crossover with one hand, and sliding your other hand firmly down the cover, all the way to where the core end emerges. Repeat, smoothing all the slack out. Then (b) hold the cover side of the Crossover with one hand while sliding your other hand down the core, towards the cover end (Figure 4-16G).
Figure 4-16G. Smooth the slack.
The core end will withdraw a short distance, and the cover end will disappear inside. Be careful to hold the Crossover firmly during this operation, so it doesn’t pull apart, even a little.
Cutting the Core, Stitching the Crossover If you pulled a yarn from the core to make the second mark, you have the option of threading it onto a large sail needle or darning needle (see the nifty threading trick shown in the sidebar “Squint-free Needle Threading”).
Stitch back and forth through the core side of the Crossover. Use neat stitches, tucking the needle in almost exactly where the previous stitch emerges, so you won’t leave lumpy stitches on the surface. The idea is to lock the Crossover together and to make this section, which is the thickest that will have to go into the rope, easier to bury. Snug the first two or three stitches down gently, to anchor the yarn. Pull succeeding stitches firmly. As I say, this is an optional step, and not an important one. And for very small eyes it is a bad idea, as there is not enough room for the stitches to adjust, so the splice can deform. This is the kind of thing I learn, often after years of doing things a certain way, because patient and knowledgeable people (I’m looking at you, Samson) take the trouble to educate me.
Next, grip the core end right where it emerges from the cover (Figure 4-16H). When all the slack is out of the cover, pinch the core right where it exits, pull it out a few inches, and cut it off right where you’re pinching it. Then ravel the end, taper it on a long angle, as in 4-16D. Once more smooth out the cover, starting at the Crossover. This time the core will disappear inside.
Figure 4-16H. Grab the core where it emerges from the cover. Pull it out and cut it off right where you grabbed it. Then cut the resulting tail on a big angle.
Running the Splice Home In the words of my friend Emiliano, “You now have one more chance to ruin the whole thing.” To finish the splice, you need to anchor the Butterfly to something very solid, pull on the eye, and milk all the slack out of the cover, so it swallows the exposed core and the Crossover. This is the place where most people get into trouble, so here are a few tricks to make the process easier:
1. With the loop knot anchored, start at the knot and milk the cover toward the eye. Stop when you get within a foot or so of the cover tail that’s inside the core. As the standing part of the core slides into the cover, it wants to drag the core end into the rope with it. When this happens, the eye cover gets bunched up. To fix this pull back on the cover side of the eye, or put a hammer into the eye and snap the rope sharply against the belay. This will yank the core tail back out and smooth the eye. Repeat this maneuver any time the cover gets bunched up, as soon as you see it happening. If you wait to do this until the splice is mostly home, you will have an extremely hard time budging things. Note that, when snapping with the hammer that it is very important that the handle is always angled away from you. Also be sure to stand far enough back that you can’t hammer yourself in the knee, or have the splice slide up the handle and slam into your hand.
2. Hold the cover side of the Crossover, apply tension, and while keeping the tension on, smooth the core firmly away from the Crossover. This will make the core tight and smooth, so it won’t bunch up in front of the advancing cover.
3. By keeping tension on the core while you run the cover home, you remove any slack from the core, so it won’t bunch up and make a plug, preventing the Crossover from going into the cover. You also reduce the core’s diameter, so the cover can swallow it more easily.
With many ropes, you can maintain tension with one hand and milk the slack toward you with the other. With tougher ropes, get a friend to pull on the eye, to make the core even smaller, while you milk the slack toward the eye. For really tough rope, Icicle-Hitch (Figure 3-12) a smaller, separate line to the core side of the eye. Attach this line to a winch or come-along and crank it tight (Figure 4-16I). For absurdly tough or really large rope, you might need to tension with a fork lift. Be certain your anchors can take the strain. Unless something is odd (see problems, page 114) you won’t have to revert to this last dodge. Remember to pause occasionally to deal with bunching up in the eye cover.
Figure 4-16I. Finishing a Double-Braid Eyesplice in hard-laid rope. A line is Icicle-Hitched to the core side of the eye. A come-along or winch pulls at the other end. The operator works the slack in the cover toward the eye.
4. As my friend J. Mark says, “Rope loves to be massaged.” So whenever it gets hard to make the cover move, stop and bend the rope, firmly and repeatedly, where it’s tight from trying to swallow all that extra material. This will loosen up the fibers.
5. When forming very small halyard eyes, there will not be room for your hand in the eye as it approaches home; put a marlingspike or screwdriver in and hold on to that.
6. No matter how little or much effort it takes, the splice will be home when you (a) get the Cover Marker Yarn to the edge of the bury; and (b) have no slack in either the eye or the standing part.
If you run out of slack before the yarn is at the bury, if you are positive there’s no slack in either the eye or the standing part, and if you’re sure that all your measurements are correct, then there’s an adjustment you can make for subsequent splices: Let’s say you ended up one inch short of your goal. The next time you splice this rope, make the vivid mark on the core one inch farther from the first mark than you did this time.
Given a correct setup, there are only three reasons why you’d need to make this adjustment:
You are splicing lousy rope. Cheap rope is not well tensioned at the factory, so core and cover are not balanced. If you’re stuck with splicing this stuff, you have to make up a measurement that works.
You are splicing nylon. For some reason, nylon sometimes reacts differently to splicing than Dacron. Try pulling the core yarn out one-half the length of the cover tail from the spike. As noted elsewhere, double-braided nylon doesn’t make a lot of sense, because you use it in situations where you want stretch.
You are splicing old, or even slightly used rope. When you know how to splice this stuff quickly and well, people are going to ask you to do their lines for them. It’s great work, as a favor or for pay. But sooner or later someone is going to ask you to splice a line that is not new. When they do, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by answering with a firm “no.” Old double-braid, broken down by sunlight, salt water, and use, is vicious, unrenderable stuff. If you must try: Wash the line first and use fabric softener; after excising the core, bunch the cover back fiercely against the loop knot to loosen the fibers, then smooth it back out before marking the Core Exit; and pound on the cover with a rubber or wooden mallet before you go to run the splice home. Even all of that might not be enough. There are advanced ways around this, but the one that is most often resorted to—not burying the core into the standing part, so there’s more room for the cover—leaves a potentially weak spot on one side of the eye. Reputable manufacturers recommend this, at least for used rope, (I’m looking at you, Samson), but it is a bad idea. Better to get new rope.
Figure 4-16J. A finished Double-Braid Eyesplice.
Once the splice is completely home, use the Cover Marker Yarn to stitch the throat of the splice a few times, as for the Single-Braid Eyesplice (see 102). Done.
The Mobius Brummel (Figure 4-15) is called upon when you are splicing an exotic that has no cover. But you can also get the stuff with a cover, in which case it looks just like regular old double-braid. But it doesn’t splice like regular old double-braid; the cover is there only to provide compression for splice security, chafe and UV protection for the standing part, and some extra meat for stoppers, winches, and cleats to grip onto. So the splice, in essence, is a 12-strand splice, with an extra- long bury, that is made inside a cover.
Setting Up For yacht-diameter ropes, start by tying a Butterfly Knot about 10 feet or so from the rope end. Pull the core out of the end and bunch the cover up, as for the regular double-braid splice. Smooth the cover out firmly and repeatedly. With this rope, all of the strength is in the core. Because the cover isn’t structural, it isn’t balanced in tension with the core at the factory; balancing is even more important than with normal rope. It is almost a certainty that, after you have finished the balancing, there will be a significant amount of core sticking out of the cover.
Figure 4-17A–C. Core-to-Core Splice. Mark the core (A). Running the core through the cover of the eye. Thread on the shackle now, it you want one (B). Core Mark #3 (C).
Measure 48 rope diameters from the end of the core, and make a mark on the cover with a marking pen or China marker. Continue on from there to get the eye circumference you want—usually very short, as these lines are used for halyards and sheets. Take the core out at the far side of the eye.
Smooth the cover out one more time, and make a mark right where the core exits (Core Mark #1 in Figure 4-17A). If the core is a light color, use a marking pen or (preferably) a China marker. If it’s dark, use a white China marker or white-out. Make a second mark eight diameters up from the first (one-third of a Dacron cover tail length). This is Core Mark #2.
Tucking Tuck the core in at the cover mark, and out in the same hole it’s already coming out of. You just take a trip through the circumference of the eye. If you are splicing a closed-loop shackle on, thread it onto the core now (Figure 4-17B).
More Setting Up Pull on the core end until the first mark on the core lines up with the mark on the cover. Holding the marks together, smooth out the eye circumference. Then mark the core once more, just where it exits the cover. Call this Core Mark #3 (Figure 4-17C).
Tapering the Core Pull a yarn out of the core eight diameters or so beyond Core Mark #3. Pull seven to nine more yarns out at regular intervals, working toward the core end. Finish the taper by raveling the end and cutting it on a long angle (Figure 4-17D).
Figure 4-17D–E. Taper the core (D). (Pulled yarns will be longer than shown here.) Tuck the core back into itself at Core Mark #2 (D).
More Tucking Tuck the core into itself at Core Mark #2. Bury it for about one-and-a-third times its length (Figure 4-17E). Cut the laid-out yarns off as they begin to go into the bury. You can cut them off sooner, but at least the first few of them are in a loose enough weave that they can get loose, tangle, bunch up, and generally ruin your splice.
Important Note: Your shackle (not shown) needs to be between the first and second marks on the core at this point.
Running It Toward Home Yes, it looks very strange now, but it will resolve.
After the core’s tail emerges, pull it through until the third mark lines up with the second mark. Don’t worry about where the other mark is. Holding these two marks together, smooth the core out. Its tail will disappear inside. In Figure 4-17F the shackle is shown where it should be.
Figure 4-17F–H. Pull tail until marks #2 and #3 line up (F). Pull mark #1 back around (G). The finished splice (H).
Anchor the Butterfly and begin milking the slack out of the cover. Keep those two marks lined up, and try to keep the core from bunching up.
Walking It All the Way Home This is the hard part. It’s physically difficult to get the cover to swallow all that extra core, and it’s conceptually difficult to see where you’re going, right up to the moment you get there. Just concentrate on those two marks, keep tension on the core ahead of the marks, and keep the cover coming. Massage. As the paired marks are about to go in, pull the lone mark (#1) back around so it’s lined up with the mark on the cover again, as in Figure 4-17G. Massage some more. Snap against the belay. Milk the cover around; it will eventually—just—cover all the exposed core.
The cover is still outside, of course. You just need to whip, tape, serve, or heat-shrink a stub of it to the standing part, and cut off the rest. Figure 4-17H shows the heat-shrink option.
The Finished Splice Cover the taped-down cover with service, rigger’s tape, or, as shown, a layer or two of heat-shrink tubing (Figure 4-17H).
So much for the exotics. Now we come to what used to be my favorite halyard material, Sta-Set-X. As I mentioned in Chapter 2 (page 23), Sta-Set-X stretches less than double braid and costs almost exactly the same. It’s also more UV-resistant, as the core takes all the load, shaded by the cover. And it’s actually easier to splice, once you get the hang of it. In our shop, it has been eclipsed by VPC, another New England product, which is a blend of Vectran and a polyolefin filler. This rope stretches significantly less than X, and takes a standard core-to-core splice. But it is still hard to beat X as a good value, so here is the splice.
Setting Up For yacht diameter ropes, make your Butterfly about 8 feet from the end. Balance the rope. As with core-to-core rope, this rope has all the strength in the core, and isn’t balanced at the factory, so you need to be sure of the balance now. One thing that is very different about this rope is that the core is wrapped in two helical layers of gauze; try to keep them intact.
Once the rope is balanced, make a mark on the cover 16 diameters from the end of the core. (That length is the rope diameter in sixteenths, expressed in inches. So a -inch rope would have a mark 7 inches from the end.) Measure the eye circumference you want. Pull the core out on the far side of the eye. This will be easier to do than with other cored ropes, but be careful not to disturb the gauze. Make sure the cover is smooth. Using a felt-tip pen, mark the core lightly where it exits the cover.
Gauze Removal Pull extra core out and make a second mark on it eight diameters, or half the cover tail length, farther from the end than the first mark on the core. Make this second mark a heavy one,, to get the ink to penetrate through the gauze.
The next step is to remove the gauze from the length of the core that will form the bury and the eye circumference. The bury length will be naked because the uncovered fibers will grip better than covered ones would. The eye length will be naked because uncovered fibers will flatten out and resist chafe better than covered ones would.
Lay the rope on a firm, flat surface. With a razor knife, slit through the gauze layers for about two inches on either side of the second mark (Figure 4-18B). Don’t worry about the fibers inside; as long as the slit runs straight down the rope, you won’t hurt them.
Figure 4-18A-C. Sta-Set-X Splice. Mark the core (A). Make a second mark on the core and slit the gauze (cutting with, not across, the core fibers, so as not to damage them) one inch either side of the mark. (B) Strip the gauze from the second mark to the core end (C).
Gauze Taping You can now see the fibers inside the cut. If the ink mark did not penetrate, mark the fibers at this spot. Then grasp the gauze at the mark, pull toward the end, and the gauze will strip off. If any gauze projects past the mark, cut it shorter (Figure 4-18C).
To keep the gauze from coming loose past this point, tape it down to the fibers. Start the tape on the gauze, wrap it on smoothly and snugly towards the end, with minimum overlap on the turns of the tape. Stop taping as soon as the gauze is secured, preferably short of the mark on the core. The tape should be on firmly enough that the gauze can’t slide on it (see Figure 4-18D). Masking tape works best.
Figure 4-18D–E. Tape the remaining gauze to the core fibers, stopping the tape at the second mark. Slide on the shackle (D). Tucking the core (E).
The Shackle With the gauze taped down, it’s time to slide on the shackle (Figure 4-18D).
Tucking Tuck the core in at the mark on the cover, through the eye, and about one-and-a-half cover tail lengths down the standing part (ten tracer lengths past where the core first came out). Before entering the tool, pull out lots of extra core to bunch up the cover and make more room inside.
If you’re using the Splicing Wand (shown), snare only ½ inch or so of the end. The easiest way to do this is to push the taped part through the snare, pull the mass of yarns through, and then back the end up to the position shown in Figure 4-18E. Snare firmly.
No matter what tool you are using, tucking is a matter of keeping the cover bunched up while easing the core along.
Bring the core out and remove the tool, then pull more core out until the tape reaches the mark on the cover.
Trimming the Core and the Cover With a pair of scissors, cut the end of the core on a long angle, starting about one-half cover tail length from the end (Figure 4-18F). Then hold the tape at the cover mark and smooth the cover toward the core end until the core end disappears inside.
Figure 4-18F. Tapering the core.
Cut off half of the cover tail. Ravel the remainder halfway back to the cover mark. With your scissors, cut the raveled portion on a long angle.
Tape the tapered end neatly and firmly onto the core, starting the tape between the cover mark and the start of the taper. Be sure the original tape is still right at the cover mark (Figure 4-18G).
Figure 4-18G–I Tape the tapered cover end to the core (G). Milk the cover toward eye (H). The finished splice (I).
Running Toward Home Anchor the Butterfly Knot and commence milking the cover toward the eye (Figure 4-18H). When things look like the drawing, stop and pull back on the eye side of the eye, to keep it from bunching up. This splice is initially much easier to get home than double-braid, but it gets ornery at the end. Get all you can by massaging, milking, and snapping at the belay, as for double-braid. This should get you within an inch or so of the cover mark.
Slamming Home To get that last inch, hitch a small sledgehammer to the shackle, and snap with that. I am not kidding. Be careful of your back and shoulders. Be sure of the anchor. Keep the hammer handle angled away from you, and stand far enough back that the hammer can’t hit you in the knee. Two or three moderate snaps should do it.
With a piece of sail twine, stitch back and forth through the throat a few times, for light load security.
Figure 4-18I shows the finished splice.
On behalf of Practical Sailor magazine, researcher Drew Frye conducted a series of tests on sewn terminations for rope (October 2014 issue). The results showed that a properly done sewn eye can achieve efficiencies of 85 percent or more. It is important to note that the article shows that not all stitch patterns are equal; I recommend careful study of Drew’s methods before you try an eye in earnest.
Note also that the accompanying illustration is not an eye, so the load on the stitching could be twice that for the eye configuration. Add stitches accordingly, and be sure of a generous overlap.
One difficulty with braided rope is that it is very, very difficult to splice after it has been used for a while. This means that this modern line benefits greatly from traditional attentiveness; fairleads, ample-size sheaves, smooth belay surfaces all help to prevent chafe, and thus prevent the need to do another splice.
But if you do get serious chafe, say in the run of a halyard, a temporary repair (that will pass through sheaves and stoppers) is possible.
Cut about a foot off the end of each line’s core, lay the cover ends alongside one another, and stitch through-and-through like crazy with stout sail twine. If you cut the cores on a long angle to taper them, you can maximize this Stitch Splice’s strength without making it too bulky (Figure 4-19). I wouldn’t count on this splice for significant loads, but it can definitely be strong enough to get a sail started up. Just be sure the splice is past the winch before you need to start cranking.
Figure 4-19A–C. To begin the Stitch Splice, pull out a foot of core from each rope end and make a rough taper by cutting the marked strands (A). Retract the cores by working the slack out of the covers, and lay the ends alongside each other. Stitch together thoroughly with waxed sail twine (B). The finished Stitch Splice (C).
A few words of encouragement.
Splicing has always been a high art among sailors, even when the only rope around was three-strand. Marlingspike artists took that simple construction and reconfigured it into beckets, buttons, and variegated bulk, in ways that make the most complex braid seem thud simple. And they came up with these complications, not to show off—or not just to show off—but because situations demanded a creative use of cordage.
Nowadays we ask less of three-strand, leaving us more time to deal with the demands of braided rope. But the essential situation is the same: Our vessels need appropriate materials and appropriate splices. Getting to know these new ropes can be difficult, but they’re worth the effort.
