A Long Splice hardly increases a rope’s diameter but is a little less strong than a Short Splice. It can be formed in many different ways, but this is a widely used method. Each line is unlaid for some distance (about ten turns) and the strands married. One strand each side is unlaid a further distance (about six turns) and its opposite number laid up in its place. Thus the line should always look like a complete piece of laid rope. Each of the three pairs of strands spread along the rope is now knotted to its neighbour with an overhand knot before being thinned with a sharp knife and tucked (over and under) against the lay of the rope. Again, rolling underfoot will help to settle the splice.