Marlinspike Seamanship

Marlinspike Seamanship Able Requirement 7

Able Requirement 7 • Submit an eye splice, short splice, and a palm-and-needle whipping. • Know the names and functions of lines used to secure a vessel to a dock. • Understand and execute docking commands used in handling lines on your ship's main vessel. • Describe the parts of a block and how blocks are sized. • Demonstrate the various types of tackle used by your ship. • Submit a flat seam, round seam, and grommet eye sewn in canvas or Dacron. • Describe how each is used in the care of sails • Reference: • "Whipping" on page 133, • "Splicing" on page 133, • "Blocks and Tackles" on page 141, • "Canvas Work and Sail Repair" on page 138 • "Sail Maintenance" on page 264. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

The Eye Splice • The 3-strand splice is the most common splice, • Used to place a permanent loop in the end of a rope, generally for attachment purposes to a fixed point. • Also used to form the rope around a thimble, which is used to protect the rope, especially when it is to be attached to a shackle, chain or wire rope. • Technique is important to preserve splice strength. • Take care that the tucks lie neatly; rope strength can be lost if the strands are twisted incorrectly. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

The Eye Splice – Getting Started • From one end of the rope, count back 16 crowns. • Tape this section. • Unlay the rope up to the tape then tape the end of each strand. • Form the eye and tape the standing part of the rope. • To avoid a twist in the eye of the finished splice, untwist the rope one-half turn between the pieces of tape. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

The Eye Splice - Step 1 • Tucking the First Strand • With a fid or your finger, raise a strand just below the tape on the standing part of the rope and insert the middle working strand under it and pull the strand through. • Mark the first tucked strand with a single hash mark; numbering the working strands will help you keep track of the tucking process. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

The Eye Splice - Step 2 • Tucking the Second Strand • Pass the next working strand over the strand you just tucked under, then tuck under the strand just below it. • Mark this strand with a double hash mark. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

The Eye Splice - Step 3 • Tucking the Third Strand • Turn the entire piece over. • There is one working strand left to tuck and there is one strand left in the standing part of the rope that does not have a working strand under it. • Make this tuck, continuing to work counter to the lay or twist or the rope. Mark this strand with a triple hash mark. • The first round of tucks is complete. • Tighten if necessary by pulling on the strand ends. • When you tuck, take care to use all three strands in each round and that you tuck under a strand in the standing part of the rope and not under one of your working strands. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

The Eye Splice - Step 4 • Finish the Splice • To finish the splice, perform four more complete tucks. • Tighten tucks if necessary. • Both the front and the back of the splice should resemble the illustrations shown. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

3-Strand Short Splice – Step 1 • Used for end-to-end joining of two lines of the same size for repairing cut or damaged lines or joining two short lengths. • Measure 14 crowns from the ends of both lines and tie with twine to prevent further unraveling. • Unlay lines to the tie marks. • Tape the strand ends. • Bring the lines together so that the main bodies meet and the unlayed strands mesh; alternating a strand of one with a strand of the other. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

3-Strand Short Splice - Step 2 • Temporarily tape the unlayed strands of one line to the body of the other line. • Tuck one of the strands from the second line over and under a strand of the opposite line, working against the twist. • Take the unlayed strand next to the strand just tucked and tuck it over and under the next line strand. • Do the, same with the third unlayed strand. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

3-Strand Short Splice - Step 3 • Make one more tuck with each strand then turn the splice around and remove the temporary ties. • Make two tucks with each of the other three-unlayed strands. • Go back and make two additional tucks with each of the six strands. • If desired, taper the splice area. • Cut off all remaining ties and clip off ends of protruding strands. • Roll the splice to smooth out. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Common Whipping • Cut off a suitable length of twine and lay one end (D in of the illustration) along the end of the rope. • Then take half a dozen or more tight turns around the rope and the twine, working toward the end of rope and against the lay. Pull each turn tight as it is made. • Now lay the other end of twine along the rope and over the turns already made. • With part A of the twine, continue to pass turns round over part B. • When the loop remaining at E becomes too small to pass over the rope's end, pull tight on C, which should pull the twine tightly under the whipping. Cut the ends off to finish Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Palm-and-Needle Whipping • More secure than the common whipping and is suitable for reef points, mooring lines, sheets, etc. • Thread a suitable length of twine through a sailmaker's needle. • Pass the sailmaker’s needle under one strand and draw through most of the twine. • Take about a dozen or more turns of twine round the rope, working against the lay and pulling each turn tight as it is made. • Now stitch, by following round between each strand in turn with the needle and thus tightly frapping the turns in between each strand. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Spider Whipping • Used to protect the ends of large cables or ropes over 1” in diameter; • Decorative whipping for smaller diameter ropes • Snaking is applied over a Common Whipping with a separate length of doubled sail twine or marline. • Stitch through a strand to anchor the end. • Take a hitch about the outside two outside turns of the whipping. • Alternately cross the turns to the right and left as shown. • Secure the end with a stitch through a strand to anchor it. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Names of Dock Lines • Painter • The docking line for a small boat, such as a canoe, dinghy, or small sailboat • Hawser • A large line (3”-5”) for towing, mooring, or securing a boat • Bow lines • Docking lines led from the bow forward at about 45 degrees • Stern lines • Docking lines led from the stern aft at about 45 degrees • Spring lines • Docking lines led from the bow aft or the stern forward to a dock cleat or piling past the beamiest part of the boat, known respectively as bow spring or stern spring Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Bow and Stern Lines • Run diagonally from bow and stern mooring cleats as your four corner lines • Primary function is to keep the boat away from the dock and cut down side to side motion. • Normally the first ropes made off and for a short stay such as refueling they may be adequate. • If the boat is left moored on these two lines only it will tend to twist and surge back and forth on the dock. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Spring lines • Keep a boat from pushing forward towards the dock or aft out of the slip • bow spring line runs from the forward part of the boat aft to a dock or a post. • stern spring line runs from the aft part of the boat forward to the dock. • Help steady a boat with a wind over the bow. • Should be as long as possible and as close to parallel to the boat as possible. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Mooring Alongside Another Vessel • Often need to moor alongside another vessel. • Try to pick one that is the same size or larger and of a similar type. • Need breast ropes between the bows and sterns of the two boats, and springs, • Normal to rig some shore lines for each boat. • load is shared between all the yachts, especially when there is a strong tide or offshore wind. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Dipping the eye • Two boats have their dock lines around the same piling, and the boat owner of the lower line wants to remove his to cast off. • Either first remove the line on top or perform the maneuver called "dipping the eye". • This method allows either line to be removed without disturbing the other Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Types of Blocks Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Parts of a Block • A block is made up of one or more scored wheels called sheaves over which a rope or ropes are worked. • The sheaves are mounted in a shell. Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Choosing a Block • Blocks can be single, double, treble, and so on, depending on the number of sheaves. • This can also be called single, twofold, threefold, and so on • When choosing a block, use the manufacturer’s rating to compare it to the load for which it will be used. • The strength of the rope used on the block is normally stronger than the strength of the block Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Sizes of Blocks Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Various Types of Tackle Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Flat Seam Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Round Seam Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Sewing a Grommet Eye Able 7 - Marlinspike Seamanship

Marlinspike Seamanship