WORK UPON RIGGING.--ROPE, KNOTS, SPLICES, BENDS AND HITCHES.
Kinds of rope. Spunyarn. Worming. Parcelling. Service. Short splice.
Long splice. Eye splice. Flemish eye. Spindle eye. Cut splice. Grommet.
Single and double wall. Matthew Walker. Single and double diamond.
Spritsail sheet knot. Stopper knot. Shroud knot. French shroud knot.
Buoy-rope knot. Half-hitches. Clove hitch. Overhand knot.
Figure-of-eight. Bowline. Running bowline. Bowline-upon-a-bight. Square
knot. Timber hitch. Rolling hitch. Blackwall hitch. Cat's paw. Sheet
bend. Fisherman's bend. Carrick bend. Bowline bend. Sheep-shank.
Selvagee. Marlin-spike hitch. Round seizing. Throat seizing. Stopping.
Nippering. Racking. Pointing. Snaking. Grafting. Foxes. Spanish foxes.
Gaskets. Sennit. To bend a buoy-rope. To pass a shear-lashing.
Those ropes in a ship which are stationary are called _standing
rigging_, as shrouds, stays, backstays, &c. Those which reeve through
blocks or sheave-holes, and are hauled and let go, are called the
_running rigging_, as braces, halyards, buntlines, clewlines, &c.
A rope is composed of threads of hemp, or other stuff. These threads
are called _yarns_. A number of these yarns twisted together form a
_strand_, and three or more strands twisted together form the rope.
The ropes in ordinary use on board a vessel are composed of three
strands, laid RIGHT HANDED, (1.) or, as it is called, _with the sun_.
Occasionally a piece of large rope will be found laid up in four
strands, also _with_ the sun. This is generally used for standing
rigging, tacks, sheets, &c., and is sometimes called _shroud-laid_.
A CABLE-LAID ROPE (2.) is composed of nine strands, and is made by
first laying them into three ropes of three strands each, _with_ the
sun, and then laying the three ropes up together into one, left-handed,
or _against_ the sun. Thus, cable-laid rope is like three small common
ropes laid up into one large one. Formerly, the ordinary three-stranded
right-hand rope was called _hawser-laid_, and the latter _cable-laid_,
and they will be found so distinguished in the books; but among
sea-faring men now, the terms _hawser-laid_ and _cable-laid_ are
applied indiscriminately to nine-strand rope, and the three stranded,
being the usual and ordinary kind of rope, has no particular name, or
is called right-hand rope.
Right-hand rope must be coiled _with_ the sun, and cable-laid rope
_against_ the sun.
SPUNYARN is made by twisting together two or more yarns taken from old
standing rigging, and is called two-yarn or three-yarn spunyarn,
according to the number of yarns of which it is composed. Junk, or old
rigging, is first unlaid into strands, and then into yarns, and the
best of these yarns made up into spunyarn, which is used for worming,
serving, seizing, &c. Every merchant vessel carries a spunyarn-winch,
for the manufacturing of this stuff, and in making it, the wheel is
turned _against_ the sun, which lays the stuff up with the sun.
WORMING a rope, is filling up the divisions between the strands, by
passing spunyarn along them, to render the surface smooth for
parcelling and serving.
PARCELLING a rope is wrapping narrow strips of canvass about it, well
tarred, in order to secure it from being injured by rain-water lodging
between the parts of the service when worn. The parcelling is put on
_with_ the lay of the rope.
SERVICE is the laying on of spunyarn, or other small stuff, in turns
round the rope, close together, and hove taut by the use of a
serving-board for small rope, and serving-mallet for large rope. Small
ropes are sometimes served without being wormed, as the crevices
between the strands are not large enough to make the surface very
uneven; but a large rope is always wormed and parcelled before being
served. The service is put on _against_ the lay of the rope.
SPLICING, is putting the ends of ropes together by opening the strands
and placing them into one another, or by putting the strands of the
ends of a rope between those of the bight.
A SHORT SPLICE. (3.) Unlay the strands for a convenient length; then
take an end in each hand, place them one within the other, and draw
them close. Hold the end of one rope and the three strands which come
from the opposite rope fast in the left hand, or, if the rope be large,
stop them down to it with a rope-yarn. Take the middle strand, which is
free, pass it _over_ the strand which is first next to it, and through
_under_ the second, and out between the second and third from it, and
haul it taut. Pass each of the six strands in the same manner; first
those on one side, and then those on the other. The same operation may
be repeated with each strand, passing each _over_ the third from it,
and _under_ the fourth, and through; or, as is more usual, after the
ends have been stuck once, untwist each strand, divide the yarns, pass
one half as above described, and cut off the other half. This tapers
the splice.
A LONG SPLICE. (4.) Unlay the ends of two ropes to a distance three or
four times greater than for a short splice, and place them within one
another as for a short splice. Unlay one strand for a considerable
distance, and fill up the interval which it leaves with the opposite
strand from the other rope, and twist the ends of these two together.
Then do the same with two more strands. The two remaining strands are
twisted together in the place where they were first crossed. Open the
two last named strands, divide in two, take an overhand knot with the
opposite halves, and lead the ends over the next strand and through the
second, as the whole strands were passed for the short splice. Cut off
the other two halves. Do the same with the others that are placed
together, dividing, knotting, and passing them in the same manner.
Before cutting off any of the half strands, the rope should be got well
upon a stretch. Sometimes the whole strands are knotted then divided,
and the half strands passed as above described.
AN EYE SPLICE. (5.) Unlay the end of a rope for a short distance, and
lay the three strands upon the standing part, so as to form an eye. Put
one end through the strand next to it. Put the next end over that
strand and through the second; and put the remaining end through the
third strand, on the other side of the rope. Taper them, as in the
short splice, by dividing the strands and sticking them again.
A FLEMISH EYE. (6.) Take the end of a rope and unlay one strand. Form
an eye by placing the two remaining ends against the standing part.
Pass the strand which has been unlaid over the end and in the intervals
round the eye, until it returns down the standing part, and lies under
the eye with the strands. The ends are then scraped down, tapered,
marled, and served over with spunyarn.
AN ARTIFICIAL OR SPINDLE EYE.--Unlay the end of a rope and open the
strands, separating each rope yarn. Take a piece of wood, the size of
the intended eye, and hitch the yarns round it. Scrape them down, marl,
parcel, and serve them. This is now usually called a FLEMISH EYE.
A CUT SPLICE. (7.) Cut a rope in two, unlay each end as for a short
splice, and place the ends of each rope against the standing part of
the other, forming an oblong eye, of the size you wish. Then pass the
ends through the strands of the standing parts, as for a short splice.
A GROMMET. (8.) Take a strand just unlaid from a rope, with all its
turns in it, and form a ring of the size you wish, by putting the end
over the standing part. Then take the long end and carry it twice round
the ring, in the crevices, following the lay, until the ring is
complete. Then take an overhand knot with the two ends, divide the
yarns, and stick them as in a long splice.
A SINGLE WALL KNOT. (9.) Unlay the end of a rope. Form a bight with one
strand, holding its end down to the standing part in your left hand.
Pass the end of the next strand round this strand. Pass the remaining
strand round the end of the second strand, and up through the bight
which was made by the first strand. Haul the ends taut carefully, one
by one.
A SINGLE WALL, CROWNED. (10.) Make the single wall as before, and lay
one end over the top of the knot. Lay the second end over the first,
and the third over the second and through the bight of the first.
A DOUBLE WALL. (11.) Make the single wall slack, and crown it, as
above. Then take one end, bring it underneath the part of the first
walling next to it, and push it up through the same bight. Do the same
with the other strands, pushing them up through two bights. Thus made,
it has a double wall and a single crown.
A DOUBLE WALL, DOUBLE CROWNED. (12.) Make the double wall, single
crowned, as above. Then lay the strands by the sides of those in the
single crown, pushing them through the same bight in the single crown,
and down through the double walling. This is sometimes called a TACK
KNOT, or a TOPSAIL SHEET KNOT.
A MATTHEW WALKER KNOT. (13.) Unlay the end of a rope. Take one strand
round the rope and through its own bight; then the next strand
underneath, through the bight of the first, and through its own bight;
and the third strand underneath, through both the other bights, and
through its own bight.
A SINGLE DIAMOND KNOT. (14.) Unlay the end of a rope for a considerable
distance, and with the strands form three bights down the side of the
rope, holding them fast with the left hand. Take the end of one strand
and pass it with the lay of the rope over the strand next to it, and up
through the bight of the third. Take the end of the second strand over
the third and up through the bight of the first. Take the end of the
third strand over the first and up through the bight of the second.
Haul taut, and lay the ends up together.
A DOUBLE DIAMOND KNOT. (15.) Make a single diamond, as above, without
laying the ends up. Follow the lead of the single knot through two
single bights, the ends coming out at the top of the knot. Lead the
last strand through two double bights. Haul taut, and lay the ends up.
A SPRITSAIL SHEET KNOT. (16.) Unlay two ends of a rope, and place the
two parts together. Make a bight with one strand. Wall the six strands
together, like a single walling made with three strands; putting the
second over the first, and the third over the second, and so on, the
sixth being passed over the fifth and through the bight of the first.
Then haul taut. It may be _crowned_ by taking two strands and laying
them over the top of the knot, and passing the other strands
alternately over and under those two, hauling them taut. It may be
_double walled_ by next passing the strands under the wallings on the
left of them, and through the small bights, when the ends will come up
for the second crowning; which is done by following the lead of the
single crowning, and pushing the ends through the single walling, as
with three strands, before described. This is often used for a _stopper
knot_.
A STOPPER KNOT.--Single wall and double wall, without crowning, and
stop the ends together.
A SHROUD KNOT.--Unlay the ends of two ropes, and place the strands in
one another, as for a short splice. Single wall the strands of one rope
round the standing part of the other, against the lay. Open the ends,
taper, marl, and serve them.
A FRENCH SHROUD KNOT.--Place the ends of two ropes as before. Lay the
ends of one rope back upon their own part, and single wall the other
three strands round the bights of the first three and the standing
part. Taper the ends, as before.
A BUOY-ROPE KNOT.--Unlay the strands of a cable-laid rope, and also the
small strands of each large strand. Lay the large ones again as before,
leaving the small ones out. Single and double wall the small strands
(as for a stopper knot) round the rope, worm them along the divisions,
and stop their ends with spunyarn.
A TURKS-HEAD. (17.) This is worked upon a rope with a piece of small
line. Take a clove-hitch slack with the line round the rope. Then take
one of the bights formed by the clove-hitch and put it over the other.
Pass the end under, and up through the bight which is underneath. Then
cross the bights again, and put the end round again, under, and up
through the bight which is underneath. After this, follow the lead, and
it will make a turban, of three parts to each cross.
TWO HALF-HITCHES. (18.) Pass the end of a rope round the standing part
and bring it up through the bight. This is a half-hitch. Take it round
again in the same manner for two half-hitches.
A CLOVE-HITCH (19.) is made by passing the end of a rope round a spar,
over, and bringing it under and round behind its standing part, over
the spar again, and up through its own part. It may then, if necessary,
be stopped or hitched to its own part: the only difference between two
half-hitches and a clove-hitch being that one is hitched round its own
standing part, and the other is hitched round a spar or another rope.
AN OVERHAND KNOT. (20.) Pass the end of a rope over the standing part,
and through the bight.
A FIGURE-OF-EIGHT. (21.) Pass the end of a rope over and round the
standing part, up over its own part, and down through the bight.
A BOWLINE KNOT. (22.) Take the end of a rope in your right hand, and
the standing part in your left. Lay the end over the standing part, and
with the left hand make a bight of the standing part over it. Take the
end under the lower standing part, up over the cross, and down through
the bight.
A RUNNING BOWLINE.--Take the end round the standing part, and make a
bowline upon its own part.
A BOWLINE UPON A BIGHT. (23.) Middle a rope, taking the two ends in
your left hand, and the bight in your right. Lay the bight over the
ends, and proceed as in making a bowline, making a small bight with
your left hand of the ends, which are kept together, over the bight
which you hold in your right hand. Pass the bight in your right hand
round under the ends and up over the cross. So far, it is like a common
bowline, only made with double rope instead of single. Then open the
bight in your right hand and carry it over the large bights, letting
them go through it, and bring it up to the cross and haul taut.
A SQUARE KNOT. (24.) Take an overhand knot round a spar. Take an end in
each hand and cross them on the same side of the standing part upon
which they came up. Pass one end round the other, and bring it up
through the bight. This is sometimes called a REEF-KNOT. If the ends
are crossed the wrong way, sailors call it a GRANNY-KNOT.
A TIMBER HITCH. (25.) Take the end of a rope round a spar, lead it
under and over the standing part, and pass two or more round-turns
round its own part.
A ROLLING HITCH.--Pass the end of a rope round a spar. Take it round a
second time, nearer to the standing part. Then carry it across the
standing part, over and round the spar, and up through the bight. A
strap or a tail-block is fastened to a rope by this hitch.
A bend, sometimes called a _rolling hitch_, is made by two round-turns
round a spar and two half-hitches round the standing part; but the name
is commonly applied to the former hitch.
A BLACKWALL HITCH. (26.) Form a bight by putting the end of a rope
across and under the standing part. Put the bight over the hook of a
tackle, letting the hook go through it, the centre of the bight resting
against the back of the hook, and the end jammed in the bight of the
hook, by the standing part of the rope.
A CAT'S PAW. (27.) Make a large bight in a rope, and spread it open,
putting one hand at one part of the bight and the other at the other,
and letting the standing part and end come together. Turn the bight
over from you, three times, and a small bight will be formed in each
hand. Bring the two small bights together, and put the hook of a tackle
through them both.
A SHEET BEND. (28.) Pass the end of a rope up through the bight of
another, round both parts of the other, and under its own part.
A FISHERMAN'S BEND. (29.) Used for bending studdingsail halyards to the
yard. Take two turns round the yard with the end. Hitch it round the
standing part and both the turns. Then hitch it round the standing part
alone.
A CARRICK BEND. (30.) Form a bight by putting the end of a rope over
its standing part. Take the end of a second rope and pass it _under_
the standing part of the first, _over_ the end, and _up_ through the
bight, _over_ its own standing part, and _down_ through the bight
again.
A BOWLINE BEND.--This is the most usual mode of bending warps, and
other long ropes or cables, together. Take a bowline in the end of one
rope, pass the end of the other through the bight, and take a bowline
with it upon its own standing part. Long lines are sometimes bent
together with half-hitches on their own standing parts, instead of
bowlines, and the ends seized strongly down.
A SHEEP-SHANK. (31.) Make two long bights in a rope, which shall
overlay one another. Take a half-hitch over the end of each bight with
the standing part which is next to it.
A SELVAGEE.--Lay rope yarns round and round in a bight, and marl them
down with spunyarn. These are used for neat block-straps, and as straps
to go round a spar for a tackle to hook into, for hoisting.
A MARLINSPIKE HITCH--Lay the marlinspike upon the seizing-stuff, and
bring the end over the standing part so as to form a bight. Lay this
bight back over the standing part, putting the marlinspike down through
the bight, under the standing part, and up through the bight again.
TO PASS A ROUND SEIZING.--Splice a small eye in the end of the stuff,
take the other end round both parts of the rope, and reeve it through
the eye. Pass a couple of turns, then take a marlinspike-hitch, and
heave them taut. Pass six, eight or ten turns in the same manner, and
heave them taut. Put the end through under these turns and bring it out
between the two last turns, or through the eye, and pass five, seven or
nine turns (one less than the lower ones) directly over these, as
riders. The riders are not hove so taut. Pass the end up through the
seizings, and take two cross turns round the whole seizing between the
two, passing the end through the last turn, and heaving taut. If the
seizing is small cordage, take a wall-knot in the end; if spunyarn, an
overhand knot. The cross turns are given up now in nearly all vessels.
After the riding turns are passed, the end is carried under the turns,
brought out at the other end, and made fast snugly to the standing part
of the rigging.
A THROAT SEIZING, where rigging is turned in, is passed and made fast
like the preceding, there being no cross turns. A neat way to pass a
throat seizing is to pass the turns rather slack, put a strap upon the
end of the rigging, take a handspike or heaver to it and bear it down,
driving home the seizing with a mallet and small fid.
STOPPING, is fastening two parts of a rope together as for a round
seizing, without a crossing.
NIPPERING, is fastening them by taking turns crosswise between the
parts, to jam them; and sometimes with a round turn before each cross.
These are called _racking turns_. Pass _riders_ over these and fasten
the end.
POINTING.--Unlay the end of a rope and stop it. Take out as many yarns
as are necessary, and split each yarn in two, and take two parts of
different yarns and twist them up taut into _nettles_. The rest of the
yarns are combed down with a knife. Lay half the nettles down upon the
scraped part, the rest back upon the rope, and pass three turns of
twine taut round the part where the nettles separate, and hitch the
twine, which is called the _warp_. Lay the nettles backwards and
forwards as before, passing the warp, each time. The ends may be
whipped and snaked with twine, or the nettles hitched over the warp and
hauled taut. The upper seizing must be snaked. If the upper part is too
weak for pointing, put in a piece of stick.
SNAKING a seizing, is done by taking the end under and over the outer
turns of the seizing alternately, passing over the whole. There should
be a marline-hitch at each turn.
GRAFTING.--Unlay the ends of two ropes and put them together as for a
short splice. Make nettles of the strands as before. Pass the warp and
nettles belonging to the lower strands along the rope, as in pointing;
then the nettles of the upper strands in the same manner. Snake the
seizing at each end.
FOXES are made by twisting together three or more rope-yarns by hand,
and rubbing them hard with tarred canvass. _Spanish foxes_ are made of
one rope-yarn, by unlaying it and laying it up the other way.
GASKETS.--Take three or four foxes, middle them, and plait them
together into _sennit_. This is done by bringing the two outside foxes
alternately over to the middle. The outside ones are laid with the
right hand, and the remainder are held and steadied with the left.
Having plaited enough for an eye, bring all the parts together, and
work them all into one piece, in the same manner. Take out foxes at
proper intervals. When finished, one end must be laid up, the other
plaited, and the first hauled through. The name _sennit_ is generally
given to rope yarns plaited in the same manner with these foxes. Sennit
made in this way must have an odd number of parts. FRENCH SENNIT is
made with an even number, taken over and under every other time.
TO BEND A BUOY-ROPE. Reeve the end through the eye in the other end,
put it over one arm of the anchor, and haul taut. Take a hitch over the
other arm. Or, take a clove-hitch over the crown, stopping the end to
its own part, or to the shank.
TO PASS A SHEAR-LASHING.--Middle the lashing and take a good turn round
both legs, at the cross. Pass one end up and the other down, around and
over the cross, until half of the lashing is expended. Then ride both
ends back again on their own parts and knot them in the middle. Frap
the first and riding turns together on each side with sennit.