Page 25 - Frank Rosenow "Seagoing Knots"

In the south of France, I have several times observed a boat owner tying
up his craft by carefully winding the mooring line a dozen times or so
around a bollard. However, while lashings teach us about friction in the
turns of a line and to appreciate and make use of individual line quality, I
do not wish to advocate them for mooring yachts.
Yet, having trained as a sailmaker under the first-class hand seaming

man Gunnar Andersson, I cannot foreswear lashings—in the shape of
palm-and-needle seizings and whippings—as a most useful and permanent
aid to the tying of knots proper. For the material and techniques involved I
must direct the reader to another book, Canvas and Rope Craft, published
also by W. W. Norton, which covers proper hand seaming in depth.
As for lashings, the present-day sailor will want to reduce the twists to a
reasonable number and we naturally turn to knots. Modem lines with uni¬
form girth and quality help us tie them securely.

The pliability of a line, its willingness to turn and intertwine to make a
secure knot is a hard thing to define but good line will feel handy and vig¬
orous in your hand rather than hard and resisting.
At sea, hemp, manila, and sisal have given way to the synthetic and
more durable manmade fibers in polyester (Dacron) and nylon. In plain-
laid rope, the configuration has been handed down from natural fiber rope.

UWOtX, STCXN 5tHT

LINES AND LASHINGS