Page 40 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

object. A sufficient number of turns taken in almost
any pattern will hold it in place. But it might be
nice if it didn’t break away when you grabbed it to
keep from falling overboard, or at the very least if it
didn’t shift under your weight when you leaned on
it. When considering how strong to make a lashing,
it is well to consider more than one intended use.
Neatness is no small matter, either, nor is economy
of time and materials. Even this quick job is worth
doing well.
Start with parallel turns around the two pieces,
as shown in Figure 1-24. Haul on each turn with
your spike. Make four or five circuits, being sure that
none of them rides over the others, as this would
prevent an even distribution of strain. Next, make
a not-quite-as-snug layer of riding turns (optional,
not shown). These provide extra strength and pro-
tect the first layer from chafe. Finally, make three or
four frapping turns very tightly. Secure with a Clove
Hitch, tying a Figure-Eight Knot in the end as close Figure 1-24. A marline lashing.
to the hitch as possible. This is insurance against the
end pulling free.
If the bracket is shaped to fit the rail, leaving no has stepped free, to the amazement of the wildly
room for frapping turns, use wedges. Round their cheering crowd.
outer corners so they don’t cut the twine. Even a So instead, go with the less-is-more lashing in
sprung tiller can be temporarily repaired by lashing Figure 1-25 (see next page). Lay two or three lines
and wedging battens, screwdrivers, driftwood, or from side to side, padding any sharp turns, and
what-have-you in place for some distance on either snug them down with Trucker’s Hitches to chock
side of the crack. padeyes, as in Figure 1-18. By taking the shortest
distance across the hull, you simultaneously min-
Escape Artist imize potential slack and create opposing forces,
Say you want to secure your dinghy for an extended bracing the lines against each other. Bind everything
passage. It’s not hard to work up a lashing that together with frapping turns of smaller line, haul-
looks secure, but once at sea with the forces of wind, ing the remaining initial elasticity from the larger
water, and its own weight to help it, that innocent pieces. For extra security, lead the painter forward
little boat will be transformed into a master of and lash it tight, too. There you have it, a hand-
escape—Houdinghy, if you will—out to defeat your some, escape-proof setup that is as easy to make,
attempts to contain it. As challenger, your first incli- adjust, or remove as it is to describe.
nation might be to cover the hull with a rat’s nest
of turns and hitches—the more-is-better school of Extemporaneous Work
knots. But this type of job is tedious to tie, difficult No matter how carefully you study the above tech-
to remove, and just plain ugly. Worse still, it pro- niques, the odds are strong that you will eventu-
vides the escape artist with his greatest ally—slack. ally come up against a situation that seems to defy
Extra turns mean more rope to stretch. Before you solution and for which neither this nor any other
know it, things have worked loose and Houdinghy set of instructions has prepared you. It’s like the

19