Page 14 - Knots You Need to Know Easy-to-Follow Guide to the 30 Most Useful Knots

Plaited rope is formed from pairs of strands that are intertwined like a
child’s pigtail. Popular for sheets on sailboats, plaited rope has a knobby
surface, making it easier to grip. And because it has no diagonal lay, it is
not subject to a twisted rope’s tendency to curl up on itself in kinks.

Single braided rope (left) is interwined like plaited rope (above), but with
more strands and a smoother, more uniform exterior. In this example, 24

strands are braided together in pairs. Though useful for spinnaker sheets,
single braided rope is hollow in the center and flattens under tension—a
trait that may cause it to bind in a block or on a winch.

Double-braided rope, a favorite for sheets, is made up of two single-
braided synthetic ropes, one inside for a core and a second outside for a

cover. This combination produces maximum strength and minimum
stretch. Core and cover can share the load; or a sturdier core may carry
the load, while a cover protects the core from abrasion.

Wire rope, like twisted rope, has left-laid strands twisted into right-laid
rope. Wire rope may be hollow; or it may incorporate a single straight