Page 92 - Knots You Need to Know Easy-to-Follow Guide to the 30 Most Useful Knots

CHAPTER 5 :

Splicing

The best way to form a permanent loop in a dock line or any other
piece of rope is by making an eye splice. And though rope

manufacturers provide line with ready-made splices, many sailors
avoid the size limitations and costs of the standardized product by
making their own.

It takes no more than 20 minutes to splice a fiber or nylon line of
standard three-strand, half-inch rope, such as that shown at right.
The loop can be tailored to the size of the cleats and bollards most
likely to be encountered.

When finished, a splice barely weakens the line at all: 5 to 10
percent compared to the 30 to 40 percent of a bowline. Finally, the
splice is particularly satisfying to make. Even the most seasoned

sailors take pride in their splices, often tapering them by
progressively trimming fibers off the strands as they weave.