Page 148 - The New Encyclopedia of Knots
P. 148
has been shown loose, and with just a few turns to form the rung, in figure 104. The rope should be
hauled tight after each rung is completed.
figure 104
Rope strength: vegetable fibre ropes are not as strong as their more recent cousins, the man-made
fibre ropes. Furthermore, they are only half as strong when they are wet as when they are dry, and
with the added disadvantage that they have a low strength to weight ratio. The thicker the natural fibre
rope, the stronger it is. On the other hand, man made fibre ropes are light and strong; they do not loose
strength when wet because they do not absorb water, so their breaking strength remains the same
whether they are wet or dry. Synthetic rope does, however, deteriorate quickly at high temperatures;
for example nylon melts at 250 degrees C.
