Page 128 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

point. This is the Cover Marker Yarn. Be very care- Double-Braid Halyard Eyes
ful to avoid disturbing the braid beyond this point.
Starting at the yarn, measure an eye of the cir- Small eyes are desirable on halyards, since they
cumference you want. When you’ve located the far allow maximum hoist.
side of the eye, measure about 8 feet farther and tie
a Alpine Butterfly Knot (Figure 3-16) or other jam- the awl through it, to mark this spot, the Core Exit
proof loop knot. (Figure 4-16A).
Go back to the end of the rope, and pull out as
much core as you readily can. Just slide it out until Setting Up, Part 2 Pull the core end right out of
the cover is bunched firmly against the knot. Then the rope. Leave the awl in place, or remove it and
loop the knot over a good anchor point and smooth make a light mark with your China marker where
the cover back toward the end. Do this with real the awl was. This is the “zero point,” which would
firmness, squeezing the cover with both hands while line up with the cover if you were to smooth the
you slide them toward the end. You are doing all this cover out again. Unfortunately it will no longer do
in order to balance the core and cover. On a well- so after we distort the cover by tucking extra mate-
made rope, the cover might get right back to where rial into it. So we have to establish a new zero point,
it started, because the whole length of the rope was to make the splice come out even.
balanced at the factory. But you have to make sure, Starting at the awl or mark, measure one-third
because the measurements and marks we are about of the cover tail length (see Table 4) away from the
to make will only work if the rope is balanced. end. Mark the core vividly at this point, or pull out
Return to the far side of the eye. Bend the rope one core yarn there. (Figure 4-16B). This is the
sharply here, and hold it bent while you use the second core mark, your new zero point, around
point of an awl (or spike) to nudge the cover yarns which you will orient the splice.
aside in all directions, to expose a small portion of
the core. Finally, use the awl to bring the core out of Tucking the Core Let’s get back to the cover tail.
the cover. Work it out, easing the cover yarns out of Measure about two rope diameters toward the
the way. As soon as the core starts to come out, stick end from the Cover Marker Yarn. You can mark
A cover marker yarn
eye circumference
cover
marker add mark
yarn

core exit core 8d
1
point exit ( ⁄3 cover
awl (or spike) tail length)

B

Figure 4-16A–B. Double-Braid Eyesplice. Measure
and mark (A). Make a mark on the core eight diame-
ters from the exit point (B).

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