Page 24 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

A

B

Figure 1-2A–B. Coil right-laid rope clockwise (A) through the coil, a string of overhand knots—not
. . . because if you coil it counterclockwise, the lay just the usual tangle—results (see the end of Chap-
tightens further when the line is uncoiled, resulting in ter 11, “The Lovers”).
kinks (B). On belayed lines, another important way to
avoid hockles is always to coil away from the pin
or cleat. That way, any twists you do impose will be
Alternate Hitch Coiling Braided rope presents a worked out as you move toward the end.
special problem: its “lay” runs in both directions,
so the twists have nowhere to go no matter which Securing a Coil Once all the turns are neat and
way you coil. This problem has been the source of pretty, you need to take steps to keep them that way.
so many crises that some sailors, finding that a heap On a vessel, this usually means hanging them on a
on the deck is less liable to foul, don’t coil at all. But pin or cleat, either directly or, more likely, by reach
this approach is not satisfactory either, as a stray
wave or stumbling crewmember can reveal. The
best solution is Alternate Hitch Coiling, in which
regular turns that impart twists in one direction
are alternated with hitches that impart twists in the
other direction (Figure 1-3). The twists cancel each
other out, resulting in a kink-free line. Alternate
Hitch Coiling is also the method to use for wire rope,
garden hoses, electrical cable, and other lay-less
lines. But beware: If an end gets accidentally passed

Figure 1-3. Alternate Hitch Coiling, the best method
for braided rope, alternates regular clockwise turns
with Half Hitches. To make the latter, grasp the rope
with the back of your hand toward you and turn palm
toward you as you bring your hands together.

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