Page 42 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

CHAPTER 2

Creating and

Managing Tension

If you can serve, seize, lash, and coil, and if you and efficiency are determined by the appropriate-
understand the materials involved, you’re well on ness of your choices and by the size and health of
your way to becoming a rigger; everything from here the gear, so experience and a healthy respect for the
on is a matter of elaborating on what you already forces you are dealing with are important. Choosing
know. You can do much to elaborate on your rig- the proper pulling gear is a form of design.
ging know-how simply by mastering the concept of Rope is the running part of running rigging. It
“tension.” A rig accomplishes its main purpose if it comes in so many forms, and is made from so many
creates, contains, and directs tension efficiently. materials, that it’s understandable that the majority
Tension is not always as readily apparent as it of vessels sport less-than-ideal running rigging. The
is in the bar-taut weather shrouds of a sailboat on a rigger’s first job here is to get the right rope for every
hard beat. Riggers learn to recognize its many more job, and that can come only with a thorough under-
subtle manifestations. In the “Lashing” section of standing of the options.
Chapter 1 we examined several methods of increas-
ing tension to hold an object securely in place. Here
we will look at ways of creating greater tension than ROPE CONSTRUCTION
can be supplied by wedging, frapping, or Trucker’s AND MATERIALS
Hitches.
When it’s puny you against big, heavy, ornery Always choose the highest-quality, appropriately
them, you need an advantage. A mechanical advan- elastic (or inelastic), longest-lived running rigging
tage, that is, for all the heavy-duty hoisting, drag- that suits your vessel.
ging, stretching, and tightening jobs that rigging Running rigging is subject to the same consider-
and sailing entail. For a lot of tension, advantage ations that standing rigging is (including economic
is usually provided by some form of either lever or ones); and inelasticity and longevity come dear.
inclined plane, or by both of these fundamental ten- Ground tackle is different only in that you want it to
sion-gaining tools in combination. Which ones you stretch as well as to be strong.
use for a given situation depend on how fast you Weight and windage matter as much with run-
want something how tight, with what degree of con- ning rigging as with standing rigging; rope is rel-
trol, over what distance, and at what expense. Safety atively light, but there is a lot of it up there, and

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