Page 229 - Barbara Merry "The Splicing Handbook"

TWENTY-FOUR
Baggywrinkle

If your mizzen is wearing thin where it chafes against the shrouds, or if a

lazyjack is rubbing its way through that expensive mainsail, you need
baggywrinkle (a cushion of natural rope yarns).
I won’t jump into the debate about whether baggywrinkle is unsightly or fuzzy
and cute. Yes, it looks like a big bottle brush—or maybe even one of those things
from the car wash—but it also works, and a judicious application can save you
major money at the sail loft. Baggywrinkle is best made from a natural rope
yarn, so you can save otherwise useless lengths of slightly worn manila and
recycle them into excellent raw material for the war on chafe. Baggywrinkle is
meant to be sacrificial stuff; it wears down so your sails don’t. For this reason,
avoid using synthetic rope yarns, which turn from protectors to abraders.

Below are instructions for a baggywrinkle that will cover 1 foot (300 mm) of
3/16-inch (5 mm) rigging.

TOOLS & MATERIALS

12 feet (3.7 m) of ⅜-inch (9 mm) manila

7 feet (2 m) of waxed #24 or #27 twine
2–2½ feet (600 to 750 mm) of
#21 tarred nylon for the seizing
Vinyl tape
Sharp knife
Small Swedish fid (a hollow fid of
U-shaped section that allows easy
“tucking” while splicing)
Marking pen

Cut the manila into 6-inch (150 mm) lengths. Unlay all the pieces and, with
your fingers, divide the separated strands in half. Middle the waxed twine, tie a
tight Square Knot 1 inch (25 mm) from the bight, and set the loop on a strong
hook.

Lay a half-strand of manila crosswise against the underside of the twine. Bring
the ends of the manila around the twine and tuck them down through the middle
to lock the knot. Slide the knot up the twine and lock it into place by jamming it