Page 11 - Knots You Need to Know Easy-to-Follow Guide to the 30 Most Useful Knots

considerably stronger than natural materials. Both nylon and

Dacron will carry more than twice the load of a manila line of equal
size. Nylon rope, furthermore, will stretch up to 20 percent of its
length, making it useful for docking and anchoring lines, which
require elasticity (pages 90–93). Dacron, on the other hand,
stretches very little, so it is ideal for running rigging, which holds
sails tautly in place.

Both nylon and Dacron have another inherent advantage. They are
smoother and even more pliable than natural fibers. Hence, the

synthetics can readily be made up into braided line. And a braided
line shows far less tendency to snarl than does a line laid up in
twists.

The strongest and most long-lasting of all rope is made of steel
wire, commonly used aboard powerboats for their vital steering
cables, and on sailboats for such maximum-stress rigging as
shrouds and stays. Halyards, too, are generally wire, at least along

some of their length: their standing parts are of steel to take the
heaviest strain, while the tail ends are of Dacron for easy handling.

The Right Rope for the Right Job

anchor rodes nylon
docking lines nylon
manila

towlines nylon
manila
shrouds and stays wire
manila
Dacron (prestretched)

sheets Dacron
manila
linen
wire (with rope tail)