Page 455 - The Ashley Book of Knots

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS

2730. A LEAD LINE EYE SPLICE. The eye is made very long, the

:;:::: r. splice is tapered and seized, or else served over.

2731. A RUNNING EYE for a sail hook. The eye is made long and

seized over the final tuck. After it is in place, it is seized again, close

up to the hook.

2732. The WHALEMAN'S EYE is called "THE HITCHES." A round

I turn is taken about the shank of a whale iron and the rope in the eye

is untwisted one full turn. It is spliced as '#- 2726.

2733. A LONG EYE or LONG RUNNING EYE is used in making fast to

a spar aloft. This saves the need of long reeving. The eye can be

tossed over a yard and lowered to deck, where a whole coil can be

passed through it before hauling it back to the yard.

Manwayring speaks of the "EYE SPLICE" in 1644. Of all splices,

it is the most important. Twenty or thirty of them may be required

aboard ship before a SHORT SPLICE is needed.

Anatomically, the EYE SPLICE is one of the queerest things that

3 exists. Its neck is between its legs, its crotch is between its arms, its

throat and bosom are in its eye, and it has but one eye.

In long and short splicing, the first direction given is to marry or

2.
crotch the strands, but in eye splicing the first direction is to "stick"

1 the strands. Thereafter the strands are "tucked," although the terms

are often used interchangeably. The technique of tucking was dis-

cussed at the beginning of the preceding chapter.

A seizing should be put around the rope before it is opened, which

should be at a distance from the end equal to about four and one

half rounds of a strand. Another seizing sometimes is added where

the strands are to be entered or stuck; it is sufficient to mark this

with chalk. Before sticking, one half a twist must be removed from

the lay of the part that forms the eye. Hold the bosom of the eye

4 toward you and the standing part away from you as you work. A

WiRE EYE SPLICE is held vertically in a vise with the standing part

aloft, and is worked with a marlingspike. Manila is spliced with a fid.

pricker or marlingspike, whichever is easiest.

The beginner should whip the ends of all strands before com~

J mencing work.

2734. The next two are experimental eyes. They are interesting

2138 mainly because they indicate that with only three strands there are

still many different ways of starting a splice. Tuck strand lover and

under once, which brings all the strands in a tier. Then continue to

tuck as directed for '#-2726.

2735. This is another experimental eye that appears to have a good

lead. Stick the center strand, which in this case is the bottom one,

first. Tuck all strands two and one half times.

2736. The RIGGER'S EYE. The greater number of the eyes which
4

follow belong to the rigger, but this particular one is the eye that

4 is called "RIGGER'S EYE" by both the sailmaker and the sailor. The

3 strands are stuck as the sailmaker sticks them and are then tucked

3
over and under as the sailor tucks them, once full, once one half, and

" once one quarter.

1

I
2737. The SAILOR'S FOUR-STRAND EYE SPLICE. Tuck over and

under twice full, then divide each strand and tuck again. This splice

is strong, but not so neat as could be wished. The heart, if there is

one, is cut out in all FOUR-STRAND SPLICES, unless otherwise directed,

and the final tucks are improved if they are made over one and under

two strands.