Page 477 - The Ashley Book of Knots
P. 477
THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS
2850, 2851. The HEAD or EARING CRINGLE consists of an En
SPLICE in the head of the leech rope, and a RIGHT-ANGLE SPLICE in
the headrope stuck into the crown of the leech rope EYE SPLICE.
This forms an eye by which the upper corner of a square sail is bent
to its yard. The descriptions of the EARING CRINGLE are very meager.
All the definite information that I have found is the statement that
28S 0 it has fourteen turns in the eye. The eye was an ordinary OVER-AND-
UNDER SPLICE, since the BACKHANDED SPLICE had not been invented.
The earliest HEAD EARING CRINGLE is shown as ~2835. The one we
are discussing was first described (as above) in 1794. The two that
are given here are attempts at reconstruction. Stick as in the dia-
grams and tuck all ends over and under twice full, once one half,
and once one quarter. This will make an excellent splice to the bolt-
•
rope 10 a cargo net.
2852. Kipping (1847) describes a somewhat different splice in
which one strand is turned back into the headrope, the other two
strands being spliced into the eye. In all three splices the eye in the
leech rope should be made as ~ 2726. Kipping allows only eight
turns for the eye, which appears rather small. The splice given here
conforms to Kipping's description quite well. The center strand is
stuck and turned back, the lower strand is split and stuck as shown.
All three ends that point to the right are tucked over and under
twice, then the full strand has one half laid out and all three (half
strands) are tucked once more and then are redivided and given a
final tuck.
The single strand to be spliced back into the headrope is divided
285'2
into thirds, one third is left where it stands, the two remaining thirds
are tucked under the adjacent strand to the left and the left one of
these two is tucked under one additional strand-that is, under two
in all. All three are now spliced as they lie, over one and under one,
twice full.
2853. A RIGHT-ANGLE SIDE SPLICE of four strands. Use two ropes
of the same size, stick as shown and then tuck three times full and
taper if desired. This splice makes a considerable bunch around the
rope.
285 '3 2854. THREE-STRAND SIDE SPLICE. Stick as shown and then tuck
the single left strand once over and under to the left and the two
right strands over and under once to the right. Stick each of the two
right ends once more over one and under two. Now either back the
single end several times or else split the strand and stick one half
over one, under one, and the other half over one and under two.
,
Lastly stick both halves over one and undd one.
2855. A FOUR-STRAND SIDE SPLICE that is more symmetrical and
handsomer than the three-strand one just shown. Open your rope
2.85"1'
and whip it at the straddle and stick as pictured, each strand under
one bight. Now tuck the strands over and under full twice, once
one half and once one quarter. Work the parts back snugly toward
the center.
The HEAD CRINGLE SPLICES described as ~2850 and ~285! may be
stuck into a straight piece of rope to form RIGHT-ANGLE SPLICES,
2855"
