Page 478 - The Ashley Book of Knots

ODD SPLICES

and any of the splices might sen"c as RIGHT-AKGLE SPLICES on cargo

and boarding nets.

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2856. The FOOT STOPPER or BOOM STOPPER KNOT, by which the 'f I
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foot of a fore-and-aft sail is bent to the boom. It appears to be a

British or European product not often seen on this side of the At-

lantic. A short piece of rope is middled and stuck through an eyelet

in the foot of the sail. Each end is stuck through the strands of the

2.856
opposite end at the proper point to form a small eye around the

footrope. This is drawn up snugly and then the two ends are reef

knotted around the boom. By means of this contrivance a sail may

be foot loosed or bent as quickly as a reef can be put in or shaken

out, and exactly in the same way. They are cast off when sailing

free and tied in when on the wind. Used on small craft.

2857. A REEF BECKET EYE. Reef beckets for a while in the 18805

superseded gaskets for securing furled sails. Often they were of sin-

net and the rope was seized at a distance from the toggle equal to

one round of the yard to which it was to be attached. Some of them

were seized to the jackstay at the neck of the toggle, others were

passed around the yard.

A toggle was spliced into the end of a short piece of four-strand

rope. The rope was divided into two-strand legs, which were laid

parallel for four inches and then laid up four-strand again for four

inches more. Then once more they were laid up into two parallel

two-strand ropes for eight inches; two eyes having thus been formed,

the rope was laid up four-strand for nine inches to the end, and

whipped.

A single strand of the same material, about two feet long, was next

middled and laid into the lower crotch of the four-inch eye; one

end was laid up into each leg of the eye to the top where it was 2.658

spliced in, over and under two and a half or three tucks. The ends

should be stuck so that they tuck over and under alternate strands.

2858. The LINK or CHAIN SPLICE has long been used in securing

hemp tails to chain running rigging. Reeve two strands through a

chain link or a ring, and lay one of these strands back into the rope,

Jt the same time laying out the strand that did not pass through the

chain. Join the ends as in a LONG SPLICE. The remaining strand is

backed and tapered as described in SPLICE '11>2747.

2859. William A. Larson's RING SPLICE, made on a ring clew in

yacht sails. It is stuck as illustrated, then each strand in turn is tapered

and back spliced seven or eight tucks. The last two or three yarns

are stuck and backed through the strand, instead of under it. 2859

2860. A splice that is vfi!ry similar to the foregoing except that it

is stuck reversely and then tucked over and under while being ta-

pered. SPLICE 'II> 285 I is based upon this one.

Grommets (pronounced grunrmits) are used for block straps,

quoits, deck-tennis rings and eyelet hole reinforcements. They are

sewed to the bottoms of draw buckets. Looselv tied in dish towels,

they are used on cabin tables to prop dishes in a seaway. Tied in a

neckerchief, they fOlIll the PI!=lTER'S KNOT.

2.860

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