Page 522 - The Ashley Book of Knots

PRACTICAL MARLING SPIKE SEAMANSHIP

When working ship, coils are dropped to deck face down, in front

of thoir pins, from which position they will generally run clear.

In making fast, if a coil is very large, it may be divided and hung

over two neighboring pins.

3087. After turns have been put on a pin, the upper part of the

coil may be flattened against the pin rail, the standing part of the

rope pulled forward through the coil and several turns and (pos-

sibly) a hitch added. The end of the line is not disturbed.

3088. This is the preferred way of securing coils that bulk too

large for hanging directly on the pins or cleats. A bight is pulled

forward through the coil from the standing art and is twisted to

the left until it will just slip over the handle 0 the pin.

3089. To coil sea gaskets or furling lines. Furling lines were used

in the Merchant Marine after about 1850 and in the Navy probably

not earlier than 1875. Previous to these dates sea gaskets had been

made of FLAT SIl,NETS and hiTl'bor gaskets of FRENCH SINNET. When

in use they were seized or bent to the yard or jackstay with a RUN-

NING EYE. They were used, when furling, to lash the sail to the yard.

When not in use they were coiled as pictured and brought over the

top of the yard to hang down in front of the sail.

After a coil had been made, four or five frapping turns were taken

near the head of the coil with the standing part of the line and then

a bight of the standing part was thrust through the head of the coil

above the turns and looped back over the head of the coil, where

it was jammed down close to the frapping turns and was worked

snug.

3090. Ropes are often coiled and hung up in lofts for storage.

They are also hung over stakes in farm wagons and on hooks in

moving vans, fire apparatus and linesmen's repair trucks. For such

active storage coils must be well made.

The coil given here is a particularly neat one. The working end

is brought to the head of the coil where, after a short round turn

has been made on the face of the coil, it is passed to the left, around

the back, and then at the front, is tucked back through all the turns

at the head of the coil. If the coil is to be stowed down, a single end

is passed, Imt if it is to be hung up, the end is doubled. In either case

this is one of the easiest coils of the sort to remember and for that rea-

son it is essentially practical. Instead of a single crossing turn, two or

three may be taken.

3091. A coil that is based on the ANGLER'S Loop. Take a round

turn in the working end at the head of the coil. Make a bight in the

standing end at the back, and shove this bight up through the head

of the coil, and around all parts, then back through the head of

the coil and under the doubled part that was first rove through the

head of the coil. The coils illustrated as '#: 3089-95 are for active

storage, while '#: 3096, '#: 3097 and '#: 3098 are for dead storage.

3092. Make a coil as pictured in the left sketch. Arrange the end

and hold at the head with the left hand, then add one or two frapping

turns and stick the loop down as indicated by the arrow.

Lashing ropes on trucks and vans are very apt to have EYE SPLICES

in one or both ends, in which case they are hung up by these and it

is not necessary to double the ends when coiling.

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