Page 548 - The Ashley Book of Knots

PRACTICAL MARLINGSPIKE S£AJ'l'lANSHIP

3335. A boat with crossed spring lines.

The greater the fall and rise of the tide, the farther apart the posts

must be and the nearer parallel with the wharf the warps must lead. 3336

The warps or lines must form triangles, with either the wharf or the

boat acting as one side of each triangle. Larger vessels require more

lines of the same sort along the middle length. Otherwise the prin-

ciple of tying up is the same.

3336. Manropes, yoke ropes, etc., are canvas-covered and then

wormed over the canvas with fishline. This is hove in as described

below, and NARROW TURK'S-HEADS of fishline are added at intervals

of every two or three feet, wherever there is a joint in the canvas.

Very small rope is parceled without being wormed.

3337. Worming. Large standing rigging is always wormed before

parceling, the purpose being to fill all cracks and keep out moisture. If

worming is put in for a short distance only, it may be hove in suffi-

ciently by hand, providing there is a helper to open the lay slightly.

A large rope may be opened by means of a heaver ('# 2 7 18). When

any considerable length is to be wormed, however, the rope is first

stretched with a tackle or winch and secured in the loft about waist-

high. The worming is laid in by hand and pulled hand taut. Then a

medium-sized serving mallet is taken and fitted with a tailor tails,

called "trailors," which may be either of sinnet or the single strand .. - -

of a large rope. The tails are secured to the handle with a RUNNING EYE -

or a BALE SLING HITCH. With this apparatus, heave in the worming;

the pull of the trailor does the entire work of tightening. All ends are

then stopped. Most rigging is four-strand and requires four pieces

or parts of worming. The length of material needed is about once '-" »))))))))))

and a half the length of the stay that is to be wormed. Where a stay is

to be turned in around a thimble or eye, the worming must be slack,

otherwise it may part. Worming, parceling and service in standing

rigging are always put on with materials well soaked in rigging

tar. \\.,'\ I

3338. Sister wo1'ming, also called backing and side worming. 3339

Cable-laid rigging has large cuntlines and the worming requires

backing with smaller stuff at either side. This can generally be put

in by hand alone. Four-strand cable has sometimes been used for

large fore-and-aft stays.

3339. Parceling at sea is made of old canvas, preferably cut up in

long strips. It is soaked in rigger's tar and put on snugly in the man-

ner of a bandage, always with the lay of the stay. It must also be put

on from the bottom upward 50 that the parts will overlap as shingles
,

do and tend to keep out moisture. But if parceling is not to be served,

it should be put on against the lay. 3340

3340. Parceling at sea is often made of old bits of canvas closely

marled to hoid it in place while being served.

3341. Link 'W01'ming. In the days of hemp cables link worming

was used on very rocky bottom. Three small chains, each about

fifteen fathoms long, were shackled to the anchor ring and wOllued

in the manner described for rope. The cable was stopped at frequent

intervals and was seized at the ends of the chains.

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