Page 549 - The Ashley Book of Knots
P. 549
THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS
J342. Service is applied to standin CT rigging to protect it from
wear and weather. After worming and pal1Celing it is tightly bound
- -- with well-tarr€d spun yarn or marline. Service is started by taking
- -
two or three turns by hand over the rope and drawing them taut
3343 with a marlingspike. The rigger's mallet then takes over the work.
3343. When the job is completed the end is rove under the last
three or four turns and all is hove taut with the marlingspike, when
both ends are trimmed. \Vhenever necessary another piece of service
is bent on with either SPLICE ~ 2680 or BENDS ~ 1480 and ~ 1485.
3344. For applying service a tool called a serving mallet is re-
(1uired. A large one with a reel is pictured in the heading of this
chapter. Formerly a rigger's apprentice or helper with a large ball
of marline walked backward, ahead of the rigger, and passed the ball
6 around the stay at the same time the rigger revolved his mallet. The
marline was passed several times around the head of the mallet and
then a number of times around the handle. The friction on the head
and handle was regulated by the number of the turns that were
taken. A nd the number of the turns decided the tightness of the
service. Serving turns were always passed contrary to the lay of the
rope, so that as the rope stretched in use the service tended to tighten
rather than slacken. A swifter (the foremost shroud) was served its
full length, as it took most of the chafe of the sail. The remaining
shrouds were served one third down to take the wear of the yard.
In very early days the swifter was the aftermost shroud.
3345. Nowadays smaller mallets and reels are used that do away
3318
with the need of a helper. The one pictured consists of a brass plate
with several holes drilled through it, and with spring-steel jaws to
provide tension for the reel.
3346. For EYE SPLICES a "serving stick" is often used.
3347. Riggers and sailors commonly use a serving board for eyes.
3348. But marlingspike ser'Vice is required for very small eyes and
also when repairing broken service. A r"I.<\RLINGSPIKE HITCH is taken
over the point and the hitch is drawn taut by prying against the rope.
This hitch is quickly made by the method shown as ~ 2030 ("Occa-
sional Knots"). Photographs of old serving tools are shown among
the frontispieces.
3349. Grapevine service consists of a series of hitches, all being in
the same direction. Esparteiro shows it made with two lines hitched
- "" F - - on opposite sides, which he terms "d' Americana."
-
-
3350. Rounding. This is ser'l)ice of old rope, formerly put on
- ships' cables, to prevent chafe at the hawse holes. Nowadays the same
, thing is used by fishermen on flounder gear. It is patched as soon as
J
- / - worn through, so it is generally most untidy but very efficient. The
cnds of rounding are sometimes tucked through the strands of the
3350 rope that is being covered. It is tightened with a heaver (~202 3).
When dragged constantly over rough bottom in one direction,
rounding will wear with the saw-tooth effect that is pictured.
335" f 3351. Cackling or kackling. A three-inch rope was sometimes
wormed along a single cuntline of the ship's cable to protect it at
the anchor ring and at the hawse pipe.
Ropes that are bound together or to other objects, more or less
permanently, are said to be seized. Ordinary rigger's seizings are
made with marlinc, large seizings with small stuff. SailmakcT's seiz-
inp;s are of sail twine.
Seizings require less material than knots and splices; they have
little give and little tendency to mark and injure the rope.
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