Page 68 - Eric C. Fry - Knots and Ropework

39 The purpose of the chain splice is to join II rope pennant to a
normal small link of a chain in such a manner that rope and chain
will pass freely through a fair-lead. The eye of the splice is its
Chain weakest part, its strength being les5 tha n that of the standing
part and undoubtedly less than that of the chain to which it is
Splice attached. It is most often used in conjunction with a mooring
chain, w hen the pennant is only ca lled upon to lift the slack of the
chain inboard.
The principle of both the normal method of lucking (over
one/under one) and that of the long splice /the laying up of one
strand to replace another) afe conjoined in its formation.
For the purpose of photography it has been necessary to make
the splice much shorter than would be the case in practise and
therefore the lengths, referred to below are important.
Unlay one strand only (marked A) for a distance of twenty-five
times the circumference of the rope and set aside, reeving the
remaining two strands (B and C), still laid together, through the
end link of the chain, Fig 1. Haul Band C through the link, back to
the standing part and separate them, leaving only sufficient laid
rope (two strands) to pass through the link and form the actual
eye, Fig 2.
Unlay strand A for a further distance of twenty times the
circumference of the rope, Fig 3, replacing it w ith strand B, laid
into the vacated lay in the same way as described for the long
splice, until B and A meet as in Fig 4, when the tail of B should be
approximately five times the circumference of the rope. Cut A.
leaving a tail the same length as that of B.
These tails are now tucked away using any of the methods
described for the long splice (Knot 33) to completion as shown in
Fig 5 which also shows the remaining unused tail C. This strand Is
cut to a length suitable for four or five tucks, w hich are inserted
over one/under one against the lay, working around the rope. The
finished splice appears as Fig 6.