Page 195 - Adlard Coles "The Knot Bible"

Cheesing

You can always spot a well-turned out yacht by the neatly ‘cheesed’
mooring lines on the aft deck. They pretty well shout out, ‘look at me!’.
Coil several of them one on top of the other – starting alternately at the
centre and the outside – and you’ve got a French coil. But beware, there
may be unwelcome side effects for your lines and your deck.

There are few things that look more Because cheeses are usually left
quintessentially ‘yachty’ than a line on deck, they get trodden on and
neatly ‘cheesed’ (or ‘cheesed down’) the line may become dirty or even
on a scrubbed teak deck. It’s one of damaged. They also retain moisture,
the rare occasions when sailors which is bad for both line and deck.
indulge in creating something that Much better to coil the line normally
has little purpose other than to look and hang it out to dry, say some
pretty – after all, it would be quicker rope affi cionados.
just to coil the rope. Despite these criticisms, cheesing
But not everyone agrees that remains a popular art, and is likely

cheeses, or Flemish flakes as they to remain so. Although circles are
are also known, are a good thing. the most common form, cheeses can
KNOT SCORE
For one thing, the line is liable to be made in different shapes to fi t the
become twisted (particularly in the space available, eg oblongs or even Strength
centre of the cheese), meaning the squares. Some turn them into a Security
method is not suitable for any line permanent feature, by stopping the Diffi culty Tying
that will subsequently be required outer end with twine to prevent Diffi culty Untying
to run through a block, eg sheets. them coming undone. Usefulness

1 Estimate the size of cheese 2 Coil the working end to form the 3 Three-strand rope (which is
needed, and coil the line to fi t start of the spiral. usually right-laid) should be cheesed
around it. in a clockwise direction (as shown).

194