Page 247 - Adlard Coles "The Knot Bible"

Plain whipping

Far from being a dying art, whipping is still the method of choice for many KNOT SCORE
sailors wanting to keep their lines in order. A plain whipping is the simplest Strength
and most popular approach, but there are other, more decorative as well Security
as more durable techniques. And if you’ve just bought some high-modulus Diffi culty Tying
line that needs sealing, then you won’t do much better than the sailor’s Diffi culty Untying
Usefulness
whipping (page 248) or the palm and needle whipping (page 249).

There’s no doubt that yachts have a Suitable candidates include a reef solution, prior to putting in
lot of bits of string to play with. Even knot (page 156), a strangle knot something more durable.
the smallest sailing boat has dozens (page 42), or a constrictor knot Other non-traditional solutions
of lines dangling off everything from (page 38). These knots will provide include dipping, where the end of
reefing points to lifejacket whistles. an instant solution until you have the line is dipped into a liquid, which

Trouble is, all those bits of string time to put in a proper whipping. then sets and ‘glues’ the strands
need to be stopped, or ‘whipped’, The ultimate traditional ‘stop’ is together. There’s also adhesive shrink
to prevent them becoming frayed. the back splice (page 262), but this tubing, which is applied with a hot
Not surprisingly, sailors have has the drawback of almost doubling air gun and literally shrinks over the
devised all kinds of ingenious ways the thickness of the line. end of the line.
to carry out what is one of the most Since the invention of synthetic Ironically, none of these methods
mundane and repetitive jobs aboard ropes, traditional methods have work very satisfactorily with the
ship. Ashley lists at least 20 different taken a backseat to the mindless latest high-modulus lines, such as
methods for whipping rope with ease of the butane whipping (page Dyneema and Spectra, which just
twine alone. 251). A butane whipping will char if attacked with a lighter. The
The simplest method is to take a eventually work loose, however, solution? A good old-fashioned
couple of turns around the end with which is why experienced sailors whipping, such as those shown on
some waxed string, and tie a knot. tend to use it as a temporary the following pages.

1 Put a bight in the end of a length 2 Holding the bight in place, wrap 3 Keep going until the width of the
of twine, and lay it lengthways on a few turns around the line, working whipping is about the same as the
the line. towards the bight. diameter of the line.

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