Running Rigging

[Bill A]

Thanks for all the information on GPS, I might just borrow my brother's handheld until I get a nice chart plotter.
My newest question is running rigging, I was planning on buying a set, but I talked with an old timer surveyor and he recommended buying line in bulk and making my own. He said it was pretty easy and kind of fun. Do most folks buy ready made lines or do people still make their own, splice eyes, whip ends, etc.

Thanks again for all the input.

-Bill

[JonnyBoats]

I find it a lot of fun to splice and whip lines. Also it?s something you can do in the dead of winter when, at least here in Maine, it may be too cold to go outside and work on the boat.

It is not hard to learn, and you can practice on some cheap remnants to get your technique down.

As a bonus, often when I go sailing with friends they have lines that have not been properly whipped. It is amazing the number of nylon lines with burnt ends and electric tape wrapped around them. I carry whipping line with me in my seabag and offer to whip lines for them while we sail, it is generally appreciated.

[Tim]

I think the answer to this question depends on whether you'd enjoy learning, and then practicing, making splices, particularly in double-braid line, which is likely what you'll be using. If the idea appeals, then I would recommend finding some scraps on which to practice and seeing how it goes before you buy line in bulk. I think New England Ropes's website had a good section with instructions on all sorts of line splicing and the like.

One thing to consider is that it's often more interesting--and ultimately helpful--if you choose different colors for some of the lines. Or at least I like this myself. It can help identify things at a glance. Using several different colors (or white with different colored "checks") would preclude buying bulk line, at least in the sense of buying one large reel. If you don't care, or if you prefer one color, then perhaps the bulk idea works.

Whipping line ends is another matter. It's very simple to do, and everyone should know how, even if it's not textbook-perfect. They look better and certainly perform better, and even if you tie knots on your halyard shackles, (like me..ahem) at least the bitter ends will be properly handled. It is fun to do, and you can do it anywhere. If you need an excuse to just go to the boat and sit, this is a good one.

All this being said, perhaps "bulk" line means only buying so many feet of one line for a halyard, so many feet of another for sheets, what have you, not necessarily a full reel of one kind. To this end, this is how I deal with my running rigging; I don't buy pre-made halyards or sheets. I would at least recommend this approach, even if you don't care to splice. Splices are nicer, for sure...but bowlines work too. (Just not as "shippy"!) Do whip the ends, though, in any case.

[JonnyBoats]

There are many times when a bowline works just fine. On jib sheets for example, a bowline is often superior to a snap shackle spliced onto the line as a flailing shackle on the foredeck can be quite dangerous.

When using bowlines in such situations, they can be made far more secure by using whipping to ?sew? the bitter end onto the standing part (here is where a picture would be worth a thousand words). That way the bowline is far less likely to work loose.

[dasein668]

Another option rather than whipping is to use the cavers' knot?a Yosemite Bowline, which is basically a bowline with the bitter end passed back through the knot. See here: http://www-sop.inria.fr/agos-sophia/sis ... .html#yose

Perhaps a better solution to the jib sheet, though, is to simply use a single line attached with a Cow Hitch (Lark's Head) or a Bull Hitch, as there is then much less bulk of a knot to possibly get hung up on shrouds during a tack. Bull Hitch: http://www.geocities.com/roo_two/bullhitch.html

[Tim]

Geez, I never knew the "bull hitch" was actually called anything. It hardly seems like a knot. Good to know what it's actually called!

I had hoped to change my jibsheets to this method last year, but bought the wrong line (too big). I believe I'll try again this year with the correct line. The knots really get hung up during tacks, which can be annoying. The smoother "bull hitch" would make a big difference.

[dasein668]

It hardly seems like a knot.

It's not a knot, its a hitch. Hence "Bull hitch!"

hehe. Can't you tell that I'm really happy to be home working on a beautiful Saturday morning?

Note that the Bull Hitch has an extra wrap over the usual "Cow" Hitch, or Lark's Head, thus making it a bit more secure.

[Tim]

It's not a knot, its a hitch. Hence "Bull hitch!"

Picky, picky! ;<)

[Rachel]

If you're using bowlines to tie the jib sheets on, and find that they snag on the forestay when you're tacking, here's an interesting suggestion (which I believe I read in Brion Toss's "Rigger's Apprentice" book):

Tie one of the bowlines the regular way, and one reversed; sort of a "right-" and "left-handed" bowline. I'll have to confess that I never did try it, and just lived with the occasional snagging.

On that particular boat, we used the same set of sheets for both the jib and Genoa, so we didn't use the bull-hitch, which seems like a great solution if you have one sheet for each sail and don't have to re-reeve it each time you switch.

FWIW --- Rachel

[Peter]

I struggle(d) with double braid splices until I found the book "The Marlinspike Sailor" by Hervey Garrett Smith.

I have better results with his instructions than with any others. The rest of the book has all kinds of rope projects that are interesting, too.