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The secrets of splicing double braid rope revealed. First the simple sailors method, then a method done by a pro in England. (page two) And finally a link to an American cordage supplier with a more complicated/conventional method. For best result on all methods, Seize or cross-stitch the eye to finish the splice. This will decrease the possibility of the splice coming apart if the line gets flogged heavily. |
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Eye splicing double braid rope is
one of those simple arsed jobs that most sailors don’t know
and that clog up the schedules of riggers who must therefore,
charge accordingly. Time is all too short for boat work for me
lately so when it came time to replace all the running rig on
WhiteBird, I picked up a roll of double braid from Terry at Marlin
Marine and drove to the marina and went at it. The idea was that
it usually takes more time rooting around finding some one to
do it than it does to do it yourself. I had a vague idea from
things I had seen over the years but I was basically winging
it. It was the trick of pulling the core out the side of the
outside cover that took some head scratching to work out. I did
the splice and it seemed OK! I looped the eye over a cleat and
put the most force I could with my heady winch on it and all
it did was tighten up and look a little tidier. I am a real visual type so I have arranged this to suit myself. Follow the numbered photos and the commentary beside the photos to fill in what ever isn’t obvious. |
| (1) Set up where your eye is going to be and how much core is to be woven inside. |
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(2) Strip the core out by pulling the core out the side of the cover as shown in # 4 and then cut off the excess cover. Take care excavating the core out. Poke your fid, or in my case sharpened screw driver (professionals after all!) though the cover and carefully get behind the core and squeeze it out. A smaller tool may help.
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| (3) Secure the cover with a snug piece of tape to the core and also do the end of the core, be tidy and taper the end if you can. I used common PVC tape. My tool in this photo is indicating where the joint is going. |
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| (4) At the joint selected, get behind the core again. |
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| (5) Pull a length of core out of the length of the rope. It comes out easily. Note the ‘fat’ look of the cover on the long part of the rope as compared to the loop. Keep the loop snug. Don’t pull core from the loop. |
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| (6)Using your fid to part the fabric in the core, then pull the tail piece through as shown. |
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| (7) Repeat the process of weaving back and forth through the core all the way to the end of the tail. |
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| (8) Pull the tail taunt within the main core and remove the tape on the tail and put a fresh piece over the end and creating a smooth join with the main core. |
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| (9) Make the other end fast to something and start to pull the cover toward you.. milking. |
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| (10) And it starts sucking the whole lot back inside the cover. |
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| (11) Like milking a very stiff tit! Especially that last bit as is shown below |
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| (12) This is the hardest part but keep pulling and maybe go further back on the line to find slack cover. |
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| (13) Fighting for the last bit. |
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| (14) Very satisfying! Give the loop a hard strain to test and set. Now go have a beer.. you earned it! |
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| Things learned since..... The tape i used works perfectly well. All it has to do is hold the mess together whilst you are working, once done tension holds the bits firmly in place. However, if you happen to have a "Stitch-It-Awl" it works great in stead of the tape. If you are really having a hard time getting that last bit of foreskin over the core in steps 9-13 you may consider pulling a couple inches of core out before step one and then flushing up the ends before the next attempt. This will leave a bit of slack in the foreskin to start. Be sure to keep the two layers taunt in the eye though. |
| One of the lines I needed to replace was my main sheet. The eye on it was made in place on a loop within a block so I had to cut the old one to get it off anyway. An opportunity to dissect a pro job to see if I was close at all. AND....? Close but no cigar. The pro job was actually simpler and easier looking, even a little suspect but it had been done by a pro in England and the boat had gotten here with it so... I include that system here as well. Give this a try and see what you think but do keep in mind I have no accredation as a rigger, just another SMS! It was after I got done with some of the splices that I was told how much riggers charge for the job. $70 is the going rate!! This added immensely to the satisfaction of learning! In fact... with our new business... which will probably make more money than TCP.. I will discount that rate to one slab of beer. With conditions. You have to sit and tell me your sailing stories to keep me company on WhiteBird while I work and none of that cheap low octane stuff for beer! Or just do it yourself, it isn’t that hard. |
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