Splicey
At the end of this previous post I mentioned that I had asked the guys a Pride Marine to give me a little lesson in splicing double braid line. That was two months ago and I have been bugging them ever since. Yesterday, after dropping in to the store to buy 1 bolt (the least amount of money that we have ever spent at that store in a trip) I was invited back by Dave, the store owner, to do some splicing after the store closed. So, back to the boat to drop off Rebecca (she had a bunch of her own projects to complete) and pick up my fids and I was off.
The lesson was excellent and I was able to complete 3 eye splices of my own. One of the three went perfectly and the other two needed a tiny bit of tweaking by Dave at the very end. He then showed me how he lock stitches them at the end to add even more security. Now I get to bust out my own line to do some practicing. Thanks Dave! I really appreciate the lesson.
Being able to splice line (both double-braid and three-strand) is a great skill to have – congratulations on acquiring it! I can do three-strand, but I still have to get out the instructions every time I do double-braid. Probably an old dog/new trick problem. Or maybe just an old dog problem.
I have learned that splicing old double-braid is way harder than doing new – maybe because the line lube is gone and replaced with salt?
Not sure about the new vs. old thing. There is definitely some finesse required to splicing double braid, that is for sure. I am looking forward to seeing if I can remember the instructions. I wrote it all down as soon as I got back to the boat but it is all fairly cryptic.
What happened to the film of the demo. I have some splices to do and have been waiting for your update. The last excellent videos made me go out a purchase a new set of fids.
I’ll see what I can do Harry. I didn’t film dave but if I can remember well enough to do it right, I’ll have Rebecca tape me doing it.
I put a video up for you Harry.
Neat.
The funny thing is, in 20+ years of sailing, I’ve almost never wanted to splice anything.
* Chain to rope splice. Yup, gotta do this one if you have a windlass. Every 5 years.
* Halyards. I always use knots. Splices can jam in head blocks and nearly always reduce the hoist height. Knots are easier to re-tie to move the wear points. Strength is not relevant, as halyards are sized for stretch, not strength.
* Jib sheets. I prefer a cow hitch and a continuous sheet.
* Main sheet. I like to be able to re-tie.
* Travelers. Being able to retie makes getting the twists out easier.
* Dock lines. With good chafe protection they last for 10+ years. No need to make these.
* Random small lines. Often they are from old bits, which cannot be spliced. Generally, I never know if I will change my new idea.
In theory, spinnaker shackles should be spliced to reduce hang-ups. I’ve done those. There have been a few times I have wanted to splice an old bit of braid, so I have used a sewn splice; the line later exploded while pushing my Stiletto at ~ 18 knots, but not at the splice. After all, climbers slings are sewn, because knots really get in the way….
I get by with just a few knots:
*reef
*figure-8 and variations
*bowline and variations
*rolling hitch
*prusik hitch
*half hitches
*truckers hitch
*clove hitch
*fishermans knot and variations
*water knot
*slip and variations
*clinch knot
Maybe more than a few. But only those I can tie eyes closed.
But splices look cool – it’s just probably just sour grapes!
LOL @ sour grapes.
What is a clinch knot? Is that the same as a constrictor knot?
What knot do you use for a halyard? A bowline?
And yes, splices look cool. 🙂
PS: Important but unrelated question… What is the maximum number of persons that a PDQ 32 is rated for?
A clinch knot is for fishing; the easiest way to put a hook on a line and one of the strongest in <50-pound line. Also a line you can tie in 4-pound test line without glasses, which is a big plus for me!
Yes, sour grapes. I'm OK with that.
Knot for halyard? Bowline is easy to untie but not so strong. Figure-8 is dependable but perminant. I've seen an anchor hitch used, but you really should secure the tail, which makes it too long. Some don't like having a big knot, but specifically on spin halyards, I like having a big knot to hang on to. Just a personal preference. I also like big figure-8 knots on anchor bridles. Something to hold on to.
But I don't like knots on dock lines or dingy painters; they snag on stuff.
Capacity? the US Coastguard formula is LOA x beam/15 = 34. Nuts. If you used the hull beams it would be more like 32 x 8 / 15 = 17. Still nuts, but I believe it would be safe in harbor. Not much more than a hevy cruising load, but LOTS of PFDs. http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/ReviewPages/BoatUSF/Project/info1a.htm
Actual capacity plates are not required for sailboats or boats over 26 feet, unless they are required to be USCG inspected for over 6 passengers. Never try to figure out regulations.
hmmmm… so there is no capacity plate.
CE capacity plate on our Lagoon and stats in the manual, as well. There are different capacities for different levels of CE ratings, I think A=Ocean, B=Offshore, C=Inshore, D=Protected, each with corresponding wind speeds and significant wave heights, but I am not on the boat so I can’t give specifics. So conditional ratings and not all boats are CE rated, so maybe not surprising that you cannot find one specific capacity. Further, there are many different rating groups, USCG, NMMA, ABYA, BIA, etc.
The previous owner of our boat mentioned this too. He thought that there was a plate on the boat stating this info but I have yet to find it.
Mike,
http://www.pdq36.com/PDQ32%20Owner%27s%20Manual.pdf
Page 25 – 2000lb people, their food and baggage.
Thanks Kirk. I was aware of that 2000 lb number but didn’t equate it with “number of people.”
I think it’s time you guys left the dock and set sail. You will finally have everything tidied, sorted, stowed, organized, spliced, purified, mounted, installed, purified, charged, charted, researched, re-lit, re-strung, re-finished, re-placed, registered……
And you’ll be too old to go.
GO ALREADY!! 😀 I don’t know how you can stand waiting a day longer!
I hear you. Couple things holding us back…
1. There is this thing called hurricane season, which prevents us from getting too far south too soon.
2. Rebecca has agreed to stay on at work for another month (or two). The extra pay cheques will help!
Don’t worry… we’ll be gone before we’re too old. 😉