ropes

Stretch	Ropes stretch under load, and natural fibre ropes do not recover fully.
Unlay	Strands of rope tend to unlay unless the end of the rope is secured.
Elasticity	Older and more worn-out ropes have less elasticity and are weaker.
Load	Ropes tend to unlay themselves under load.
Durability	The life of a rope is reduced when subjected to hot and damp conditions continuously.
Warning signs	Synthetic ropes do not give any warning when stretched to limit and part suddenly with recoil.

General wear	Don’t subject ropes to abrasions, excessive stress, sharp nips or bends, sunlight or chemicals exposure, inadequate ventilation, petrochemical exposure.
Wet ropes	Avoid stowing wet ropes; should be dried before stowing.
Ventilation	Stow ropes on a grating platform to allow air to circulate freely.
Exposure	Protect ropes from exposure to sunlight. Some synthetic fibre ropes now are treated for protection against exposure but should be kept covered if they will not be used for some time.
Cleaning	Ropes used in sea water or oil-contaminated water should be washed with fresh water before stowing.
During use	Avoid kinks and sudden jerks on ropes.
Inspecting	Ropes should be regularly inspected for rot and fatigue. A reduction in diameter indicated fatigue. Rot can be detected by smell or inspecting the inner surfaces of the strands.
Chafing	Avoid chafing of ropes and freshen the rope frequently. This would change the place where rope is chafing and prevent localised damage to the rope.

The bight of rope	Never stand in the bight of the rope.
Rope under tension	Never stand in the way of rope under tension. When a synthetic rope parts under tension, it recoils with force. This can injure or kill.
Wet ropes	Ropes are slippery when wet - handle with care.
Fusion	Synthetic ropes under tension, sometimes get fused and stuck with the bitt or the cleat, around which they are wrapped. While being eased under tension, they may not slacken initially and then surge suddenly - which can be dangerous. The fusion (melting of rope) causes permanent damage to synthetic rope,
Nips and bends	Avoid bad nips and bends or sharp edges.
Don’t mix ropes	Don’t mix synthetic fibre ropes or natural fibre ropes with wire ropes.

(a) is easier to use
(b) occupies less space
(c) looks neater
(d) doesn’t kink.

Steps	Other information
Lay rope straight.	Lay rope straight on deck - as long as possible.
Build up loops.	Coil the rope by laying a loop flat on deck and then building up loops on top of it until the end is reached. Remove twists or kinks by untwisting rope while coiling.
Right lay/left lay rope.	Always coil right lay rope clockwise and left lay rope anti-clockwise.

Steps	Other information
Form layers of loop	Hold the end of rope in hand and form layers of loop.
Coiling in right hand.	For coiling in the right hand, hold the rope with the right thumb pointing towards the end.
Coiling in left hand.	For coiling in the left hand, hold the rope with the left thumb pointing towards the bight.

Flaking out the rope is a means of laying the rope so that it can be paid out quickly.
Long, parallel loops are used which allow the rope to run freely, when paying out.

Cheesing down provides a neat stow to the end of the rope. The right-hand lay rope is cheesed in a clockwise direction.
Cheesing should not be used when the rope is paid out quickly.

Knot - Knots are a combination of loops which interlock and are commonly used to fasten the ropes together or to an object.

Hitch - In a hitch, the loops jam under strain but can still be separated once the strain is removed.

Bend - A bend is a type of knot used for joining two ropes or for fastening the rope to an eye or ring.

Splice - A splice is used to join or finish off the end of the rope or create a permanent loop.


Straight splice

Eye Splice	Crown knot to begin back splice