Useful Knowledge for the Practical Yachtsman

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 88, 5 July 1927, Page 14

Useful Knowledge for the Practical Yachtsman

19. Wall Knot. —Unlay the end of the rope and hold it in the left hand, end upwards. Lay the end of the nearest strand (a) across the front of the rope, end to the right, so as to form a loop to the left. Brins the next strand on the right (b) over and round the end of (a) to the rear of the rope, forming a loop with its end to the left. Similarly pass the end of the third strand (c) over and round the end of (b) to the front, through the loop in (a) haul taut each strand and the knot is finished. The wall knot is used to fasten off the end of a rope to prevent it unstranding.

20. Crowning Wall Knot. —Repeat the wall knot in an opposite direction. To double-crown take each strand in turn, and splice along itself until it is doubled throughout, the end being then passed down into the lay of the standing part of the rope, and cut off close to the knot. This knot is useful for the ends of tiller lines, etc.

21. Double Matthew Walker Knot.— Unlay the end of the rope, and hold it in the left hand, as in making a wall knot. Then take the end (a) from a loop to the left, and pass the end through its own loop. Take the strand (b) from a loop as before, passing the end through loop (a), and also through its own loop. Take strand (c) and form a loop, passing the end through loofcs (a), (b) and (c). Then haul taut and the knot is finished. It is used lor securing the standing part of a rope, or for making beckets for buckets, or in place of the wall knot.

22. Manrope Knot.—This knot is used in ships for securing the upper ends of gangway manropes, but it can also be usefully employed in launches. It is made by first forming a wall knot and crowning it; then follow round the wall again, and lastly, follow round the crown when the finished knot will appear as in the illustration. 23. The Gasket.—A gasket is a flat plaited cord, and is made from one or more pieces of rope according to the size required. Seize the rope where it is intended to end the gasket, unstrand it up to the seizing, separate the yarns, slightly untwist them, and whip their ends, then divide them with from three to nine parts called “foxes,” and plait the foxes together. If the gasket is to be thinned off toward the end, the foxes must be thinned at intervals near the end of the plait. Another way of forming a stopper is to unstrand a rope, and lay the strands siHP hv siflp nr»d sptvp thpm nvpr with

WEEK-END WORK

AROUND THE SLIP-WAYS A brief spell of sunshine during the week-end was taken advantage of by many boat owners and crews, and some of the hauling out sites presented comparatively busy scenes. • • * A start was made on Thelma after her long sojourn on the hard at Freeman’s Bay. The wooden covering was stripped off and the big keeler generally “washed down and cleaned up.” Last week some good work was put in on Mr. W. S. Goodison’s Little Jim. All her paint from deck to keel was burned off, and the boat repainted, all in the one day’s work —surely a fine effort for her crew. * * * Owners whose boats are ashore at J udge’s Bay are handicapped by a council ruling which limits week-end work to one afternoon. This is their last season in that pleasant little cove, for after November it has been declared they must find a new home. Devon port Yacht Club members have been busy for several week-ends past levelling up their hauling-out site to provide further space for winter storage of their boats. These week-end working bees have also been pushing ahead with the Devonport club-house, and with the exception of certain additions which will be carried out in due course, the club’s new home is practically ready for occupation. ♦ * * The slipway at Bays water has been in keen demand and the hauling-out site is filling up rapidly. The Lady Joan, the biggest boat to come ashore there, was hauled up during last weekends

PART THREE

spun-yarn. The strength of a gasket when used as a stopper is found to be about 40 per cent, less than that of the rope from which it is made. 24. Mousing.—A hook is moused by passing a yarn round the point and back of it, in order to prevent its clearing itself from anything to which it may be hooked. 25. —Short Splice.—Unlay the rope to the required length, which is twice the circumference of the rope for the long ends, and once an a-half for the short ends; whip all the ends with yarn, and “marry” them together, and put a stop round the fork. The long ends are tucked in twice and the short ends once. Then pass the left-hand strand over the first strand next to it, and underneath the second strand, haul it taut in the lay of the rope, then enter the right hand strand, and lastly the middle strand in a similar manner to the first or left-hand strand. Haul them taut along the lay of the rope, put the long ends in again as before, cut the stop off the fork and put the short ends in once in a similar way. Stretch the splice* whip the ends, and cut them off.

If it is intended to serve over the splice, put the strands ip once and ahalf each way, take a few of the underneath yarns from each strand and fill up the lay of the rope for worming, scrape the ends, and marl them down ready for sewing. The short splice is used for joining any rope not required to travel through a block.

26.—Long Splice.—Unlay the ends of the two ropes to the length of five-and-a-half times the circumference of the rope, crutch them together in a similar manner to the short splice, unlay one strand, and fill up the vacant space which it leaves with the opposite strand next to it, then turn the rope round and lay hold of the two next strands that will come opposite their respective lays; unlay one, filling up the vacant space, as before, with the other. Take one-third out of each strand, and knot the opposite strands together, and heave them well in place Stick all six ends once under one strand, and, having stretched the splice well, cut the ends oft.

The long splice is used for splicing any rope that reeves through a block, when in use.

The term “marry,” used above, means to place the strands of one rope between the strands of the other and draw them taut.

TWO NEW PATIKIS In addition to the new Patiki which was announced some weeks ago a second new 18ft. restricted class boat will be seen on the Waitemata next season. The two new owners are Mr. Ralph Goodwin, of Herne Bay, and Mr. A. Robb, of Devonport. This will make eight of these boats to compete in future M-class events. * * * Mollie is likely to change hands before very long, her present owner, Mr. Athol Hodgson, of Herne Bay, having decided to sell her. His main interest at the moment is centred round the outboard motor racing craft. * * * “PETTICOAT LANE” The Takapuna Boating Club’s carnival, which ran all last week, has been so great a success that it has been decided to continue it for two nights this week —to-morrow and Saturday. Those responsible for its organisation, especially Mrs. Whyte, who trained the “Alley Kids,” the commodore, Mr. P. G. Eason, Mr. L. S. Davis, and the secretary, Mr. C. V. Hoverd, are to be congratulated. * • * The club is holding another of its monthly dances to-morrow week, July 13. If the attendance is anything like it was at the last function, space in the club-house will be sorely taxed. * * * OUTBOARD MOTOR-BOATS With a weather eye on the New Zealand outboard motor-boat championship, which will be raced for at Russell toward the end of the year, owners of this class of craft were busy trying out their boats last week-end. It is expected that more than a dozen boats from various parts of the Dominion will make the trip to Russell with a view to annexing the championship. The expected contestants include two from Dunedin, one from Christchurch, two from Wanganui, one

from Hamilton, between five and seven from Auckland and one from Whangarei.

Mr. Athol Hodgson has been experimenting with a new type of 12-footer of his own design. He is building the new racer himself, and when trials have enabled him to perfect his idea, he should have a boat that will require watching when the race comes off.