Cordage - resources for cruising sailors

Getting a Line on Cordage

[Article]

Thorough Overview By Jeremy McGeary
Getting a Line on Cordage

The qualities to look for in rope - durability, hand, strength, and stretch - the various cordage materials available - polyester, PBO, UHMPE, para-aramids, polyester-polyarylate and their trade names - and the methods of using them - knots, clutches, cutting, finishing, coiling, lashings, and sheaves.

[Cruising World, 1 July 2002]
- Part 1
- Part 2

The Right Line for the Right Job

[Article]

On-line publisher By Randy Draftz
The Right Line for the Right Job

The various places you should use or avoid Nylon, Dacron (polyester), Spectra or Dyneema, Technora (an aramid), and Vectron, with comments on three-strand, double-braid, triple-braid, twelve-strand and eight-strand rope.

[Sail Jazz, Mount Pleasant, SC, USA]
- A primer on sailing and docking lines

Understanding Cordage

[Article]

Overview By Tom Wood
Understanding Cordage

A tour through twists and braids; nylon, polyester, Kevlar, olefin, and polypropylene; and the super-strong Spectra, LCP, and Technora.

[SailNet, 9 August 2002]
- Different types of rope

Tying Knots in High-Modulus Line

[Offline]

Detailed How-To By Brion Toss

Spectra, Vectran, T-900 and other strong, durable, and inelastic lines lose most of their strength at a knot and must be spliced. How to splice HM rope. 4 pages with diagrams.

[Sail Magazine, June 2001]
- Order the Sail Magazine back issue

The Cordage Institute

[Vendor]

Membership organization

Trade organization for rope-makers. Provide a technical paper on Fiber Rope Inspection and Retirement Criteria. Their site contains a listing of member manufacturers and distributors by their various types of rope.

[The Cordage Institute, Wayne, PA, USA]
- Rope directory
- Rope inspection paper

Washing Rope

[Site]

Personal Website By Edward G. Bottrell

Critical preparation steps for washing your lines in a household washing machine

[Edward G. Bottrell, Glen Haven, NS, Canada]
- Washing ropes
- Chain Sennet for use when washing

The Right Line for the Job: Part 1

[Offline]

Detailed How-To By Evans Starzinger

Choosing the right line for your halyards, checkstays and runners, reefing lines, sheets, and other control lines. 4 pages with tables.

[Sail Magazine, July 2001]
- Order the Sail Magazine back issue

The Right Line for the Job: Part 2

[Offline]

Detailed How-To By Evans Starzinger

How to choose the right size of line for each job by calculating normal loads, shock loads, the loss of strength in knots and splices, a proper safety factor, handling comfort and compatibility with your hardware. 2 pages with table of formulae.

[Sail Magazine, August 2001]
- Order the Sail Magazine back issue

New England Ropes

[Vendor]

Manufacturer

Rope for running rigging and dock, dinghy, anchor lines. Excellent pages on rope care, how to tie important knots, and how to splice many types of line. Wonderful related site with animations of knots tying themselves!