The time when every vessel going to sea made use of 3-strand rope has gone. Splicing that type of rope and cord is relatively straightforward. Nowadays the most common type of rope used on board yachts, dinghies, motorboats, working boats and ferries is braided rope. Few people have the knowledge to splice it, or even where to start. Splicing Modern Ropes is the first guide to this essential skill. It explains why splices are better – and stronger – than knots or shackles for joining or shortening rope, and how to go about it. With this skill, yachtsmen can customise their ropes, optimise their deck layout, taper their sheets for ease of handling, and splice an extra cover on their ropes to give better grip, avoid chafe and make them last longer. Using clear, step-by-step photography and detailed instructions, this book will guide readers through all the stages required to make strong, reliable splices.

Including more than 500+ black-and-white specially-commissioned illustrations, Ropes and Knots is easy to understand, packed with expert advice and essential for anyone who wants to know the difference between and how to make a simple reef knot or complex slip knot, a clove hitch, an alpine butterfly knot and many more.

Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs and influences readers to help them master the modern world. Whether it’s practical DIY home-improvement tips, gadgets and digital technology, information on the newest cars or the latest breakthroughs in science -- PM is the ultimate guide to our high-tech lifestyle.

Today, yachts are often equipped with electrical windlasses, autopilot, bow thrusters, etc. This equipment has also become much more reliable, making it possible to make long offshore passages without much knowledge of seamanship. However, as the coastguards in many countries can confirm, more and more yachts require assistance, even when they should be able to reach harbour on their own. In this book you will be shown the traditional techniques you should be familiar with – regarding rope handling, manoeuvring and anchoring – in order to make long or short passages safely. Each element is clearly explained alongside detailed illustrations, combining to make a straightforward and easy-to-follow guide. Although yacht gear is becoming more and more reliable, you can be almost sure that, sooner or later, it will fail or you will be out of electrical power to use it. Learning the traditional techniques may not only be necessary but is also both interesting and fun. Instead of waking up the entire harbour in the early hours with the noise of your bow thruster, you may, alternatively, use a spring line to get safely moored to or leave the pontoon quietly. Due to the design of the book, we have had to restrict the layout of the ebook to PDF style which may result in giving you a more restricted reading experience. For this reason, we would not recommend viewing it on very small screens.

The time when every vessel going to sea made use of 3-strand rope has gone. Splicing that type of rope and cord is relatively straightforward. Nowadays the most common type of rope used on board yachts, dinghies, motorboats, working boats and ferries is braided rope. Few people have the knowledge to splice it, or even where to start. Splicing Modern Ropes is the first guide to this essential skill. It explains why splices are better – and stronger – than knots or shackles for joining or shortening rope, and how to go about it. With this skill, yachtsmen can customise their ropes, optimise their deck layout, taper their sheets for ease of handling, and splice an extra cover on their ropes to give better grip, avoid chafe and make them last longer. Using clear, step-by-step photography and detailed instructions, this book will guide readers through all the stages required to make strong, reliable splices.