Do you make your own splices?

[nortonscove]

I'd better. Coming from generations of fishermen and mariners and married into an unbroken line of seven generations of sea captains will see you laughed away from the supper table for bad splicing or knots. I also use making halyards and lines as a therapeutic way of dealing with the long harsh winter. It's usually done while watching hockey.

[bimini blue]

Yes
I prefer double braid

[Mike Banks]

Most of the kits supplied for splicing braid are at best difficult to use. A wire coat hanger coated in plastic bent into a long loop works just as well as some, and the best I saw was used by the rigging goddess at a marina, where she was using one of a set she had made herself from stainless steel welding wire of different gauges fitted with a welded on metal handles and long loops of a finer guage welded to the ends. She made it look all too easy.

So--I use a supplied kit which works OK most of the time--and my coat hangers, and the diagrams glued to the top inside lid of my plastic tool box of sundry rigging stuff including Swedish fids, sail hooks, palms and needles, bradawls, rolls of waxed threads of different sizes, plastic zip ties etc etc.

My heavy wire splicing fids and mallet are heavy and not often used these days. I leave them ashore, putting off such jobs until at a home port.
.

[blubaju]

my favorite page for soft shackles if someone wants to know. We use soft shackles only, with the exeption of a few snap shackles for ultraquick temporary use.


https://l-36.com/soft_shackles.php?menu=4


And this splice supports our shrouds since 10 years, yes, Dyneema:
Actually very easy, they are only "long"!

https://www.sv-zanshin.com/r/manuals...cewithhead.pdf

[charliehows]

I remember reading somewhere that splicing can be quicker than tying a knot if you're in practice. The 'in-practice ' part is true, which means for most of us, the knot is easier.
Double braid is a different story – for me, splicing is not an option, when a knot is so much easier and seems as effective in the long run.
And, of course, 3 strand rope in standing rig is quite prone to UV degeneration, so there isnt a lot of point to splicing it because this just discourages one from replacing it frequently enough to avoid UV damage failures (eg. I have one ropehaul on my mainmast which is just a crane – hauling the dinghy aboard etc. which used to be 3 strand but it became prone to break after a year or so in the sun, and has been replaced by double-braid ).
I do have a box full of nicely spliced rope odds and ends for running management, and a nice splice is always a pleasure.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by charliehows

I remember reading somewhere that splicing can be quicker than tying a knot if you're in practice. The 'in-practice ' part is true, which means for most of us, the knot is easier.
....

Maybe if you are Brian Toss, but Ive got a few pro rigger friends....they cant splice faster than I can tie a knot...not even close.

Even in something really easy to splice like 3 strand or dyneema.

The advantage to splicing of course is that it maintains near 100% strength.

[Benz]

I did my first 3-strand splice in 1995, the year I first went to sea. Since then, I've taken every opportunity to learn new knots, ropework, and splices. When I built my current boat, I took the time to learn how to splice Vectran-cored rope, and made my shrouds from it, as well as splicing all the 8-plait for my running rigging.
Along the way, I made a bit of pocket money here and there by splicing double-braid for folk who didn't like to, or doing a rope-to-chain, or making monkey's fists. Eventually, I started my own rigging business, putting all those years of practice to good use, and vindicating my decision to skip college and go to sea instead.
Now I spend all day splicing every sort of rope, and being grateful that I sweated through the process of learning all that ropework. It's a good living--more than I'd make with whatever college education I would have gotten, with less debt, and a lot more seafaring along the way.
All that to say, that learning the arts of splicing and ropework is a worthwhile pursuit, not only for keeping your own boat shipshape, but could work out to something better down the road.

[capt jgw]

I can whip up some acceptable 3 strand splice in less than 5 minutes but braid I have to look at the instructions. I can do a braid splice but it's a bit of a struggle. Consequently I usually go one size up in line and use three strand and splice it myself.

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by conachair

Dyneema into double braid can be handy as well sometimes >>

Coincidentally, I was watching that just last night. Although I thought I was going to be adding covers to Dyneema lines (and SeaworthyLass kindly directed me to instructions for that), I have struggled to find any covers locally. Splicing the two together might well be an alternative, which lets me buy some fancy coloured identification line to attach to the grey Dyneema. Does anyone have any concerns about the strength of the splice shown above?

[Tornadosailing]

YouTube is a wonderful thing. Haven't had to get anything professionally spliced in quite a while. Since buying my big boat I've done 3 strand (already had that down), 8 Plait, double braid, dyneema, and dyneema soft shackles. It takes me a little longer than a professional, but it's much more satisfying.

[Dan Mosby]

Originally Posted by blubaju

And this splice supports our shrouds since 10 years, yes, Dyneema:
Actually very easy, they are only "long"!

How are you anchoring that to the deck? If you have a pic I'd love to see it. Haven't had any u.v. issues, or stretch issues in all that time?

Pretty nice, imo.

[Snore]

This is the only double braid splicing video you will ever need.

https://youtu.be/UghIS9xdiDw

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

Does anyone have any concerns about the strength of the splice shown above?

No, not with Marlow d12 max. Which has a UV resistant and anti chafe coating. The polyester would likely go first (anyone tested this?) or rip something off the boat.

[blubaju]

Originally Posted by Dan Mosby

How are you anchoring that to the deck? If you have a pic I'd love to see it. Haven't had any u.v. issues, or stretch issues in all that time?

Pretty nice, imo.

UV, none, the ropes are UV-protected on fibre basis. To be on safe side we changed the outer shrouds at year seven, the inner and the inner forestay as the proddersupport still the same. The ropes we changed we testet with 7t load, no damage, they should carry 10t, but I have no equipment for that load. Rope is a quite unknown German brand, Dynatec by Lippmann ropes



Stretch, a rotating carbon rig is not tensioned as a fixed Aluminum mast, so when sailing there is always slack in the leeward shrouds, hence no stretch issue due to elongation. Sure, during time the Aluminum disks went down several inches, most when the splices have been new, they are about 3ft long though prestreched with 7t load.


The thimbles are homemade Aluminum disks, as much as I like the beautiful Colligo stuff, my home solution serves same purpose at a much lower price. The securing webs are missing here (top "unused" holes)


Deck attachment, a 16mm round stainless bar with 2 stainless small sheaves each side to accomodate the 6mm Dyneema. Stainless sheave to avoid corrosion issues. The support for the stainless bar is moulded to the bulkhead inside the hull. If I build that again I'd rotate the assembly 90°


I hope I could help a little ;-)

[Dan Mosby]

Originally Posted by blubaju

The ropes we changed we testet with 7t load, no damage....

Nice! I have no concerns about the tensile strength of a lot of rope products, but the U.V. exposure is a concern. Glad the product performed as advertised.

Originally Posted by blubaju

......Aluminum disks went down several inches, most when the splices have been new.....

How long did it take before they finally took a set, or are you constantly having to adjust those babies on the move?

Originally Posted by blubaju

..... support for the stainless bar is moulded to the bulkhead inside the hull. If I build that again I'd rotate the assembly 90°

One of my biggest pet peeves about yacht construction is the lack of built in anchor points....everywhere. On deck, below deck, in the bilge. People have been buying yachts for decades, and yet NOBODY incorporates good solid anchor points on the bow and stern for towing. "Let's just use stainless screws and plates...." is dumb when you can build anchor points right into the hull and deck.