Eye splice in 4-strand?

[Seaworthy Lass]

Hi all

Splicing Octoplait in 4 pairs is essentially the same as splicing 4 strand.

I posted tips for doing that nine years ago:
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...it-104817.html

I find it extremely helpful to mark the two pairs that go clockwise for the entire length of the splice (both the portion that will be unravelled and the portion that will be tucked into). It makes it very easy then not to confuse which strands go in which direction and which ones they go under. See the photos below.

These were the main tips I gave:

These are the 5 critical points to remember:
- Two pairs of strands diagonally opposite to each other always wind anticlockwise and the other two pairs that are also opposite each other but a touch displaced always wind clockwise.
- Each pair winds 180 degrees between tucks.
- The strands going clockwise always tuck under a pair going anticlockwise and vice versa.
- All the strands keep leading in one direction as they weave around.
- Each pair of strands about to be tucked in must pass over a pair already tucked. Just keep working on the lowest pair of strands to achieve this.

You just follow this pattern to splice. Easy as child's play once you get the pattern going if the strands are marked. Even easier than three strand line in many ways, as you have a pattern below to follow when you are tucking the strands in.

Edited to add:
Scrap all that. 4 strand is wound differently. See post # 34

SWL

[Malagueta]

Originally Posted by Hartleyg

Those two look pretty good, Malagueta! the second one, it looks like you could have tightened up the first tuck just a bit more (appearance, not structural). It took me MANY tries to get splices that neat!

As an aside, in stranded splices, two tucks will hold, but can shake loose - three tucks is enough in 99.1% of cases, and 4 tucks is all you really need (unless you want a long splice for some reason). I've made some extra-long splices in my docklines so the end of the splice is NOT at the max friction point.
If heavy shaking/flailing is a worry, just whip the splice or make a cover and sew it down tight. I've made a couple leather covers for my dockline splices - not sure they do much, but they look nice!

Hartley
S/V Atsa

Thanks Hartley,
Those two photos are actually both sides of the same first splice
My second attempt was tighter on the first tuck, but then I pulled the final tucks up too much and it all puckered up and after straightening it all out it wasnt so neat. Live and learn . Actually that nylon rope was very different to anything I had spliced before - felt almost like a silk curtain rope

[Hartleyg]

SWL,

You said: "Splicing Octoplait in 4 pairs is essentially the same as splicing 4 strand."

I have never been exposed to 4-strand rope, so after your comment I did an Internet search - and it looks to me that most (if not all) 4-strand ropes are just like 3-strand, except with one more strand - they are not plaited/braided ropes like 8-plait or 12-strand. All of the strands are the same "hand" - not 2 one way and 2 the other.
Obviously, this will affect how it is spliced!

Hartley
S/V Atsa

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Hartleyg

SWL,

You said: "Splicing Octoplait in 4 pairs is essentially the same as splicing 4 strand."

I have never been exposed to 4-strand rope, so after your comment I did an Internet search - and it looks to me that most (if not all) 4-strand ropes are just like 3-strand, except with one more strand - they are not plaited/braided ropes like 8-plait or 12-strand. All of the strands are the same "hand" - not 2 one way and 2 the other.
Obviously, this will affect how it is spliced!

Hartley
S/V Atsa

Hi Hartley
Looking at Malagueta‘s images you are right! It does look identical to 4 strand. My memory let me down very badly here. I will strike out my entire previous post so no one is mislead.

Thanks for that correction.

SWL