Cruising Life: Knot Again

More fun with ropes... so you're not all tied up

By Brian Minton

You may be thinking razors and knives are the worst enemies of your boat’s lines, but dirt and grime are just as bad as sharp edges – maybe even more so. You’re more than likely aware of the rubbing and fraying, but the daily muck your lines pick up could go somewhat unnoticed.
Fall is the best time to take a moment to combat and neutralize these enemies. When you’re packing up your gear for the boat to hibernate for the winter season, make sure to grab all those lines and bring them home for some TLC.

Line Wash

To wash your lines, it’s best to have a mesh bag to place them in. Once they are piled into the bag, put it into the washing machine on a regular cycle with warm water wash and cold rinse. You definitely don’t want to boil them, but you’ll need a bit of heat to help get the dirt off. Use a mild soap; whatever you have at home to clean your delicates is perfect. Add liquid fabric softener to the wash to help unstiffen the lines, so they’ll be good as new. Alternatively, you can soak the lines in a water and fabric softener mix in a garbage can or large container.

Anchors Aweigh

Anchor line is a different story as you’re never going to fit 150 to 200 feet of line in a washing machine! Carefully take the line out of your anchor locker and wash down with a high pressure hose to get the worst off. Take home and hang to dry.
A couple of other tasks you should undertake while the anchor line is out… If you haven’t already, mark your line for length. Also don’t forget to clean out the locker while it’s clear of line. If not, you will have put in all that elbow grease for nothing.
PHOTO: Series – Wire (1-5)
When reattaching the anchor rode to the anchor with a shackle, ensure the shackle has a safety wire of stainless or brass to keep it from coming undone and leaving your anchor to the bottom of the lake. To reattach the rode, insert a feed wire through the eye of the threaded pin and twist several times to secure. Once done, wrap the two ends around the U-shaped shackle and twist the ends again several times. Cut off any extra wire and tuck the wire away so it’s not sticking out (it may be small, but can cause a nasty cut).

For step-by-step photos on how to tie some of the most important nautical knots as well as properly coil a line: Read the full article