Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

Chapter 9: Nautical Knots
Nylon also has a certain amount of stretch that acts as a shock absorber, making it more
forgiving as an anchor line or for use in towing another boat.
Polypropylene—Low in Price (but Also Low in Strength)
Polypropylene’s only place aboard is to act as a clothesline for drying your swimsuit. It’s
not strong for its size, it frays easily, and it breaks down rapidly in direct sunlight. It’s also
a “hard” line, rough on the hands when used as anchor line.
However, it is in fact sometimes sold as very inexpensive anchor line. It’s okay for jon
boats used in a pond, but just doesn’t have the qualities to be suitable for anchoring or
tying up large boats.
One legitimate use of poly is as a ski-tow rope. Because it floats, it’s much easier to pick
up than nylon, which sinks and may foul your prop. It stretches more than nylon, too, so
it’s easier on the hands and shoulders. The price is the lowest of any man-made fiber,
around 15 cents a foot for 3 /8-inch diameter.
Polyester and Dacron—The Higher-Priced Spreads
Polyester lines, not to be confused with polypropylene, are excellent for many boating
uses. They’re very strong, flexible, and resist abrasion well. They are expensive, however,
with good 3 /8-inch going for over 50 cents a foot.
Dacron and other polyester lines stretch very little and are very strong, durable, and easy
to handle, but also very expensive—up to 75 cents a foot for 3 /8-inch line. It’s often used in
sailboat rigging due to low stretch, but sees limited use aboard powerboats.
Sailors also use many more exotic materials, including Spectra-cored ropes encased in
polyester weave that go for over $3 a foot in the larger diameters. These lines have no
more give than a steel cable and can wear practically forever (or not depending on stress
and sun exposure), but their high cost limits their use for the most part to rigging aboard
the larger offshore sailboats.
Hemp—The Natural Ropes
Smoke ’em if you must, but don’t ever use ’em aboard your boat. Hemp ropes and other
natural fibers are not strong to begin with compared to the synthetics, and the fact that
they rot easily if they’re not kept dry makes them obsolete for boaters, even though
they’re very inexpensive.
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