[Rhodes22-list] Learning New Things - Types of Line (Rope)

[Peter Nyberg]

I'm not sure of the source, but somewhere I developed the firm opinion that only 3-strand line should be used for anchor rodes and dock lines.  Other types of lines, specifically double-braid, did not have enough stretch or elasticity for these applications.

In reading posts on another forum (sorry), and doing a bit of research, I find that this firmly held opinion is quite incorrect.

It seems there are double braided lines made specifically for anchor rodes and dock lines.  There is also something sort of in between double-braided and 3-strand, called 8-plait, of which I was entirely unaware.

One of the reasons this new information caught my attention is that both double-braid and 8-plaint are much more flexible than 3 strand, and will fall into an anchor rode locker (or bag) more easily.  

One of the short comings of my anchoring system, in which anchor rode is stored in bags in the aft corners of the lazaret, is that feeding the 3-strand rode down into the bags can sometimes be a somewhat fiddly process.  A more flexible type of line would almost certainly improve things.

For those unfamiliar with and curious about my anchor system, relevant YouTube videos can be found here: https://youtu.be/GheL7_fhpGo  and here: https://youtu.be/VeL_3Ir0yQ4

Peter Nyberg
Coventry, CT
s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)