Conference vicki::boats

    
    I once made the mistake of sitting on the stern on my boat at the
    marina and spliced up some new braid on braid dock lines. (With a book
    open on my lap the day before BOB)  Now I get several requests a month
    to help some body or to make up a set.   
    
    How do you keep in pratice?  I find one or two days a year is all the
    time it takes to make up the lines, fenders etc I use.
    
    KC
     
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    Spag's has half inch  braid on braid for about $0.38 per foot. This is
    about a third of the marina price and hald of boat us.
    
    KC
    

         Could anyone cite available how to splice books which you have found to
         be particularly helpful?

         thanks

    For books, I have gotten all I needed to know to splice both 3-strand
    and braid-on-braid from both Chapman's and the Annapolis Book of
    Semanship.
    
    Bill
    

    Once you get the hang of it, its easy.  I keep in practice by doing my
    own lines.  A couple of sessions a year is all I need.  I have gotten
    so used to splicing that I have been known to throw a backsplice into
    a line on the dock which is unlaying as I stand on the dock. 
    Yeah Champman will tell you how, so will The Boy Scout Manual.  What
    one needs is a book with EXCELLENT diagrams in it.
    
    I have no problem with requests helping with someones splicing.  The
    only way to learn it I have found is to DO IT.
    
    Jeff

Since we're talking technique here as well, one observation perhaps worth 
sharing relates to eyesplices -- around a thimble in particular, but it's 
somewhat true for even a regular eyesplice.

The difference between a decent eyesplice and a really good one, in terms 
of maintaining a tight twist in the line and (when around a thimble) 
keeping it as tight as possible, is figuring out where the first strand's 
first tuck should be placed.  As mentioned earlier, once you get started, 
there's nothing really mysterious at all about process, and with the right 
tools it doesn't even qualify as hard work.  If you've faced the situation 
before you can recall there is some judgement to be exercised in picking 
whether it's this strand, or the next one higher up, or part way higher 
and half a strand further around....  But getting that first tuck in the
right spot, both high enough and far enough around (but not too high or
far around that it hockles the line) -- that's the art, and also the
difference between so-so and sweet. 

FWIW, J.

    Well, I went to the library and took home a book on knots
    and such.  Managed to do the eye splice, came out OK,
    like you all say, practice, practice...  It is an art
    to find the right strand, where to start, etc...
    
    I would like to know what to use and where to find the line
    used to whip the end of the rode, ie. so it will not unravel
    once cut...
    
    Thanks,
    
    Steve

    
    	Any reasonable marine supply place that sells line should have
    spools, or balls of waxed whipping twine.
    
    
    Forrest

<    	Any reasonable marine supply place that sells line should have
<    spools, or balls of waxed whipping twine.

  You can also use kite twine that you've run though a chuck of beeswax.  Both
items are readily available in any craft store.  In some shops, or hardware
stores you can get waxed line used for stitching leather. Waxed dental floss
would probably work too.  It's about the right size, it's waxed, it's strong,
it's readily available... 

Al