Cruising_World_2016-06-07

108

june/july 2016

cruisingworld.com

HANDS-ON SAILOR

the splice into the hollow

core of the standing line.

This makes the splice work

like a magician’s fi nger trap:

The harder the standing line

is pulled, the more tightly

it constricts around the

tail, and therefore the more

secure the eye becomes.

Due to its fi brous con-

struction and slippery

feeling, Dyneema can be

fi nicky to work with. The

trick to getting a neat-

looking splice is to be extra

careful when feeding the fi d

through the braid. Unlike

conventional line, Dyneema

fi bers tend to separate and

snag on even the dullest

point. Yet the steps to mak-

ing an eye splice are simple

enough for the average DIY

sailor; all that is needed is a

marker, a sharp blade, some

tape, a set of fi ds and some

patience.

This method of creating

an eye splice can be used

to capture hardware such

as a ring or thimble, but it

can also be used to attach a

shackle, carabiner or other

quick-release hardware.

The possibilities for using

Dyneema on board are now

not only aff ordable, but

endless.

Heather Francis is originally

fr om Nova Scotia, Canada.

For more than a decade she has

traveled the world living and

working on boats. In 2008 she

and her Aussie partner, Steve,

bought their Newport 41, Kate,

and have been sailing her full

time since. Follow their adven-

tures at yachtkate.com.

When in use, both the inner forestay and the

running backstays need to be tensioned. With

wire rigging, this is accomplished with a turn-

buckle or Highfi eld lever. When tensioning line,

usually a series of blocks are used. We discov-

ered a third option while researching how to

install our new soft rigging: anodized aluminum

friction less rings.

Frictionless rings are now manufactured by sev-

eral companies and come in various sizes. They

are a simple but elegant solution to the problem

of tensioning Dyneema lines. One ring is attached

with a splice to the deck end of the forestay; a sec-

ond, smaller ring is attached to the deck and has

a length of Dyneema that is spliced around its

circumference. This line is passed through the

middle of the larger ring and back through the

middle of the small ring; the number of times it

threads through the ring determines the purchase.

Dyneema’s smoothness and the rings’ rounded

center edge provide a frictionless solution.

When it’s time to tension the inner forestay,

we lash the Dyneema line in place and then lead it

back to a cockpit winch.

Our running backstays are connected to the

toerail near the transom using snatch blocks so

we can remove them quickly when tacking or

jibing. These are also tensioned by a winch.

TENSION

TAMER

Step 1: Measure approximately

the length of your fi d (ours was

30 centimeters) from the bit-

ter end of your line, and make

a small mark. This will be the

“tail” that gets buried in the fi nal

step. Make another mark that’s

approximately three times the

diameter of your line from your

fi rst mark (in our case, about

24 millimeters). This will be

referred to as “A.”

Step 2: Since Dyneema doesn’t

burn well, rather than melt its

end, wrap the bitter end tightly

with tape and cut through the

tape and line at a 45-degree angle.

This makes it easier to work the

end of the line through the braid

when completing the splice.

Step 3: Form the required eye

size by capturing your thimble

or ring, making sure that A is

held tightly at the bottom of the

eye. Make a corresponding mark

on the other side of the eye.

This will be referred to as “B.”

Remove the ring.

Step 4: Attach the bitter end to

the fi d. At mark A, fi nd the cen-

ter of the Dyneema line and

gently work the end of the fi d

through the braid. Be careful not

to snag any fi bers as you pass the

fi d’s point through. Pull the fi d

and bitter end through the line.

Step 5: Now remove the fi d and

pull the end up tightly so the line

is rolled inside out. This will cre-

ate a small hole in the Dyneema.

Step 6: Repeat this process at

mark B by carefully working the

fi d through the line and pull-

ing the fi d and the bitter end

through again. Make sure to

enter the line on the same side as

in Step 4.

Step 7: Again pull the end up

tightly so the Dyneema is turned

inside out for a second time. You

should be left with two clean and

obvious openings in the line that

face the same direction.

Step 8: Turn the opening A right-

side out by folding the line and

passing it back through the open-

ing. Be sure to work from back

to front, or in the opposite direc-

tion as you did in steps 3 and 4.

Step 9: Work opening B com-

pletely through opening A. You

will have a large loop that con-

tains the opening B and inter-

sects the Dyneema at opening A.

Step 10: Turn opening B right-

side out by carefully easing the

short section back through the

opening, again working from

back to front.

Step 11: A small loop will be

formed when opening B butts

against opening A. This is the

eye, or where the ring will be

held captive.

Step 12: Ease the ring (or thim-

ble) into the eye. You may need

to pass a little more line through

opening B so there is enough

slack to work the Dyneema over

the outer rim of the ring.

Step 13: Pull the long, or stand-

ing, end of the line completely

back through opening A and pull

tightly. You may need to ease

and twist the line so it lies fl at.

Step 14: Attach the bitter end

to the fi d and insert the fi d into

the hollow core of standing line,

approximately a fi d’s width from

where the bitter end exits.

Step 15: Be careful to pass

between the braid pattern and

not to snag individual strands.

Work the fi d down through

the hollow core a little over the

length of the fi d, bunching the

line up on the fi d as you go.

Step 16: Carefully exit the line

between the braid, and pull the

fi d and bitter end through the

center hollow and out, leaving

the line bunched up.

Step 17: Remove the tape from

the bitter end and cut the strands

with a sharp blade at an extreme

angle. Fan out the strands. This

will reduce the bluntness of the

tail, creating a nice taper and a

smoother line when fi nished.

Step 18: Bury the tail by work-

ing the bunched-up line toward

the cut bitter end, massaging or

milking the line as you go.

Step 19: Once the tail is buried,

hold the ring and pull the stand-

ing end. The locked Brummel

eye splice is complete.

Step 20: Follow the same proce-

dure to splice an eye for a thimble.

On Kate, the thimbles are used to

attach the inner forestay and run-

ning backstays to the mast.

TYING A BRUMMEL SPLICE