Yacht Rigging and Rope Splicing Course
Learn about yacht Rigging and Rope Splicing on this one day course held in Southampton.
This one day Yacht Rigging and Rope Splicing course will improve your knowledge of all the gear that allow us to set sail.
If you charter a boat you should always cast your eye over the rig and lines. Knowing what to look out for is an important part of keeping you and your family safe.
If you own your own boat then you'll want to keep everything in good order. You may want or have to do some rigging maintenance yourself and you may need to involve a rigger.
This course covers the mast, the wires and bottle screws that support it; the ropes and the fittings that they run through; and the winches that allow us to pull the sails against the huge force of the wind.
We will go over how to inspect a rig, splicing rope - 3 strand, braid on braid and Dyneema, riveting and winch servicing,
Splicing rope is one of the oldest seafaring skills and it is still very much relevant today.
Splicing the Mainbrace
Interesting fact: 'Splice the Mainbrace' - On a square-rigged vessel of old, splicing the mainbrace was one of the harder jobs and it became traditional for the crew to be given some grog after completing the task.
The mainbrace controls the yard arms and is the longest line on board. In battle it was not uncommon for an enemy ship to aim at the mainbrace. If the mainbrace rope got severed then its two ends would have to be tidied up and spliced back together with maybe a bit of new line splicied in to keep it's original length.
Nowadays the expression Splice the Mainbrace is a euphemism for a celebratory drink. Cheers!
Can you spot the main brace on this raggedy ship?
Course Content
The Yacht Rigging and Rope Splicing Course will be broken up between a morning of theory and an afternoon of practical learning.
- Rigging lingo
- Rig designs and styles
- What wire rope is
- Running rigging and ropes
We will then have a break where we can reflect on the mornings' studies and help it soak in with a cup of tea and a spot of lunch.
Following on, the afternoon will entail more of a hands-on approach where we will be looking at Splicing, Riveting and Winch servicing.
Yacht Rigging and Rope Splicing Course
To look more closely at what these entail they will be set into easy and manageable sections.
- Dyneema ropes, one of the strongest ropes available on the market today, we will teach you how to create endless loops, Brummel splices and soft shackles. You will be able to keep some of your workmanship to take home and show your friends and family. Or, just put it in a drawer and forget about it, we don’t mind!
- Whipping rope ends – specifically a Yale Whiplock which is the recommended method of finishing braided rope slices and rope ends
- Demonstration of how to tie an eye splice
RIVETING – it even sounds riveting, doesn’t it?
- Drilling and riveting standard rivets
- Drilling and riveting rivet nuts, we will teach you the difference between the two and how to identify when you would use each of them.
WINCH SERVICING – Yes, ship just got reel!
- Dismantling a winch
- Maintenance and repairs on winches
- Reassembling a winch
Course Timings
The course starts at 10am and ends at 5pm and is currently held only in our Southampton classroom.
Yacht Rigging and Rope Splicing Course - Dates
