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Anthony P. Jeske wrote:Hi All:
This knot, which I, too, use is also known as a Lark's Head and also as a Girth Hitch. I prefer the more elegant (at least to me), Lark's Head.
Fair Winds,
Tony Jeske
The Lark's Head is the way to go, I've only known it as the LH in the line trade, never a cow's hitch. It's what I use on Alatna and have used on all our sailing dinghies.
"Speak softly and carey a big stick, you will go far" Theodore Roosevelt
Gary, All my headsail sheets are eyespliced on. I guess i've just got too much time on my hands! It is smooth, I don't need to be looking for which sheets go to which sail and changing headsails is a little faster. Cheers, Charlie.
Have you tried and failed or just not found a good guide?
I can splice 3-strand intuitively pretty much any which way. But braided line I can't do without following the step by step instructions. Even reading them through, it's not apparent to me what I'm doing, but if I stick to the steps, the splice seems to work.
If only I could splice three strand I have tried several times with several different books, photos, videos, etc. I wind up with a bird's nest of individual strands and not a clue of what I have done wrong.
Even thinking about trying to learn to splice braided line give me a severe headache.
I have tried twice. I got a somewhat acceptable splice the second time but braided line is just not any fun. I actually like splicing three strand and playing with lines in general. So if I keep forcing myself to attempt splicing braided line, is it likely to become more fun? Maybe it doesn't have to be and I just get spliced lines for my efforts, Steve.
If only I could splice three strand I have tried several times with several different books, photos, videos, etc. I wind up with a bird's nest of individual strands and not a clue of what I have done wrong.
I don't know what sort of splice you tried but I suggest starting with an eye splice. You only have three strands to worry about, vs. six if you try splicing two 3-strand lines together.
Practice with a size line that's easy to work (not too hard; not too soft) and easy to see where the strands go. Half inch is about right and it's easy to find odd pieces lying around to work with.
Use masking tape to keep the parts that aren't supposed to unravel from doing that. And don't be afraid to use marking pens to color each strand so it matches up with the diagrams you find online.
Getting the splice started is the hard part. It's made easier if you've done the masking tape thing and you're working with line that holds its shape while you work with it but is still soft enough to splice without using a fid. (We'll save fids for the advanced lesson... where you hold one end of the line in one hand, the fid in the other hand and the other end of the line in the other other hand.)
I once bought a long piece of line just for the purpose of learning to splice.
I sat down with my Chapmans, and followed the guide.
The first wasn't close. The second wasn't close. The third gave me the false impression that I may be getting close. The forth wasn't close, and so on.
Splicing braid just isn’t fun. I have to follow the instructions step-by-step each time but it always comes out just fine. I learned many years ago that using a snap shackle to attach headsail sheets to a clew wasn’t very wise. I saw stars one day when a Gibb snap shackle smacked me in the face. Since that time I’ve always tied a neat (small loop and short tail, if that makes sense) bowline and I have never had a problem. Has a clew gotten hung up on a shroud or a stay a couple times over the years? Of course, but only when ghosting in less than five or six knots of wind. I’ve never had a bowline slip or untie itself, even when there was a violent period of shaking when coming about or dropping a headsail in a fresh breeze. I can’t see anything wrong with splicing them on though it’s just not my preference.
I have found that the key to a successful and good looking splice is to melt the bitter end thoroughly before unraveling any line. Than cut the melted part with a knife into the 3 separate strands. The melted ends hold the line from unraveling by keeping the built in twist. You can splice untwisted line but it isn't very pretty.
Instead of taping , it works better to use a stout wire where the three separate strands merge to one . This gives a strong stop so that the first few wraps can be held tightly against the unravelled part of the line.
My last suggestion is to work the splice after each wrap. Don't wait until you and near done to look over your work and "work" the knot.
Get Brian Toss's splicing wand for braid. It comes with clear instructions and is fairly easy after a little practice. I have replaced all my running rigging in the last couple of years and I find eye splicing with braid is simple, but it does take a little practice to really get the hang of it.
Thanks for the suggestions and encouragement. Like Gary M, I tried several times to splice 3 strand - all without success. I will try again shortly as I really want to learn this.
I am having a pendant eye spliced at a local marine store (not WM) and will ask the guy if I can watch him splice the 3 strand to see if I can learn any tricks to apply to my splicing "technique".
Seahunt, where are you? I could teach you how to do it in a matter of minutes. I learned back when I went to Lineman School when I was a kid. I had a good teacher and it is easy when you have a good teacher. The best diagram I've seem for the eye splice is in the Lineman's and Cableman's Handbook, I believe it's in the 5th or 6th edition. Simple and easy, no need to melt anything, tapered and trimmed.
Sea Hunt wrote:Neil and all:
Thanks for the suggestions and encouragement. Like Gary M, I tried several times to splice 3 strand - all without success. I will try again shortly as I really want to learn this.
I am having a pendant eye spliced at a local marine store (not WM) and will ask the guy if I can watch him splice the 3 strand to see if I can learn any tricks to apply to my splicing "technique".
"Speak softly and carey a big stick, you will go far" Theodore Roosevelt
I have tried several times with several different books, photos, videos, etc. I wind up with a bird's nest of individual strands and not a clue of what I have done wrong. 
