Rope
A rope is a good friend of
Scout and he should know much about his friend.
There are many kinds of rope
based on the material with which it is made such as: coir, hemp, manila,
cotton, nylon etc.
Fibers twisted in one direction
to make thread; thread twisted in opposite direction to make strands; strands
laid up together to make rope. In your Troop you will be using – cotton, jute
or coir ropes.
Three strands lay up together
right-handed form a hawser-laid rope and it is the strongest type.
There are two parts – running
end and standing part. The end which is used to tie is known as running end and
the other part is known as standing part.
The size of the rope is the
circumference measured in inches and the length is measured in feet or fathoms.
Cordage less than 1 inch is known as line or cord.
Rope work
Knots are made, not tied.
E.g.(reef knot, sheet bend, fisherman’s knot etc.)
A
hitch is a method of making a rope fast to another rope or an object, and is
incomplete in itself. E.g. to make fast (clove-hitch, timber hitch, rolling
hitch etc.)
A bend is a method of joining
ropes together.
Lashings
Joining of two or more spars
together with rope is called lashing.
There are different types of
lashings like square lashing, diagonal lashing, sheer lashing, figure of eight
etc.
Care
of Rope
- The ends of the rope should be protected with whipping or splicing.
- The ropes should be in a coil or hank. Always coil with the lay i.e. hawser laid (right hand laid) rope should be coiled clock wise.
- Store in an even temperature.
- If wet, dry it and store (suspend on hooks)
- Don’t drag the rope on the ground. Mud or sand in between the strands will weaken the rope.
- Before storing remove knots and mud if any.
- Before using a new rope strain it.
- Faulty ropes should not be used especially for bridge building, life saving etc.
- Label it showing the length and circumference.