GLOSSARY OF ROPE TERMINOLOGY

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Float Line
A braided or twisted rope made primarily of foamed or regular polypropylene so that it floats; also called cork line or top line.

Foamed
A monofilament polypropylene into which gas is blown during extrusion. This produces a lighter weight, less expensive, less strong rope size for size than standard polypropylene.

Former
Rope making equipment which combines and twists several yarns into a single strand.

Forward Spring Line
Leads forward from the ship and keeps the ship from moving aft.

Four Stage Construction
A manufacturing process for making three strand twisted rope. The four stages are:

  1. Twisting fibers into one ply yarn
  2. Twisting these yarns into three ply yarn
  3. Forming the strand
  4. Twisting three strands together into finished rope.

Free Fall Distance
The vertical distance from the point where a fall starts to the point where the fall arrest system begins to decelerate the fall.

Friction Hitch
A knot tied to another rope, or an object so that it can be adjusted (slid), but stays in place (from friction) when the load is on the standing part.

Genoa Jib
An oversized jib which overlaps the mainsail and is controlled outside the rigging and is used chiefly in races to give a boat more speed.

Gooseneck
In sailing, a fitting which holds the boom to the mast.

Guy Ropes
Lines used for steadying, guiding or holding something.

Halter Rope
A soft rope that is used for tying horses and cattle and making halters

Halyard
A line used to hoist or lower a sail or a flag.

Hand
The feel of rope to the touch, its roughness, slipperiness. etc.

Hand Line
A small diameter rope managed chiefly by direct contact with the hands; used in fishing and in the utilities industries.

Hank
A looped bundle of cordage. A means of packaging rope or cords by winding it into a series of loops and tying them about the center.

Hawser
A heavy line of fiber that is over 5" in circumference, or 40 mm or more that is generally used in mooring or towing vessels.

Hawser
Laid Rope Rope composed of three strands of yarn twisted to the right.

Heading Twine
A small diameter twine usually of braided nylon used by commercial fishermen for tying pot heads.

Heat Resistance
The ability of fibers and ropes to resist breakdown, loss of strength, at high temperatures. Heat resistance is normally an inherent property of the fiber used in manufacturing ropes.

Heaving Line
Light cotton cord or sash, weighted line thrown across to a ship or pier when coming alongside to act as a messenger for a mooring line.

Hemp
A natural rope fibre that is produced from the fibers of a tall plant, the cannabis sativa, grown in Asia; also called "marijuana" or "Indian hemp". It may also refer to a fiber similar to true hemp such as manila.

Henequin (Henequen)
The Agave Fourcroydes, a plant native of Yucatan, Mexico, the fibers of which are used in making sisal cordage. Refered to as Mexican or Cuban sisal.

Hitch
A knot that attaches a rope to something, like a spar, a post or another rope.

HMPE
High Modulus Polyethylene.

Hockle
A back turn; a twist against the lay that cannot be corrected. Damage that occurs to a rope when a load is suddenly released on the line or when a rope is twisted and the strands form a loop. A line may look like it has knots along its length. This type of damage results in substantial loss of strength which cannot be repaired. It can lessen the tensile strength by as much as 50%. Braided or plaited rope cannot hockle.

Hollow Braid
An easily spliced cord of a diamond braid construction or twill braid pattern with a hollow centre; most common in nylon or polypropylene - for example, water ski tow rope.

Horizontal Lifeline System
A rope installed horizontally between two or more anchors, which a worker attaches a personal fall protection system to.

Hydrolysis
A double decomposition reaction involving the addition of the elements of water and the formation of an acid and a base, an acid and an alcohol, or an acid and phenol.

Hydroscopic
Having the ability to absorb moisture from the atmosphere. All fibers have this property in varying degrees.

Inherently Buoyant (KAPOK) Lifejacket
Used by personnel working topside during hazardous conditions or evolutions to ensure flotation in the event the wearer falls overboard. UNREP and boat crews wear them at all times. Sometimes called the Mae West.

Jenny
A rope making machine that twists several single ply yarn or single fibers into one larger yarn.