Jan-Willem Polman is a blue water sailor, entrepreneur and mechanical engineer specialised in synthetics technology. He organises courses about splicing modern ropes. He also developed the D-Splicer needles that are used widely by sailors and riggers.

• Introduction1. Synthetic fibresDevelopmentsTechnical featuresBreaking strainSafe working loadStretchCreepSynthetic fibres used for ropesPolyesterPolyamidePolypropyleneHMPE (Dyneema/Spectra)LCP (Vectran)PBO (Zylon)Aramid (Kevlar/ Technora)2. Construction of ropes Twisted ropesSingle braid ropesDouble braid ropesBraided sleeve with a core of twisted strands or parallel fibresAdditional adjustments3. Which type of rope?Sheets and halyardsMaterialsDiameter and tensile strengthLengthMooring linesDiameterLengthRopes combined with camcleatsMaintenance and troubleshootingInspectionFriction and wearRope does not hold in camcleatsTwisted ropesCleaning ropes4. Before you startSplicing toolsSplicing technique and core materialsThe size of the eyeHow to remove a core from the sleeve‘Tapering’ the ends of a rope‘Milking’ the sleeveLong bury splicing5. Eye splice in laid ropesThree-strand ropeEight-strand rope6. Eye splice in polyester ropesDouble braid ropeRope with a laid coreRope with parallel fibres in the core7. Eye splice in Dyneema ropesSingle braid ropeBasic methodMethod for empty Dyneema sleeves with a non-slip fibreLock spliceDouble braid ropeWithout using the sleeveUsing the sleeveDouble layer sleeve8. Dyneema shacklesSoft shacklesType 1Type 2IntegralSoft shackle knot9. Weight savings and taperingTapering a doubled braided Dyneema ropeJoining two single braid ropesJoining steel wire with double braid polyesterJoining a single braid Dyneema rope with double braid polyester10. Thickening and strengtheningSplicing or sewing in an extra sleeveSplicing in an extra sleeveSewing in an extra sleeveSplicing in an extra core11. Continuous loopsDouble braid polyesterFor equal thickness, spliced without the coreFor strength, spliced with the coreSingle braid Dyneema Basic loopLoop with sleeveDouble braid Dyneema12. WhippingsDouble stitched whippings for braid ropesCommon whippingWhipping for a three-strand laid rope13. Reeving of new halyardsReeving eye (‘Flemish eye’)Reeving loop with whipping14. Splicing toolsUsing a soft needleHow to make a soft needleAppendices1 Features of synthetic fibres: a comparison 2 Diameters and breaking strains of ropesCalculating breaking strains for sheets and halyardsGuidelines for diameters of sheets and halyardsGuidelines for diameters of mooring lines

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