We interviewed Jack, our Team Lead Rigging Technician at Marine Rigging Services to learn from the pros. While he was splicing Marlow’s D2 Racing rope from the Explorer Range, we asked him a range of questions. Whether you’re just getting into cruising or a high-performance grand prix sailor, there’s something to learn from Jack!
Day in the Life of a Rigging Technician
Q: Hi Jack! Introduce yourself and let us know what you do.
A: Hi, I’m Jack, I’m a rigging technician at Marine Rigging Services. I’m the team
lead in the textiles department, so I spend all day building rope.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you as a rigging technician?
A: Typical day for me, I’d be building a rope for a race boat, whether that’s running
rigging, so sheets or halyards, as well as loops and strops for a variety of
applications on board.
High Performance Ropes & Running Rigging
Q: What do you look for in a high-performance rope?
A: A high-performance rope would have high strength, low stretch, and it would
be user friendly. So, a good grip on the hands as well as the winches, and longlasting because for example, in an offshore race, you could be going for 600 miles.
Ropes are going to see a lot of wear, and you need to be confident that your rope
will have the longevity needed for the race.
Q: What do you like about working with Marlow’s Explorer Range?
A: The Explorer Range is actually very easy to splice, there’s lots of variety, it’s
reliable and you know it’s going to last a long time, whether you’re always in the
sun or using it periodically, it will last all year round.
Achieving a Clean Splice
Q: What are your tips for achieving a clean splice?
A: For a clean splice, it is important to have a gradual taper in the core and cover
whenever you’re burying each of the two. You want no twists entering at the
correct point entering the core, so you’re not over-stressing individual strands, and
you don’t want any core exposed when you’re finishing the splice!
Q: If you were stuck on a boat and could only use one knot/splice, what would you
use and why?
A: I’d use a simple eye splice; it can be used for many reasons. It’s always better to
splice than tie a knot. A highly loaded knot will always break before an eye splice!
Rope Setups and Getting into Sailing
Q: What are key factors of a good rope setup for your boat?
A: It should be reliable, user-friendly for the sailors to use confidently. You should
be able to tell the difference between each line and what they’re doing, whether
that’s coming out the cockpit or various blocks on board. You want to be able to
maximise the range of all the systems so you can get full use out of the systems
you have on board. You want a tidy cockpit, a tidy bow, and if it looks good, that
will build confidence within the sailing crew.
Q: What advice would you give someone getting into sailing?
A: You should observe as much as you can of the more experienced sailors on
board, whether they’re trimmers, bowman, or in the pit. They all have different
roles, but when everyone is working in unison, using limited communication,
manoeuvres are seamless, fast, and consistent. Learn from the pros!