We have all read in Chapman’s and other books about how to splice three strand twisted lines. I would study these and teach myself how and then not do it for a year or so and forget how. Secondly, it was difficult to follow—label each strand, over and under –ad nauseam. While fighting this battle about eight years ago, a friend came up who was in the wire rope (cable) business. He showed me the most simple manner of splicing I had ever seen, even I can do it and remember it form one splicing party to the next.

For the novice, you more experienced hands bear with me, gather your tools:

1. A sharp knife

2. A whetstone (sharpen the knife every time you cut more than 5-6 lines with it.

3. Candle

4. Electrical tape

5. Cutting Board

Wrap the end of the line with several rounds of electrical tape then burn it until it is well fused. Remove the tape and separate the three strands, tape each separately and fuse. Unlay about 6” of the line and place a turn of tape around this point to prevent any further unlaying of the strands.

Determine the size eye you want and bring the unlaid portion back to the standing point. Lay the unlaid strands on the standing part. Now commences the important part of this operation.

1. Place the line to be spliced on the table with the unlaid portion on the right.

2. Bring the unlaid portion over toward your left leaving the amount of line needed for the “eye”.

3. Take one strand, preferably the one in the middle and go under one strand of the standing part, RIGHT TO LEFT.

4. Take the next unlaid strand on the LEFT and go OVER (from right to left) the one you just went under.

5. Take the last of the 3 unlaid pieces and go OVER (from right to left) the one you just went under.

The 3 unlaid strands must be separated by a strand of the unlaid line. That’s it !!! A suggestion, do this in sets of three and you will not get confused, I promise. You should make 5-6 tucks on each strand. If one or two strands come out longer just tuck them as stated, you need not cut them off.

On the other end of my dock lines I often splice the line back into itself. This is also very simple. Commence as stated above through the unlaying of approximately 6” of line then:

1. Hold the line vertically as in the diagram with the unlaid strands drooping over.

2. Take the center strand and loop it vertically with the end AWAY from you.

3. Take the right strand and loop it from RIGHT TO LEFT horizontally.

4. Take the left strand and run it to LEFT TO RIGHT THROUGH the vertical loop of the center strand and

OVER the right strand (that is now on your left).

5. Pull these snug.

6. Proceed with splicing that you learned at the outset of this article.