Here are some recent sightings from the east coast (Cape May area) of
commercial-fishing knotting & cordage & gear--fascinating & colorful stuff.
There are new regulations in the USA regarding the nature of groundlines
used for lobster & other fishing: they must be "sinking", non-bouyant
(and maybe not "neutrally bouyant", even)--which in practical terms
implies some considerable ingredient of polyester along with the olefin
(be it PP or PE or CoEx PP/PE). I was aware that such regulations
were in force in Maine, but not as far south as S. Jersey, and maybe
even farther. The concern is re the Right Whale, which in feeding
with open mouth can snag the arcs of floating groundlines an become
entangles (and apparently get a knotted broken end snagged in the
baleen!?). I found that the effect of such regulations--some/most? coming
with a state buy-back program for exchanged floating rope--was to cost
the particular fellow twice what the floating line cost (this maybe is w/o
regard to buy-back). His new rope lay heavy on the starboard side of
the boat against the wall, and in yet unopened spools (7?) beneath
a tarp--each of 2,000', 5/8" Everson Pro 4-strand laid rope.
First pic, lobster pots stacked and tied-on (floating snoods, yes) with
double sheet(becket) bends, ends tucked once; note some couple
oddball cases of bridle hitches beside the usual Clove & tuck or
Clove & HH & Tuck or Clove & 2-tucks. One case has the oddball
on one side, the usual on the other: I wonder why !? (And I can't
say what the oddball hitch is: is the end tucked through lay,
wrapped around cage-corner again, and tucked again?)
2nd pic, a close-up of a pot's corner showing impact damage
nearby with front end pushed in sharply; this bridle is well
secured with Clove+HH+tuck, effectively making an eye
splitting the load to both turns of the Clove Hitch.
3rd pic, a snood hitched to the groundline; this is what I call
a "Near Groundline Hitch", for the final tuck is not through
the initial turn of the GLH but through the lay of the object rope.
Note that in this case the tuck is through the center of the lay
(being 4-strand, i.e., splitting the strands evenly), but the
finishing tuck outside of the knot is splitting strands 3:1
(which I surmise might be a more secure nipping--and I think
that such tucking in 3-strand is more secure than the 2:2 of
4-strand of equal lay firmness).
This hitch is quite loose, and has either not yet been loaded
in practice, or has been loaded in the direction/orientation
indicated, snood pulling off leftwards. For if it was pulled
in the opposite direction, the hitch tends to draw up quite
well & snug, the loaded part pulling into later parts of the
hitch, and the initial turn clamping down atop the S.Part.
4th/final pic is of the vast lengths of rope stretched along
the boat. The captain referred to cost as "per pound" !
As noted above, spools here were of 2_000 feet in length.
With this heavier rope, the loading of it manually must be
felt as an unwanted difference to the CoEx line.
--dl*
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