Proper Line Coiling Procedure

[denby]

Ragg, that's where I learned the balantine, but it's been 6 years since the last time I've been on a schooner and I forgot how to do one. Do you remember how?

Dennis

[sailingdog]

As pointed out above... properly coiling a laid-line is much more important. For braided lines, I use figure-eights, instead of coils... so the line doesn't develop kinks, using a method very similar to the one Tejas describes.

[Raggbagger]

Hi Dennis , the balentine and how do I discribe it on the net . Okeedokee here goes . Start with a coil , clockwise of course , make three in all, about a two and a half feet in diameter one on top of the other, then make a loop into the center of the coil you have going , this loop will take up a third of the space inside the coil . Now return the line to the origional threee coils till you get another third of the way around and go into the center and take up another third of the inside of the coil , remember to allways feed the line on top of the first loop you made. Again return to the origional coil and go again to another third way around and make the final loop. Now you have the base to build the balantine , you just keep following the same pattern over and over till you run out of line . The trick is ,to allways feed line on top of the one underneath it , so it has no choice but to return clean and safe , without snag . You can build the balantine as big as it has to be and it can look neat or scruffy , kick it around the deck and somehow it allways comes free when you strike sail . Just remember to place each line ontop of the one bellow it and the shape of it will lock things into place for you . If you've crewed on a schooner it will come back to you with a wee bit o practice .
By the way what ship where you on , it wasnt The Clipper City was it ?
Oh one more tip . when coiling large line , allways feed it between your legs so your only dealing with what you have at hand and if you able have a fresh new deck hand(bilge rat ) feed it to you . Better yet tell the bilge rat to make balantine right here yarrrrrrrrrr. I hope that helps ,as hard as it is to do the balentine the first time ,this may or may not jog your memory .


Fair winds

Paul

[Valiente]

Although I coil line I intend to stow that way, I generally coil frequently used sheets slightly differently. I start the same way and then when I have everything coiled, I draw a single loop of line from the middle of the "pile", turn it 360 degrees around the middle, and then draw it up through the resulting "top loop", making a "handle" which can hang from a bungee loop in the line locker.

While this isn't great for lying on the deck, if you are hanging line from a hook or another loop, the weight of the line itself will hold everything in place.

[denby]

Thanks Paul,
That jogged my memory, I do remember now. The ship was the Ernestine out of New Bedford, Mass. We would do the balentine then from the balentine to a coil, the balentine first to remove any twist in the line. I've got to grew on a schooner again just for practice.


Dennis

[Sabreman]

Thanks all - keep them coming. I've been coiling with very few changes for so may years, it's great to get some new techniques.

rewell6 - Thanks for the Mac tips. I'll check them out. Yes, It's nice to have a machine to USE and not one to fuss at. Sorry for the delay replying - been out sailing (10-13 kts NE)

[Raggbagger]

Dennis is that Ernestine or the Ernestina ? Built on Feb 1894 origionally named the Effie M . Morrissey the world famous Grand Banks fisher , artic expeditionary vessel under Captain Robert Adams Bartlett,and WWII survey ship under Commander Alexander Forbes. She caught fire in 1946 and was raised under the new name "Ernestina"to serve in the Cape Verde packet trade then gifted back to the people of the United States in 1982 . She now runs out of Bedford Mass as a training and study vessel of environmental impact
Gaff Rigged top sail schooner 112 LOA of 98 tons - Is that the boat ? If so yup I can see balantines comming in handy

Schooner Dawg Yarrrrrrrrrr


Paul

[denby]

That's it, Ernestina. (Sorry about the misprint) There was a lady crew member who use to sail her to the Cape Verde Islands for years, very knowledgeable.
Nice ship, one day in 25 kt wind we had every sail up and doing 19 kt, very good ride.

Dennis

[sailingdog]

Better be New Bedford, Mass, not Bedford, since one is landlocked...and the other is a major fishing port.

Originally Posted by Raggbagger

Dennis is that Ernestine or the Ernestina ? Built on Feb 1894 origionally named the Effie M . Morrissey the world famous Grand Banks fisher , artic expeditionary vessel under Captain Robert Adams Bartlett,and WWII survey ship under Commander Alexander Forbes. She caught fire in 1946 and was raised under the new name "Ernestina"to serve in the Cape Verde packet trade then gifted back to the people of the United States in 1982 . She now runs out of Bedford Mass as a training and study vessel of environmental impact
Gaff Rigged top sail schooner 112 LOA of 98 tons - Is that the boat ? If so yup I can see balantines comming in handy

Schooner Dawg Yarrrrrrrrrr


Paul

[ChicagoNewport27]

That video pretty much describes how I was taught. These other methods you guys are describing have my head spinning now, though.

Does someone have a link to good step-by-step pictures or video of the balentine technique and the figure-eight coiling variation? Is it detailed in a book I can buy somewhere?

(My cursory Google search turned up zilch)