There has been mention of using dacron line for tying down a cartopped boat. Good 3 strand twisted nylon works better for me. It may not be quite as strong or UV tolerant but, like a bungie cord, it has a certain amount of stretchiness that permits it to be more easily tied tightly. If the twisted rope has a firm lay (i.e., is tightly twisted) it holds a knot well and can be more easily untied than braided line. When wet it tends to stretch even more and so can loosen a bit when rained upon. I've personally never felt the need for anything bigger than 1/4" diameter rope. Several tight wraps around a cartop bar provide enough friction so that attachment point won't slide with cross winds. The several loops also places the loose end at some distance (3-4 rope diameters) from the start so the half hitches, if pulled upon, actually tighten the line even more by pulling it laterally. Make sense? Larry Koenig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Sep 08 1999 - 06:27:32 PDT
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