Learn How to Coil Braided Rope Correctly

Coiling your sheets and halyards is one of the simplest tasks which is done at the end of every days sailing and is often done by the least experienced member of your crew. While it is a simple task, more often than not we see crew go for style over substance, creating an oval loop which looks good but creates issues the next time you go to use the rope.

Coiling modern double braided rope in an oval loop creates twists is the rope that can lead to issues the next time you use the line. If you are pulling the rope through blocks or cleats it can result in twists which stop the rope from running freely.

The twists in the rope can be easily avoided if you create your coils out of figure 8's, this allows the rope to uncoil easily and more importantly twists free.

In this video the team at Bottom up Boats show you how to do both coils, in addition to demonstrating how it the twists can impact the ability of the rope to run through pulleys if you use the oval technique.

It is important to note that the figure 8 technique should only be used on double braided rope. Legacy three strand rope should be coiled in ovals, it has the twists built into to line which allow to coil and then uncoil trouble free when you use ovals.

[timothyboone]

Thank you for demonstrating the proper method and correctly explaining why.

[josephlai]

Thank you. Your explanation is excellent and can't be more clearer. I think your demo is so important to clarify what constitutes the right way to coil, which many other YouTube sailors are showing the wrong way albeit well intended.

[PeterDiCapua]

im 40 and ive been coiling chords wrong my entire life....i owe you a beer...cheers

[barrymarshall]

Great video, well explained. Thank you.

[killerfitz]

Brilliant, , thanks. Been having this issue a lot recently. Its also a great method for coiling halyards for exactly the same reasons.

[sammonsalve]

Yo. Wtf. I dont work with ropes anymore. But co2 and water hoses. Cant wait to try this tomorrow.

[sailingkerguelen]

Super cool, thx ! On our side, we usually coil the ropes around the winchs, doing the 8-figure like you manually do. I don't know if it has the same "effect" as doing it manually like you.

[SailingTeamTallyHo]

I was taught the loop way as a kid but I understood later that was for old twisted type line…not braided like we have now

[WillNGo]

You spend 3:30 of a 5:40 video showing how to do it wrong, and then you rush through doing it right. The hand positions are what's critical. Don't worry, this is the 4th or 5th video I've seen that either shows wrong as right, or spends more time showing wrong as wrong and then rushes through right as right. In one video the right hand is out of the frame.
(Sorry to be such a crank, I just don't want to show up on deck on day one doing it wrong.)
The brain receives only positive messages. This is why someone telling you 'that's wrong' just makes you hate the person. And showing someone what not to do only teaches them what not to do. You love grandma because she's been around long enough to not bother with wrong, she just shows you the right way.
While practicing at home without a block I've found that dropping the 'coiled' line then making a loop with my left and and pulling the line through I can see if I'm still forming those binding loops.
I'm not forming loops, but I'm still not sure if my hand positions coiling figure 8s are efficient.
Hope this helps.

[LordZearo]

done this with the main halyard on catamarans and can attest that it doesn’t jam, and cat mains drop FAST

[sailingcelay]

Clock wise please. Both examples you coiled anticlockwise.