Flaking a line or anchor rode
Line handling · easy · also called Faking down
Used for
- Laying a rope anchor rode out on deck before anchoring so it runs out without kinks or snarls
- Laying dock lines out near the chocks before you come alongside
- Getting any line ready to be thrown or let run out quickly
How to tie it
- Make sure the bitter end is made fast to the boat.
- Start laying the line down from the end that is made fast, so the end that must run out first finishes on top.
- Lay it in long, flat bights back and forth, each one alongside the last rather than piled on top.
- Lay braided line in a figure-eight pattern to stop kinks forming.
- Place the flaked line near the chock or bow roller it will run through.
Check it: Pick up the top end and pull: the line should come away cleanly, one bight after another, with no knots or twists.
Cautions
- Never stand in a loop of line that may run, and keep hands and feet clear while it pays out.
- Do not try to stop a line running out fast by stepping on it.
- New three-strand synthetic line can be very kinky; the Coast Guard fakes it down and lets it relax before first use.
Sources (5)
media.defense.gov · higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com · navytribe.com · globalsecurity.org · access.woodenboat.com
General guidance for recreational boaters, researched from the sources listed and written in our own words. Your equipment manuals, local knowledge, the Navigation Rules and a qualified instructor come first.