Learning to Splice – Turning Rope into Something Useful

(and why every sailor should give it a go)

There’s something deeply satisfying about splicing. Not just because it looks properly nautical, but because it turns an ordinary bit of rope into something stronger, neater, and more reliable than a knot ever could be.

As someone learning to sail later in life, splicing felt like one of those “real sailor” skills—right up there with judging a gust by the ripples on the water, or stopping the boat exactly where you meant to (occasionally by accident).

What is splicing?

Splicing is the art of interweaving the strands of a rope to form a permanent loop, join two ropes together, or finish an end neatly so it doesn’t unravel.
Unlike knots:

it retains more of the rope’s strength
it won’t shake loose
and it looks beautifully tidy

On rivers like the Thames, where we’re constantly tying up, towing, mooring, and recovering boats, a good splice earns its keep very quickly.

The first splice most sailors learn: the eye splice

An eye splice creates a fixed loop in the end of a rope. Perfect for:

painters
mooring lines
attaching to cleats, rings, or carabiners

In traditional three-strand rope, the process is wonderfully logical:

Unlay the three strands
Form the size of loop you want
Tuck each strand over and under in turn
Repeat… patiently… several times

The first attempt usually looks like a lumpy snake that’s swallowed a tennis ball. The second is better. By the third, you start thinking:

“Ah. I see why sailors like this.”

Modern ropes: still spliceable, just trickier

Most dinghy sheets and control lines are now braided ropes, not traditional three-strand.
They can be spliced—but:

they need a fid (or improvisation involving electrical tape and optimism)
they require following steps exactly
and they punish impatience

That said, a neat splice in modern rope is immensely satisfying—and far slimmer than tying knots that catch on everything at exactly the wrong moment.

Why bother, when knots are quicker?

Fair question. Knots are brilliant—and you absolutely need them.
But splices:

don’t work loose
don’t weaken the rope as much
run smoothly through blocks
and quietly say “someone here knows what they’re doing”

Also, there’s a lovely winter-evening appeal to splicing:
a bit of rope, a cup of tea, and the slow joy of making something by hand.

Learning later? Perfect.

One of the joys of learning to sail at 65+ is that there’s no rush. Splicing rewards:

patience
method
and the willingness to redo it when it goes wrong

Which it will. Several times. That’s fine. Even the bad ones teach you something.

Final thought

Splicing isn’t just a technical skill—it’s a small connection to centuries of sailors who made, fixed, and trusted their own gear. And the first time you moor up using a line you spliced yourself… that’s a quiet little win worth enjoying

pmr sailing

Tuesday, 3 February 2026