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John Harrison

Marlow pre-stretched polyester has orange and black tracer threads. About 35 years ago I didn't know that and bought some PSP from a boat chandler, which had a single blue tracer thread. It wasn't as good, and felt a bit stretchy on the heavier bells. Since then I've had the simple model: orange and black good, blue not good.
I had a surprise yesterday when splicing on a good top, with orange and black threads, to find the hidden inside one of the strands was a blue thread. I've spliced lots of Marlow tops but never seen that before. Can anyone explain?

Philip Pratt

↪John Harrison

The blue fleck buried inside a rope indicates the materials they're made from, it's something that's technically called a "rogue yarn". Normally blue is for polyester and green is nylon.
Whilst you find it in some of Marlow's ropes, it is something that has more or less died out across the board, with so many hundreds of different types of man made fibre ropes mass produced nowadays.

John Harrison

↪Philip Pratt

Thanks for the explanation. This is one of the ropes that were supplied when our bells were restored in 2004 - not sure the source. Despite very limited use the sally failed and I cut off the top to reuse on a good one that didn't have a Marlow top.

Philip Pratt

↪John Harrison

some of the Marlow rope has it, some of it doesn't. Certainly, bell ropes made nowadays don't have any of these rogue yarns and we no longer use the Marlow rope with those flecks in it.

J Martin Rushton

Rogue yarns also identified ordinary commercial ropes from the superior admiralty ropes. Being caught with naval rope used to lead to you dangling from the same!

Alan C

Being caught with naval rope used to lead to you dangling from the same! — J Martin Rushton

I feel that's an overly harsh tower rule that won't be aiding recruiting and retention :wink:

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