The rope trick I learned on the Gulf rigs still saves me

Back in 2011 working near Grand Isle, an old tender showed me to wet the rope before pulling it through a tight fairlead, cuts the friction way down. Tried it last month on a wreck off Galveston and it made the job a breeze. Has anyone else got a rig trick that stuck with em for decades?

2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

2 Comments

casey_barnes1mo ago

Damn, that dish soap addition is solid advice. I've had days where even wet rope wasn't enough and you just gotta stare at the line wondering how it got that wedged. Good to know there's a trick for the next level of stubborn.

3

hugow301mo ago

Hell yeah, that one works. I picked up the same trick from an old hand in the Gulf back in the day, and it still gets me out of jams. Last fall I was hauling a line through a corroded chock on a buddy's boat, and that wet rope just slid right through, no cussing or prying needed. Dry rope would've locked up halfway and we'd have been there for an hour. I also add a little dish soap to the water if it's real stubborn, makes a huge difference on the really tight turns. Your mileage may vary, but I swear by it.

-1