While quality rope will withstand quite a bit of wear and tear, it still needs to be cared for to last as long as possible.
Clean And Protect Your Ropes
Marine grade rope will stand up to harsh UV rays and salt water, but taking time to care for it will help you get the most out of your rope. After your rope has been exposed to salt water, you should rinse it with freshwater before you store it. This will prevent the salt from wearing out your rope. You should also avoid exposing your rope to harsh chemicals. Even if the chemical doesn’t damage your rope immediately, it could cause unnecessary deterioration over time.
Coiling Rope
You should store your rope coiled neatly so that there are no kinks or knots in it. Every knot or kink wears on your rope and makes it weaker over time. In addition to preserving the quality of your rope, coiling your rope properly will make it quick and easy to use the next time you need to get it out. Knowledge Weighs Nothing offers a video demonstrating three methods for coiling rope that will allow it to hang for storage and roll out quickly and easily.
Rope Storage
You should never leave coiled rope on the ground. When it is stored on the ground it can be exposed to water, dirt, and be stepped on, tripped over and easily unraveled. Instead, hang your ropes in convenient, easy to reach locations. This simple storage method can preserve the life of your rope. You should also avoid storing your rope in a location that is exposed to the elements. Excessive heat, cold and sunlight can all have harsh effects on your rope.
Rope Ends
Animated Knots suggests that you take excellent care of the ends of your ropes. You don’t want to limit the life of your rope due to unraveling or fraying. Animated knots offers three techniques for whipping the end of your ropes. Whipping binds the strands of rope together and prevents then from unraveling. In addition to whipping, you should melt the ends of the rope to seal them together.
Care Now Equals Time Later
A little proper care can help your quality ropes last longer and perform better. Properly caring for your ropes will even make them easier to use. Taking a bit of time to coil your ropes well will save mountains of time untangling knots and working out kinks later.
