Ropework

Ropework or marlinespike seamanship are umbrella terms for a skillset spanning the use, maintenance, and repair of rope.

While the skill of a sailor in the Age of Sail was often judged by how well he knew marlinespike seamanship, the knowledge it embraces involving docking a craft, towing, making repairs underway, and more is still critical for modern seafarers.

A whipping knot is a means of holding the cut end of a rope together to prevent fraying and ensure ease of use.

Other fray-prevention techniques include back-splicing, aglets, or the application of a rubberized adhesive coating, resin, or paint to the cut end.

A tugboat operator once sliced the palm of his hand open down to the sinews after the hardened (and obviously sharp) end of a rope that had been heat-sealed pulled through his grasp.