Fig. 137.—Mousing a Hook.
Fig. 137 shows a method of “mousing a hook,” that is, preventing a chain slipping off a hook. A few turns of rope-yarn are passed round the end of the hook and the standing part, and the ends brought round the middle a few times, and fastened with a reef knot.
For “stropping a block” (Fig. 138) a grommet is neat, and a selvagee still neater, especially when leather-covered. The block is first fixed in one bight, so that the lower part of the block sits on the splice, if there is one. A thimble is put into the other bight, and a seizing put on between the block and the thimble, each turn of which is hove taut with a heaver. The turns are, lastly, crossed, and the ends knotted. Fig. 138 shows the work finished. Sometimes the stropping is made by splicing the ends of a suitable length of rope together.
Fig. 138.—Stropping a Block.
Fig. 139.—Pointing a Rope.
Fig. 140.—Another Method of Pointing a Rope.