Cordage | Buying The Rope

I was really hoping to install the tabernacle and bowsprit and mast quite soon, so I could fasten the chainplates in place.

For that I would I would need the jib halyard to haul the mast upright, so it was time to buy the rope.

I got a shopping list from the PocketShip forum, detailing the thickness and length of each line, but I know next to nothing about rope.

So I decided to visit a decent chandlery and talk to someone about it rather than guess what I need and buy it all online.

It was clear that you can spend a lot of money on rope, and the choice is overwhelming.

Now, I live near Oxford in the very centre of England and the only chandlers around here cater for river and canal boat users. They don't sell much rope, and they don't know anything about sailboats.

So it meant a trip to the coast.

I went to Force 4 Chandlers in Southampton, on the south coast.

It's a great place. A lovely lady called Katie helped me to buy what I needed without spending a fortune on high spec rope designed for racing yachts.

Here is the cordage, all colour coded.

The rope is made by Liros, which is a big rope manufacturer.

But it's reasonably priced.

This chandler sells lots of this rope to cruising sailors, so if it's good enough for them it's good enough for PocketShip.

I can't wait to rig some of it up!