Torn ropes are a nuisance and sometimes really dangerous. While a chafed downhaul rope usually gives up with a bang when rigging, i.e. while still on land, an outhaul rope sometimes tears suddenly on the water - for example during a wash or a landing. The problem: when floating in the water, it is often quite difficult to thread the torn and tattered rope back into place. If your fingers are also clammy in cold water, threading can quickly become impossible. In cold temperatures or windy conditions, this can put you in dangerous situations unnecessarily.
In such a case, it is much quicker if you have a new, thin replacement rope with you. Simply pull the torn rope out of the clamp, stuff it under the neo and fix the problem with a new rope that is easier to thread. It is best to store the spare rope where it is always with you - on the harness.
Repair base plate with replacement ropes
But a spare rope can also be useful in another case - for example, if your mast foot tendon breaks on the water and the board and sail are separated. The following picture gallery shows you how to proceed. (Note: For better visibility, we have removed the torn mast foot scene in the picture gallery)
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
