It was soon after the WW2 that synthetic ropes, like those spun from polyester and nylon, and later polypropylene, became available. They had massive advantages over their natural fibre predecessors, which were prone to rot (although that could be lessened with tarring or waxing) and not very strong, not least because they were constructed by necessity from countless short pieces twisted together, known as “spun yarn”. Not only were synthetic materials more durable and stronger, they could also be produced with continuous filaments to provide greater strength. In the 1960s, several rope makers began to produce a three-strand polypropylene – known to most as the floating blue rope – in a beige colour to suit classic boats. Since then an increasing range of synthetic ropes has come to the market for owners unwilling to adorn their boats with a variety of coloured ropes, despite their advantage in easy identification.
POLYPROPYLENE
A number of
