Reprinted from original

How to Lay Up a Grommet

By Hervey Garrett Smith

1952. The Marlinespike Sailor. 2^nd ed., 115 pp. The Rudder Publishing Co., New York.

IN LOOKING over the articles I have written I noticed that many of the items of ship’s gear which I have described call for the use of grommets, called “grummits” by all true sailors. Many yachtsmen having an elementary knowledge of marlinspike seamanship are familiar with grommets and their uses, but I have observed that most of them get about as far as Figure 3 of the accompany illustrations, and then helplessly bog down, with only a vague idea of the proper way to finish the job. This article will, I hope, relieve them of their distress.

Grommets of stranded rope, marline and wire have many used aboard ship. They are the straps, or “strops”, of the old fashioned blocks, the beckets on sea chests, hatch lifts, drawer pulls, and the eyelets in canvas work of the old school. To the landlubber they are quoits. Technically they are rope rings formed by laying up a single strand about itself 3, 4, or 6 times. As in the case of block straps, they are often wormed, parceled, and served over.

A 3-strand rope grommet requires a single strand whose length is 3 times the circumference of the desired grommet, plus 6 times the circumference of the rope. Thus a 3/8-inch grommet 6 inches in diameter calls for a single strand approximately 64 inches long. This allows about 3 ½ inches to each end for tucking.

From a piece of rope the required length unlay carefully a single strand without disturbing the lay of the yarns. Bring one end around to form a ring the desired diameter, and cross the strand as shown in Figure 1. Now pass the long, or working end, about itself one complete circuit of the grommet as in Figure 2. This, of course, is fairly obvious, but if you get a bit careless the two adjacent strands may not match, and a botched job will result. In the groove remaining, lay up the strand for another circuit as in Figure 3.

You are now faced with the problem of disposing of the two strand-ends, the object being to tuck them in such a manner as to increase the diameter of the rope as little as possible. This is done precisely the same as in a long splice. To my knowledge there are fourteen ways to do it. Six are used by sailmakers, and the rest by riggers. To show them all would be a superfluity, to use an awkward word, and I have chosen a method that is simple, neat, and entirely practical.

Unlay each strand slightly and separate into two parts or groups of yarns. Now with one-half of each strand tie a left-hand half-knot, as shown in Figure 4. Stands A and B are now to be tucked, and strands a and b are temporarily ignored. You tuck over one and under two strands. Strand A goes over B and b, and under the next two strands, then tucked once more. Stand B goes over A and a, and under two in a like manner. It should now look like Figure 5. Roll the grommet in the way of the tucks under your foot, or wallop it a few times with a mallet and cut the strands off close.