Print

[Tim_Moore]

Hello,

chasing some recommendations on what capstan winch rope to buy (and use in anger).
Manial Rope appears to be the period correct option but there are better options available...

Assuming the capstan is good for 3500 Lbs (1400kg).

Manila Rope (Diameter/breaking)
 20mm / 2800 kg
 22mm / 3400 kg
 24mm / 4100 kg

HMPE Rope (Diameter/breaking) - Zero Stretch, mad expresnsive
6mm / 3700 kg
16mm / 26500 kg
18mm / 31600 kg
20mm / 38700 kg

Yacht Line
10mm / 2300 kg
12mm / 3000 kg
14mm / 4100 kg
16mm / 5000 kg

Interested to know what people have used / had fail / liked / lessons etc.

[Ph0en1x_Uk]

You require Manilia Rope. 3/4 Diameter.

I've been using it for years. More than up to the job. 

James

[Tim_Moore]

Righto! have reached out to a supplier to get a coil of 20mm.
 

[Robin]

Try Mick Outhwaite - member on here (Jabbawocky).
He runs LR Bits Pennine Overland HERE - capstan ropes were one of the first things he sourced and sold when he started out a few years ago, and he's a bit of an expert on what you might need   

Robin.

[Bradley66]

I have always sourced my Manila rope from these people

https://www.westwardropeandwire.co.uk/manila-rope.html

[rosinante]

Hi from my early days in the navy Manilla rope was always used wherever life was involved , eg lifelines in ships boats , one of its characteristics is creaking under tension , gives audible warnings when heavily loaded, minimal stretch meaning little stored energy as opposed to nylon and terylene ropes which can stretch 30 to 40 % of the nominal length , under extreme load and the interfibre friction can create enough heat to fuse the rope fibres, best avoided.
Manila is best option ,
Splicing needs minimum three tucks and the ends dogged ,  for capstan winch 3/4 dia is minimum, the rope is best stored dry and coiled neatly ,
Hth
Chris

[biloxi]

Always keep in mind that so called tests of tyres, equipment etc. are almost always carried out at locations and under conditions
 of the Tester's choosing, ("It's a nice day let's go out and see if we can get bogged"), and not under the ones you may encounter on your
own 100 km on the other side of Woop Woop .
.W.

[Tim_Moore]

agree avoid nylon stretchy stuff, but even better is to simply hang  a bag of sand or drape a sodden wet towel over the winch rope so if it does go there is something pulling it down to ground level.

Dyneema/HMPE is a cracking option for winches, we use it offshore constantly, main concern would be heat build up if you allowed the capstan to slip inside for a long time.
Cant see why a minimum diameter is required on a capstan... you would just take another turn or two and it will bite... maybe ill do some experiments.

I have purchased a 40m coil of 20mm Manila from a local ships chandler so the quality of the rope should be sound.

Im am completely unfamiliar with this type of rope, but it sounds like i should keep it dry, i have herd of storing it in a hessian sack is a good idea?
any other recommendations from those in the know?

[biloxi]

I'd buy a rope that can also be used as a winch rope, rather than a rope for a specific application. That way it can serve more than one purpose
and won't hurt so much if you have to cut it up into shorter length in an emergency. It all depends why you've got a Land Rover with a winch.
.W.

[Clifford Pope]

Rope was conventionally measured by circumference, apart from wire rope which was always by diameter.
More recently the thinner sizes (less than 3" circumference) tended to use diameter, and now I think anything except very big stuff uses diameter.
But I've come across old blocks and fittings in boat jumbles with numbers indicating circumference in inches.
Just a point to beware of - 3" sounds big but is only an inch diameter.

[biloxi]

On our own, traversing a claypan in Western Queensland in a S1
"Don't worry I've got a winch and some rope". "What kind of rope Manilla,HMPE or Yacht line ?
.W.

[rosinante]

One good test to see if you have a modern rope and not one made from vegetable fibre is see if the cut end melts with heat applied , Ihave seen rope thst looks natural but is  made up from synthetic materials , the rope walk in Chatham dockyard produces one like that . Although extra turns can be taken on a capstan drum with thinner rope the ergonomics of a thicker rope are better. Storage is best arranged so a wet rope can dry in neat coils, I recently sold two of these winches as I couldn't see a scenario in which I would use them . They were popular with theCoastguard  for cliff rescue etc . 

[Peter Holden]

Chris, you mentioned splicing but unless soemone was in the navy (both flavours) or the scouts they are likely to not be able to splice.  Being a scout for many years in the past I can splice and my tow rope has an eye splice on one end, but when you said the ends should be dogged can you explain please.

Peter

[rosinante]

See attached , basically it's splitting the three strands in half and whipping half of one strand to one from the other ,
The whipping can be 1 yarn from each strand tied in overhand knots then wrapping and repeating , aka westcountry whipping , the pic is the best I could find at the moment

[Tim_Moore]

On our own, traversing a claypan in Western Queensland in a S1
"Don't worry I've got a winch and some rope". "What kind of rope Manilla,HMPE or Yacht line ?
.W.

Can always bury the spare wheel as a winch point