Page 8: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 1992)

Overlay Finish For Fiber Ropes

Improves Marine Performance

Military specifications for fiber ropes are now going to include a finish requirement to improve the rope's performance in the marine environment.

Where included in the specifica- tions, rope manufacturers must use fibers with an overlay finish to en- sure that their products provide superior performance in a marine environment, as compared, that is, to ropes made of fibers without an overlay finish. Major fiber produc- ers and some manufacturers have developed these marine overlay fin- ishes which generally include lubricants that are combined with other additives in proprietary for- mulas. "Our SeaGardR over finish is an important part of improving the performance of cordage," said Earl

B. Clark, regional sales manager,

Allied Signal, Inc., Industrial Fi- bers Division. "We are continually striving to come up with the opti- mum fiber finish that rope manufacturers can translate into performance ropes. "Furthermore, the government has recently recognized the success of an over finish on nylon and poly- ester ropes in the commercial fish- ing, pleasure and industrial marine areas. And, new government speci- fications are now being drawn up regarding all types of braided and twisted nylon and polyester ropes," he stated.

Another major producer of over- lay finish products is E.I. Du Pontde

Nemours & Co. (Inc.) Industrial Fi- bers, which offers these types of fibers as part of its "Performance

Plus" line. "Finishes have been one of the most important factors in the pro- cessibility and performance of synthetic fibers since their earliest days," said William Huffacker, account manager for the Wilming- ton, Delaware company's industrial products division. "Du Pont is continually working to have available the right finish for the right application. In the case of fibers for many rope applications, it was determined that a secondary or overlay finish was very useful and such finishes have been a major fac- tor in our portfolio of industrial fibers for over 20 years," he continued.

According to the data yielded by laboratory testing and actual marine applications, the specially treated fi- ber ropes can provide a significant increase in abrasion resistance, high- er wet strength retention and longer overall life, when used in normal op- erations. It is not possible, however, to establish a specific life cycle be- cause there is a wide variety in the storage circumstances and conditions of use of fiber ropes used in marine operations. Because of this, require- ments for a specific protection period are not being included in military specifications.

Marine overlay finishes are now

Freeport Shipbuilding

Awarded Contract

To Build Passenger Vessel

Freeport Shipbuilding and Ma- rine Repair, Inc., was recently awarded the contract to build the 150-passenger vessel, Barefoot Prin- cess, for Charleston Paddlewheel

Company, Inc. of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

The Barefoot Princess will be 65 feet long with a beam of 26 feet. The sidewheeler replica is financed by

Caterpillar Financial and will be powered by twin Caterpillar 3208 diesel engines and a 40-kw available for use on high tenacity nylon, polyester and aramid fibers used in stranded, braided and wire- lay type constructions. Rope manufacturers should be contacted for the physical properties of their ropes with these finishes, along with recommendations on working loads.

Manufacturers names are listed in the Cordage Institute Directory. To obtain a copy of the directory plus information from Allied Signal and

Du Pont,

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Scheduled to be delivered in June, the Barefoot Princess will operate as a sight-seeing and dinner/cock- tail cruise vessel.

Freeport Shipbuilding and Ma- rine Repair has been designing and building U.S. Coast Guard approved passenger vessels, as well as cus- tom, luxury yachts and houseboats.

Located in Northwest Florida, the company provides year-round ship- building and repair services.

For further information about the services and facilities provided by

Freeport Shipbuilding,

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