How to Coil a Line…Without Making a Mess

To coil, flake, or fold? That is the question.

And yes, I fully expect this to be one of those little sailing topics where everyone has a method, everyone learned it from somebody who “really knew what they were doing,” and everyone is certain the other guy is doing it wrong.

We handle a lot of line at The Rigging Company, so here is how we think about it: the goal is not just to make a pretty coil, although we like that. The goal is to store line neatly so it is ready to go when you need it again, and it actually runs…kinda.

A good coil is a pleasure to handle, but a beautiful coil, no matter what you think, is not a substitute for carefully flaking the whole line down before it needs to run. We filmed both our over-under O-coil method and the flake-down method for getting a line ready to run.

In the shop: rather than treating every loop as an identical motion, I pay attention to which way the rope naturally wants to lie. Over or under? The line tells the story. And yes, sometimes it still needs a little baby twist. Nothing is ever perfect.

Letting It Run

When a line has to run freely through blocks, clutches, winches or a mast, I would much rather take the time to unlay the entire coil and flake the line down neatly than trust a quick toss onto the deck…and yes, that goes for every coiling technique. The trick is patience: follow the line all the way through, let each part lie cleanly, avoid crossing or trapping the working end, and do not disturb the flaked pile before it runs. It gives that line its best chance of a hockle-free trip.

It is the least glamorous part of the job, which is probably why people skip it. Don’t. We’ve all felt the temptation to dump the line and hope for the best, but a few moments of discipline now can avoid a “hang on, I’ve got to fix this” situation later.

Coiling the Line

Coil with the line, not against it.

Different rope constructions behave differently. Three-strand and other laid ropes naturally want to twist as you coil them in a specific direction. Double-braided line usually does not. It likes to go whichever way it likes to go. In fact, forcing twist into double braid is a great way to create the exact thing you’re trying to avoid: a kink.

If you want the deeper dive into all of that Dyneema, polyester, Technora, single-braid, double-braid alphabet soup, start with Boat Rope or Choosing the Right Rope for Your Sailboat.

Long-Term Storage Method: Over-Under O-Coil

The simple rule here is: let the line tell you what it wants to do. This can take time and experience with rope handling, but it gets easier with practice. If each loop lies flat and relaxed, great. If the next loop wants to turn into a figure eight or kink, do not muscle it into submission. Reverse that loop, the old over-under trick, and keep going.

This might sound like a complicated dance, but once you feel it, it becomes second nature. We called the demonstration “flipski under” and “over the topski” in the shop.

Ready-to-Go Storage Method: Figure-Eight Over the Winch

Here is Nini with her own take on coiling a long line. It’s a good reminder that there isn’t just one correct-looking bundle: what matters is keeping the line organized, easy to stow, and ready to use again. Plus, the shop has never been short on opinions about how many turns are enough!

Nini’s demonstration, courtesy of The Rigging Company. Open the video directly if the embedded player does not load.

Heavy-Line Management: The Over-the-Shoulder Boulder Holder

For really long line, bigger-diameter line, spare sheets, dock lines, anything that becomes ridiculous when you try to make fifty perfect circles, or when you just can’t bear the weight of all that rope anymore, folding is often faster and runs out beautifully, in our opinion.

Instead of making round coils, simply fold the line back and forth in long, even lengths. Over the arm works well for manageable line; with something heavier, let the deck or a clean bench do the work. Just do not drape a line around your neck if it is attached to anything that could possibly become loaded. That is a very bad day waiting to happen.

The finished bundle may not win a beauty contest, but it is quick to make, easy to carry and, most importantly, tends to pay out without turning itself into noodle soup.

Chris Stanmore-Major’s shoulder-coiling demonstration begins at 10:10 in the player above. Watch on YouTube. Only use this method with loose, completely unloaded line. Never drape a line around your neck or shoulders if it could become loaded.

Securing the Coil: Why I Gasket From the Top Down

You may have been shown to start the gasket low and wind upward. I do it the opposite way: start at the top and wrap downward, keeping the coil snug as the turns progress. Then bring the tail through and cinch it so the wraps draw the whole bundle together. When it is lifted or hung, the finish is less inclined to let a loop pull through and undo the tidy coil you just made. This is my preferred finish for an O-coil and it also helps preserve a properly made figure-eight bundle.

A Few Minutes of Shop Reality: The Bloopers

A rope with opinions, a few accidental knots, a debate over how many turns count as “a few,” and the unforgettable phrase “tech team tackle.” We left the useful parts in the tutorial, and the rest can have its own moment of glory.

The Rigger’s Short Version

• Do not force twist into braided line.
• Keep the loops or folds even.
• Secure the bundle well enough that it stays a bundle.
• Always flake the whole line before it has to run quickly.
• If somebody hands you a perfect-looking coil and you cannot figure out how they secured it…look at it for a second before ripping it apart like a raccoon in a trash can.

Practice it a few times and it becomes automatic. Eventually you will reach the truly annoying stage of seamanship where you cannot walk past somebody else’s terrible rope coil without wanting to fix it.

Thanks for the read and see you on the water.

~T.R.C.