Making up the tail end of a halyard or furling line in a standard coil almost always guarantees a foul-up if you need to free the line in a hurry. Certainly you will waste valuable time untangling the coil and making sure it is free to run. By making a long coil and then wrapping the top of the coil over a lifeline or grabrail before tucking it back through itself, you’ll make sure the line stays out of the way but can be freed quickly when necessary. You can also use this simple and easy-to-undo method when you want to keep mooring lines, spinnaker guys and sheets, and other miscellaneous pieces of running gear tidy and ready to go. Peter Nielsen
