How To Tying a Brummel Splice

Tying a Brummel Splice

Learn to splice dyneema like a pro for use on your boat with this step by step photo guide.

By Cruising World Staff

June 30, 2016

Step 1: Measure approximately the length of your fid (ours was 30 centimeters) from the bitter end of your line, and make a small mark. This will be the “tail” that gets buried in the final step. Make another mark that’s approximately three times the diameter of your line from your first mark (in our case, about 24 millimeters). This will be referred to as “A.” Heather Francis

Step 2: Since Dyneema doesn’t burn well, rather than melt its end, wrap the bitter end tightly with tape and cut through the tape and line at a 45-degree angle. This makes it easier to work the end of the line through the braid when completing the splice. Heather Francis

Step 3: Form the required eye size by capturing your thimble or ring, making sure that A is held tightly at the bottom of the eye. Make a corresponding mark on the other side of the eye. This will be referred to as “B.” Remove the ring. Heather Francis

Step 4: Attach the bitter end to the fid. At mark A, find the center of the Dyneema line and gently work the end of the fid through the braid. Be careful not to snag any fibers as you pass the fid’s point through. Pull the fid and bitter end through the line. Heather Francis

Step 5: Now remove the fid and pull the end up tightly so the line is rolled inside out. This will create a small hole in the Dyneema. Heather Francis

Step 6: Repeat this process at mark B by carefully working the fid through the line and pulling the fid and the bitter end through again. Make sure to enter the line on the same side as Step 4. Heather Francis

Step 7: Again pull the end up tightly, so the Dyneema is turned inside out for a second time. You should be left with two clean and obvious openings in the line that face the same direction. Heather Francis

Step 8: Turn the opening A rightside out by folding the line and passing it back through the opening. Be sure to work from back to front, or in the opposite direction as you did in steps 3 and 4. Heather Francis

Step 9: Work opening B completely through opening A. You will have a large loop that contains the opening B and intersects the Dyneema at opening A. Heather Francis

Step 10: Turn opening B rightside out by carefully easing the short section back through the opening, again working from back to front. Heather Francis

Step 11: A small loop will be formed when opening B butts against opening A. This is the eye, or where the ring will be held captive. Heather Francis

Step 12: Ease the ring (or thimble) into the eye. You may need to pass a little more line through opening B so there is enough slack to work the Dyneema over the outer rim of the ring. Heather Francis

Step 13: Pull the long, or standing, end of the line completely back through opening A and pull tightly. You may need to ease and twist the line so it lies flat. Heather Francis

Step 14: Attach the bitter end to the fid and insert the fid into the hollow core of standing line, approximately a fid’s width from where the bitter end exits. Heather Francis

Step 15: Be careful to pass between the braid pattern and not to snag individual strands. Work the fid down through the hollow core a little over the length of the fid, bunching the line up on the fid as you go. Heather Francis

Step 16: Carefully exit the line between the braid, and pull the fid and bitter end through the center hollow and out, leaving the line bunched up. Heather Francis

Step 17: Remove the tape from the bitter end and cut the strands with a sharp blade at an extreme angle. Fan out the strands. This will reduce the bluntness of the tail, creating a nice taper and a smoother line when finished. Heather Francis

Step 18: Bury the tail by working the bunched-up line toward the cut bitter end, massaging or milking the line as you go. Heather Francis

Step 19: Once the tail is buried, hold the ring and pull the standing end. The locked Brummel eye splice is complete. Heather Francis

Step 20: Follow the same procedure to splice an eye for a thimble. On Kate, the thimbles are used to attach the inner forestay and running back stays to the mast. Heather Francis