In some cases, such as a halyard belayed to a cleat on the mast, start your coil about a foot away from the cleat. When the coil is finished, reach through the middle of the coil and grasp that extra foot of line. Pull it through the coil, put a twist in it, and hang it on the cleat.

BASIC FLAKING

For a long line that will need to run out quickly, the best method is to flake the line, if you have available deck space. Flaking is simply laying the line out in a series of overlapping Figure-8's. Because the rope is turned in opposite directions at each end of the Figure-8, it will not develop a twist as it runs out.

GENE BJERKE

You can make large Figure-8's piled on top of each other, or you can lay the line out in long zigzags back and forth. To save space you can push the line together, meaning part of the turns at each end will lie on top of the line. You need to think ahead how the line will feed off when it runs and make sure that part of the turn is on top.

FLEMISH TOUCH

If a line is very long and absolutely must run out without snagging or snarling, try a Flemish.

GENE BJERKEThis method is often used as a decorative way to store line–a flat, tight coil down on the deck that looks like an architectural ceiling medallion–but it is also very functional. The old whalers Flemished down their harpoon lines in a tub. They would make a flat coil in the bottom of the tub. When they got to the end they would simple add another atop the first until the entire line was used up, filling the tub. I have seen halyards on very large gaff sails Flemished down several layers deep on the deck (without the tub). These were lines that absolutely had to run clear or there would be a serious problem.

Most of us will never need to handle that much line. But it doesn't take a hundred-foot piece of rope to cause a problem. With proper coiling or flaking, you can be sure that whatever long lines you have will run smoothly, without bruising your boat or your pride.