Dear Friends of the Cordage Institute,

I hope this message finds you all well and healthy.

2022 started off very promising. We felt as if it was the end of the Pandemic, but unfortunately, Omicron and a war between Russia and Ukraine corrected these hopeful thoughts.

As planned, we had our Winter Technical Meeting, on the 2nd – 3rd of February 2022 in a virtual setting. I must admit we became specialists in organizing virtual meetings over the last couple of years.

News from the Board: We welcome Jim McTaggert (Cortland, replacing Luis Padilla), Christian Rheault (Samson, replacing Mark Swiackey) and Rui Faria (Wireco, replacing Wilco Stroet). We’re forming a strong team for the coming years.

I want to thank all the technical chairs of our Technical Subcommittees for their preparation of the Technical Committee meetings, which were well led by our Technical Director, Sarah Padilla and Technical Committee Chair, Amy Jenkins supported by our new Vice Chair, Forrest Sloan.

With this message I wanted to thank you all, the members of CI, for the support you’ve been giving to our association over the last 3 years. I must admit it has been a difficult time to chair the Cordage Institute from a distance and in a virtual way. Your commitment and enthusiasm to join (18 new members) has given us the motivation to make the best out of it. We installed virtual welcome meetings so that we could present our association with its strategy and values and show the needed interest to the new member companies.

A special thanks goes to Pete Lance, our Executive Director, and his team with whom I had the pleasure of working closely. His professionalism and always friendly approach in support during my term are unique.

Finally, I wish my successor, Bill Putnam, an excellent start in June 2022.

It has been my privilege and honor to serve you as President.

I’m really looking forward to meeting you all in person at the Joint Annual Meeting (Eurocord/CI), 12th – 15th of June 2022, in Vienna.

Stay healthy and take good care of yourself and your families.

The Cordage Institute exists for you and can only continue thanks to you.

The Cordage institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim McTaggart to the Board of Directors. Jim was appointed President of The Cortland Company in December of 2021. He also serves on the Enerpac Tool Group’s Senior Leadership Team. Prior to this role, Jim was VP/GM of the Cortland Industrial business. Jim has spent over 20 years with Cortland’s parent company, The Enerpac Tool Group. Over those years, he has led several global businesses in a variety of product and service categories. Jim served as the President of Enerpac’s Americas region for the 5 years preceding his Cortland role. Jim also served four years as the Enerpac Heavy Lifting Technology Business Leader. His broad business background and success in navigating multiple product, market, and channel challenges has prepared him well for the Cortland role. He was awarded a degree in business from Michigan State University and an MBA from Claremont Graduate School. Jim and his wife, Lisa, reside in Wisconsin and have three grown boys.

The Cordage Institute and Eurocord are pleased to announce their continued collaborative relationship with the 5th Joint Conference to be held on June 12-15, 2022 at the Hilton Vienna Plaza. This 5-star hotel, located off the Ringstrasse boulevard in

Vienna's city center, is less than two kilometers from architectural masterpieces like the Imperial Palace, Vienna State Opera, and city hall.

This joint event will offer excellent opportunities to interact and network with both Cordage Institute and Eurocord members and to engage in strong technical content. The program will feature technical working group and committee meetings, technical and industry speakers, member presentations, golf, and other social activities.

Click here for information on the Cordage Institute and Eurocord Joint Conference on June 12-15, 2022.

On February 2-3, 2022, the Cordage Institute held its latest virtual Technical Meeting. The two-day meeting consisted of Technical Subcommittee and Task Group meetings, as well as a meeting of the full Technical Committee. During the full Technical Committee Meeting, reports from each Subcommittee and Task Group were provided.

Herzog is well known as a traditional company with a history of more than 160 years. But, successful brands need innovation. Times are changing – and at the same time demands, trends and attitudes towards life change too. Changes do not stop at brand images and design. We have refreshed our logo in 2020 to look more fresh and modern, representing our company philosophy.

Gazelle Wind Power (Gazelle), the developer of a breakthrough floating offshore wind platform, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bridon-Bekaert Ropes Group (BBRG), the world’s premier supplier of mission-critical advanced cords and ropes, to supply its advanced mooring lines for Gazelle’s first-of-its-kind dynamic mooring system. BBRG will serve as the supplier of mooring lines for Gazelle’s initial 2MW pilot plant at the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN). Gazelle and BBRG further plan to develop a +15MW platform based on Gazelle’s unique hybrid floating wind technology.

US Sailing announced today a new partnership with New England Ropes as the Official Rope Partner. Located in Fall River, Massachusetts, New England Ropes is part of the TEUFELBERGER Group, an Austrian family-owned and operated rope manufacturer.

New England Ropes has over 50 years of manufacturing experience and has the largest portfolio of marine ropes worldwide. Trusted and tested since 1967, their ropes are engineered to meet the needs of boaters. New England Ropes is committed to producing the highest quality products capable of withstanding the most severe conditions – from Olympic endeavors to cruising enthusiasts.

The fundamental function of a mooring rope is to secure a vessel to a permanent structure and to withstand the forces coming from swell, tide, or wind that are applied to the vessel. Choosing an appropriate set of ropes that has enough strength to withstand those forces is critical for the safety of the crew during mooring operations and compliance with international regulations.

In the history of ship mooring, diameter has often been the only criterium in the selection of ropes. Today, it is still commonly used to compare mooring ropes, with common advice being that thicker ropes should be chosen for heavier vessels.

How do mooring requirements differ between LNG carriers, FSRUs and LNG bunkering? In Riviera Maritime Media’s webinar Mooring systems for LNG carriers and FSRUs: design, construction and safety, experts passed on the knowledge of what operators need to know when it comes to mooring equipment and rope design, regulatory guidelines, safety and training.

The webinar was sponsored by Dyneema (DSM Protective Materials) and Whitehill Manufacturing Corp.

Sterling is proud to support the first all-women’s team to compete at GRIMP NA, an international rescue skills challenge hosted by CMC on the Battleship Iowa in LA, California- taking place on March 24-26, 2022. Read on to hear first hand from the team members about breaking boundaries, improving their skills and collaborating with other leaders in the rescue world as they prepare to compete on a warship in LA.

The Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) provides the best measure of current U.S. manufacturing industry outputs, inputs, operating status, and location. Data compiled from the U.S. Census Bureau’s ASM are only possible because of the participation of businesses like yours. The U.S. Census Bureau is determined to provide the most accurate and useful data possible. To achieve this standard, it is crucial to obtain the information collected on the ASM from businesses that are selected to participate.

If your company was selected, you received a letter informing you of the selection, providing an authentication code, and directing you to the U.S. Census Bureau’s respondent portal to sign-in or register.

The President’s Committee met last week to discuss the impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine and is deeply touched by the resulting loss of life, suffering, and humanitarian impact. We join the international community in the hope that dialogue will prevail, and that peace will soon be achieved.

ISO remains committed to maintaining an open and neutral platform for technical experts to develop International Standards, which are globally recognized as an indispensable driver for economic and social growth.

When all was said and done, I replaced my lifelines with Dyneema line, with chafe guards where necessary. Roger Hughes

The vinyl-coated wire lifelines on my 1977 Downeaster 45 schooner, Britannia, were well past their prime. Sections of the vinyl coating had faded into a dull brown—with parts chafed and cracked, exposing the wire—and many of the chrome fittings had lost their luster. If I accidentally ran my hand along an exposed section, I’d pierce my fingers. They simply had to be replaced, not only for safety and to restore a smooth surface, but also for the appearance.