A figure eight coil is a method of storing rope in a limited space. It is resistant to tangling and plays out easily compared to other coils. The figure eight coil is used on ships to store furling line and also is the best way to store a garden hose.
Instructions
1. Treat new line properly before attempting to coil it. Tow or otherwise subject the rope to a load for a prolonged period and wash it down with fresh water if you have used it in salt water. Allow the rope to dry in the sun if possible.
2. Play out the entire length of rope to remove all of the twists as much as possible. Most rope has a natural twist so you will want coil it in this direction.
3. Begin from the free end and coil the rope onto the deck in a figure eight pattern so that each coil is on top of the previous one. This will be a pair of opposing loops coiled in opposite directions.
4. Use a figure eight flake if you have doubts about the rope being able to play out freely. This is the same pattern described in Step 3, except each figure eight coil overlaps the previous one instead of being stacked on top of each other.
5. Store long line in a confined area by laying a second set of figure eight coils at right angles to the first set. Be careful to prevent the second layer from catching the turns in the first layer.
