"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:28:02 -0700, "SteveB"
wrote:

Are these still available? I weld, and thought I'd make some. Do they
make
them for larger ropes? IIRC, the old rope was 1/4" braided, and this is a
little heavier, like 1/2".

I've never seen anything quite like what you are describing. On our
runabout we stow 1/2 inch anchor line into a canvas tote bag with the
free end tied off to one of the handles. Nothing fancy is required
when stowing the line, just let it flake into the bottom of the bag
and it will come out the same way without tangling.

We called this a "stuff sack" and used that process for rappeling. Fasten
one end of the rappeling line to a loop inside the bottom of the sack and
feed the line in. When ready to deploy, fasten the free end to something
strong and immobile and chuck the sack off the cliff, out the door,
whatever, and the line pays out pretty as you please. Never had a problem
with tangles.
Works the same as feeding an anchor line into a hawes pipe and down to a
locker, feed it in and let it fall the way it wants to and it'll come out
the same way.
'Course if the kids get hold of the sacks and have an impromptu pillow fight
all bets are off.