fall

In rigging and hoisting, a fall is the free end of rope that runs through a pulley block and is hauled by hand or machine to lift a load. When you pull the fall, the mechanical advantage of the tackle system multiplies your force, allowing smaller crews to handle heavy cargo. On a ship or in a shipyard, falls are essential: they do the actual work of lifting while the fixed parts of the tackle (the standing parts and blocks) provide the mechanical gain.

Most tackles have multiple falls working in parallel. A two-fold tackle has two falls; a four-fold has four. Each additional fall shares the load and reduces the force needed per fall by that factor, though it requires proportionally more rope to be hauled. The falls are spliced or otherwise secured to the load hook, the cargo ring, or the ship's structure at one end, and left free at the other end where the hauling crew grips it. On powered vessels, falls may be permanently fitted to winches rather than hand-hauled.

Material and maintenance

Traditionally, falls were made of natural fiber rope: manila, sisal, or hemp. These absorbed water, stretched under load, and rotted if left wet. Modern falls are more often synthetic: polypropylene, nylon, or polyester. Synthetic falls maintain consistent strength when wet, resist rot, and last longer in harsh marine conditions. However, they are slipperier, requiring better knots and more secure grip when hand-hauled. Wire rope (steel) falls are used in heavy-duty applications and with mechanical hoists, though they demand specialized handling and are prone to kinking.

Falls deteriorate from abrasion as they slide through blocks and over fairleads, from UV exposure on deck, and from overloading. Chafed or frayed falls must be replaced before they fail, especially when lifting personnel or heavy loads. The diameter of the fall must match the pulley sheave and the strength required; undersized falls break, oversized falls do not fit or waste mechanical advantage.

The term 'fall' comes from the idea of the rope 'falling' freely from the block after the load is lifted, or from the historical practice of letting the working end hang loose rather than coiling it. In modern shipboard English, falls are counted by the tackle system (single fall, double fall, treble fall) and named by their function: cargo fall, boat fall, davit fall. The word is rarely used in power plants or factories, where 'rope' or 'cable' is more common, but it remains standard in maritime trades and among riggers who work with tackles aboard ship or in repair yards.