Gleistein Knows the (Yachting) Ropes

As legend has it, Georg Gleistein, a commercial ship captain from northern Germany, opened a rope-making factory in 1824 because his wife told him he was away from home too much. Initially, he and his son supplied the local maritime and agriculture industries. Today, the Gleistein company remains family-owned, in the hands of the eighth generation. Upwards of 2,500 metric tons (2,755 U.S. tons) of advanced-fiber ropes come from its facilities each year thanks to a combination of high-tech machines and old-fashioned hand manufacturing.

Speak with Klaus Walther, a managing director and descendant of Georg Gleistein, and he’ll emphasize how “quality is more important than quantity.” Still, though, those tons of ropes are enough to encircle the world three times. Consider, too, that the company employs 250 people across three sites, including in The Netherlands and Slovakia. Customers further span fields from the maritime industry to playground equipment manufacturers. The artists Christo and Jeanne Claude even commissioned custom bright-red Gleistein ropes to wrap Paris’ Arc de Triomphe in 2021.

While yachts and superyachts comprise just 20 percent of business, Gleistein has strong relationships with builders and crews. In fact, 45 of the world’s 55 largest motoryachts use its ropes. Sailing yachts like Borkumriff IV, Tiara, and multiple Perini Navis are all good customers, too. The applications range from mooring lines to bimini ties, helipad guardrails, and tender hoisting lines. Notably, the latter additionally has approval from DNV, reportedly the only class-approved ropes available.

The rope diameters might surprise you, seeming modest for megayachts sometimes exceeding 295 feet (90 meters) or hefty tenders. Walther, whose grandfather experimented with nylon in the 1950s, says extensive research into and testing of modern fibers makes it possible. This includes recycled and bio-based materials. Gleistein has its own lab for break tests up to 300 metric tons (331 U.S. tons) of force as well. “My hobby is buying machines,” Walther jokes, adding that the company has a good network of partners for higher thresholds.

Regardless of base material, Gleistein’s manufacturing halls echo with the sounds of massive bobbins spinning at tremendously fast speeds. They make rope lengths quicker than you can react. Connecting the various lengths into a final single unit for a customer, however, requires manpower. Knotting ropes reduces their strength by up to 70 percent, the company notes. Therefore, about 30 people hand splice every work day. To see twentysomethings practice this age-old craft is even better.

With more than 600 vessels in its database, Gleistein works with each customer for maintenance and replacement as well. Impressively, Walther says the crew of Octopus is still using some of the original ropes, sending them for inspection as needed. New SOLAS rules in effect this year requiring yachts to document their mooring lines means close relationships will become crucial. Thankfully, Gleistein has a tracking system for storing all SOLAS-required certificates and generating inspection reports. The same system can provide DIY repair instructions or connect customers to support teams. Cruise-ship clients have been using it for several years, so yacht customers are about to discover the benefits. Those benefits also include learning whether ropes are in good shape or, if not, the estimated potential severity of damage.