Rope knots for sailing

In this section you will be able to try and learn how to make the basic knots. Refer back to it any time your hands learn how to do it, without your brain even taking part in the process.

If the ropes are the blood vessels of a yacht, the knots are the joints.

There are thousands of knots known, but actually around 20 - 25 are of real value and help to the practical sailor. In learning how to do them you should follow the maxim "I may know little but know it well". That means that you should choose a set of knots and make sure that you know how to make them by heart, at any time - blindfolded (in complete darkness), or in other extreme conditions.

There are many classifications and nomenclatures, but you should know firstly four:

a bight is a 180-degree turn without crossing of the two ends of the rope

overhand loop is 270-degree turn with the working end going over the standing part

there is underhand loop, which is also 270-degree but the working end goes under the loop

underhand round turn is 360-degree

By another classification you have two general groups - a bend is a knot that joins to ropes together and a hitch is the way a rope is attached to a rail, post or another standing immovable part of the boat.
A rope has the standing end - the one that stays in its place and working end (also called the tag end or the bitter end). So of the important knots that you'd better try practicing as soon as possible are three stopper knots (used for prevention): overhand, figure eight, and stevedore.
There are seven hitches that are used to tie up lines/and or objects: square knot, sheet bend, rolling hitch, lark's head, cleat hitch, clove hitch and round turn with two half-hitches. You will also need non-slipping eyes in a rope (one of the usages is when there is a man overboard, he needs to know a knot that will not tighten and make him literally suffocate) - so for such purposes you use bowline and trucker's hitch.

Tying rope knots

Now, let us have a review of the most popular and most needed knots.
A tip of advice: take a 1.5 - 2 m long small-sized rope and carry it with you - in your bag or in your pocket and always when you can steal a couple of minutes or if you have to wait - for a bus, in an elevator, or in a waiting room, exercise. Exercising has its ways of paying back.

Figure of eight: this is one of the most widely used stopper knot - for all types of ropes; it can be easily untied, but it does not untie itself. It less likely jams that the overhand knot. The easiest way to do it is to form a loop, then give it one extra twist; tuck the end and draw it so that you form a figure of eight with the working end. Additionally, you can push up against the knot and create a kind of surrounding collar. Its use is in ending sheets, halyards and tackles.

Ashley's stopper knot: when the figure-of-eight is too small for its purposes, you use this one, especially to add a rope handle to a bucket, for example. The method of its doing is almost the same as with the figure of 8, you only add one additional volume by twisting once again the working end of the rope.

Reef knot (also known as square knot): It is a pretty often used binding knot for tying up parcels of all kinds. It also works on all types of laces and bandages. The bottom end of the sail is attached to the boom by a number of such knots. There are a couple of methods for doing it and each is the same - the concrete action is easy, once you understand the principle. Two half knots in the same direction - first you place the working end on top of the other and tie one half-knot, then you put the same end on top of the other again and add the second. It looks simple, but you have to be sure in yourself, it can be mixed up. If you need to untie it fast and easy, just don't pull up to the end the second working end. You should never use this bend to tie working ropes because it is easily untied!

onstrictor knot: this is one of the best binding knot. It is easy to make and it can be adopted for many uses. It is quick-release draw rope. For unyielding lines or ropes, it is better to use hard-laid lines. The knot clings like a boa-constrictor! (hence the name) There are two methods for doing it - first by tying a clove-hitch and then two standing parts with half-knot . You pull the diagonally-situated rope. The second method is quicker and more simple way - Take a turn of the rope, pull out and make semi-twist then pass it to the end of the object. Pull tight and there you go!

Fisherman's Knot - This is a particularly stable and safe bend to join two similar (in size) lines. It is relatively easy to do it - place two working parts alongside and parallel to one another. Then tie two identical overhand knots around each standing part with the other working end. Then just pull them.

Zeppelin Bend: this is considered to be the most secure of the symmetrical bends. It is safe even in big stiff cables and hawsers. The tactics we recommend: hold up closely the two ends of two separate ropes that are to be joined. Let the loose ends hang naturally. Tie an overhand knot in the fore-laying one, enclosing the standing part of the other rope. Take the standing part of the other strand toward and tuck its end through the central part of strands 3 and 4. This is best for mooring different moving/floating objects.

"Vice-versa" knot: It is used to join wet, slimy, slippery or otherwise incompatible materials such as synthetics or shock elastics (ex. Bungee cords). It can aid in damaged knitting, weaving and something that needs to be sewn. Join the two lines, by each end and then interweave until it becomes symmetrical. Then pull. It can join even the most slippery of lines.

Carrick bend: This is a bend that joins larger ropes. It is difficult to make. There is weaving under and over, and you have to be very careful not to mingle the order or positioning. It is sometimes applied when the mast is broken and the boom replaces it. So you need topes to put on top. It should not be used to bear a very heavy load.

Buntline hitch: this knot is traditionally used to secure a lanyard to a ring, eyelet, ring or swivel. It is safer than the normal two half-hitch. It is easily made: tow-half hitches tying the second inside-out. This is used in any improvised dog lead by attaching the end of a rope to a collar.

Ground-line hitch: This is a simple but very hard hitch. It became popular among the cod fishermen, which used it on trawl nets. If the load varies in direction/weight, this hitch is an alternative to clove hitch. It is recommendable for fenders from deck rail. Begin as if to tie a clove hitch and vary the final tuck. You have an option for quick release as well. Now, clove hitch itself.

Clove hitch: It is simple and versatile, but useful for mooring a small boat or dinghy to a ring, rail or post, but for a short time. Take a turn around the rail or post, put the working end diagonally up and then across the standing part. Another turn, tuck and beneath the diagonal (it should look like the letter N).

Camel hitch: This is a very important knot - it attaches a rope to a mast, spars or rigging in such a way that the pull on it may come from different direction. But it undoes easily when wet. Interesting fact: you can in fact actually tether an animal with this knot. The tactics: made a couple of plain simple turns around the thing which you want to make the knot, then the working end across in front of the standing part then half-hitch, then make an identical hitch, completing a clove.

Boom hitch: When the other hitches are inappropriate, you are in doubt, better use this one - it is very tough, almost impossible to break; even when all else fails it can be used it can be used to attach the main sheet tackle to a boom and bear hard beat into the wind. Start as if you will tie a clove hitch and make an additional turn to right and left. The repetitive wrapping continuity is: over/over/over/over and finally tuck.