Knots and Splices

[Captain Smollett]

I love ropework.  I have done ever since first being exposed to tying knots and doing splices as a small child, and this was solidified later when climbing.  So, though I am fascinated by the things you can do with rope, I have in the past encountered among some sailors the attitude that "too many knots" just confuses newbie sailors.

So, I thought it might be fun to poll the SailFar crew for favorite and most used knots.  Which ones do you think would be the minimum to teach a new sailor just getting started on HIS OWN BOAT? Here's my list of "newbie should learn these" just to get started (in no particular order).  I've not included a bunch of useful, but fairly specialized knots.

• Figure-8:  great stopper knot, quick to tie, MUCH easier to untie than a simple overhand.
• Bowline: the grand-daddy, this knot HAS to be learned.  Unfortunately, it is not an easy knot to teach someone to tie.
• Double Sheet Bend: this cousin of the bowline is a strong, safe knot for joining two ropes on-end.  One can use interlocking bowlines, but this would be faster and I think spreads the loading out a little better.  Works fine for lines of different size lines, provided it's done correctly.
• Rolling Hitch: this variant of a clove hitch and cousin to the prusik hitch is very often overlooked as a "must know" yet, imo, it is EXTREMELY useful aboard.
• Round Turn and Two Half Hitches: another multi-use knot, I cannot imagine sailing without this one in the tool box.
• Clove Hitch/Slip Clove: I use this one a lot, probably too much.  I think I use this a lot when a round turn + two half hitches would be better.  I'm trying to correct that.   ;)
• Eye Splice: let's face it, splicing is FUN.  But aside from that, splices not only look better, but they are stronger and more secure than knots.  When I take newbie sailors out, I try to get them to see that an eye splice is not hard to do (in three strand, a bit harder in double braid), but it is worth the effort over tying a simple knot.
• Reef Knot/Slip Reef Knot: useful for lashing, tying reefs, etc.
  

Just a few others I'd include as more "intermediate" to be added on later are:

• anchor bend
• buntline hitch
• end splice

[CharlieJ]

If you are gonna teach the bowline, then the Buntline should be right there too. All it really is is a clove hitch around the working part. Won't come loose like a bowline can either, but won't untie easily either. I use it in place of eye splices, since it can easily be taken off and redone.

[Auspicious]

A nice adjunct to the rolling hitch is a trucker's hitch, simply a loop in the standing part that is used as a fiber block, giving 2:1 leverage. I use them to make sure the dinghy is tied down hard on the foredeck. The rolling hitch is a good way to finish and allows the lashings to be checked and tightened without starting over.

I tried to teach myself to splice double-braid from books a number of times without luck. I bought a DVD and splicing wands from Brion Toss and had an epiphany. Now that I have learned using his tools I find I can splice without them, although still much faster with the wands. I do still use the cheat sheet that came with the wands, mostly because I don't splice stuff often enough.

[Captain Smollett]

A nice adjunct to the rolling hitch is a trucker's hitch, simply a loop in the standing part that is used as a fiber block, giving 2:1 leverage.

Ah, yes, I use that one alot, too.  Excellent knot I left off my list. 

[AdriftAtSea]

You missed the tautline hitch, which is good for fenders if you want to adjust the height on them. ;)

[Captain Smollett]

You missed the tautline hitch, which is good for fenders if you want to adjust the height on them. ;)

That's essentially a good application of a rolling hitch.  I was thinking there was no need to try to teach a newbie a lot of limited-use knots, but rather general purpose knots that can be used in a lot of circumstances.

[Auspicious]

Another one came up today: the towmans hitch. Learn it. When you need it you'll know it is the right hitch and you'll thank me for it. <grin>

[Bill NH]

Another one came up today: the towmans hitch. Learn it. When you need it you'll know it is the right hitch and you'll thank me for it. <grin>

If this is the same as a Tugboat Hitch (aka Lighterman's hitch), it's a great knot for a specific application - making a line fast to a vertical bitt, bollard or sampson post.  On sailboats it's a good knot to use when you make a dock line fast on your sheet winch, especially after using the winch to warp you alongside.  It's easy to tie, but I don't think I'd put it on the "Top Six Knots to Teach a New Sailor" list...

[Auspicious]

Another one came up today: the towmans hitch. Learn it. When you need it you'll know it is the right hitch and you'll thank me for it. <grin>

If this is the same as a Tugboat Hitch (aka Lighterman's hitch), it's a great knot for a specific application - making a line fast to a vertical bitt, bollard or sampson post.  On sailboats it's a good knot to use when you make a dock line fast on your sheet winch, especially after using the winch to warp you alongside.  It's easy to tie, but I don't think I'd put it on the "Top Six Knots to Teach a New Sailor" list...

That's the one. It came in very handy last night in 30+ knots. I needed the sheet winch to crank me off a piling, and on my boat I needed a way to secure the jib sheet on the furled headsail. I cranked in on the ST winch to pull the boat to windward and used an easy towmans hitch to keep the windward jib sheet from flopping around.

[AdriftAtSea]

Well, technically, the bowline is a sheet bend tied into a bight on the standing part of the same line.  :)

You missed the tautline hitch, which is good for fenders if you want to adjust the height on them. ;)

That's essentially a good application of a rolling hitch.  I was thinking there was no need to try to teach a newbie a lot of limited-use knots, but rather general purpose knots that can be used in a lot of circumstances.

[mudnut]

I supose y'all have seen this site before,just thought ya might like to peruse it a bit.    http://www.igkt.net/index.php  .Now ya can all get knotted(can I say that?)Mudnut.

[Zen]

cool!  thx

[Oldrig]

In case you haven't seen it yet, here's a nice website with animated drawings of all kinds of knots:

http://www.animatedknots.com/index.php

--Joe

[Pappy Jack]

Hi gang,

What a pair of usefull web sites. They both went into my favorites list. Thanks guys.

Fair winds,

Pappy Jack