Six of our favourite sailing knots, tied our favourite ways. In the second episode of our Youtube series, we cover the basics. Even if you know knots, there may be a method or two that are new to you.
Here is a list of the knots being demonstrated
- Bowline - removing 1/4 the steps of the traditional method and demonstrating the "Special Forces" method
- Clove Hitch - and various ways to lock it off
- Round Turn & Two Half Hitches - great for tying knots under load
- Double Sheet Bend - improving the efficiency of the sheet bend
- Rolling Hitch - cousin of the clove hitch
- Figure 8 - a simple, great stopper knot
Even if you think you know these knots, there are often faster ways to tie them that will make your life as a sailor a whole lot easier.
1. The Bowline, 2-ways
The Bowline is the first knot in our episode. It is perhaps the most important of the knots in a sailor’s repertoire. You need to be able to tie them under pressure: under water, at night, in the dark, a bowline is a “get-out-of-jail-pass” in some situations.
Our first method of bowline cuts down the steps of the most popular “scouts” method to the barest minimum. This cuts the time required to tie the knot by up to half.
Bowline V2 is an effective knot if you want to tie your bowline around something on shore. It’s a fast method, adopted by the US Special Forces:
One error is found by making the “pretzl” too tight. If it is too tight, the knot can not be capsised. See the youtube video for more detail.
2. Clove Hitch
The Clove Hitch is the first knot many people have learned, and can be very handy as a fender knot. We show you both the standard clove hitch and the quick release method. The quick release is best for fast adjustments of fenders.
The downside to the clove hitch is that it can come undone fairly easily, so Jack takes you through methods of securing the clove hitch.
3. Round Turn & Two Half Hitches
Jack’s preferred fender knot, it is also often used for shore lines. The beauty of the knot is that you can undo it while it is under load. Jack shows that this knot is actually a clove hitch around itself.
4. The Double Sheet Bend
The sheet bend most people know, but what they don’t know is the sheet bend is so closely related to the bowline that the same technique can be applied for both knots. Even better, you can do a double sheet bend using the same method. The key thing to remember is “fat rabbit”.
Confused with the term “fat rabbit”? Let me explain. In the classic description of a bowline taught to us while we are in the scouts, one line is a “rabbit” that comes out of its hole, goes around the tree and back into the hole from which it came out. Using this same illustration, when there are two ropes of unequal width, make sure the thicker one is the “rabbit”. Or else the knot won’t work.
Knot Efficiency: Double sheetbends and double bowlines are better because they spread the load of the knot across a wider area, therefore putting less stress on the line. All knots weaken a line. This weakening (or actually its inverse) is efficiency. It depends greatly on the line being used to tie the knot, but let’s say if on a particular line a bowline is around 60% efficient, then the double bowline on the same line will be around 70% efficient. Here is a great article for you fellow knot nerds.
We never want to see bowline on bowline. It has an awful efficiency (James said 5% in the video but that’s probably an exaggeration. Nevertheless it’s low). Nylon on nylon is like a hot knife through butter.
5. Rolling Hitch
Rolling Hitches are great for taking a load off a line when it is jammed up in the system. The rolling hitch is the cousin of the clove hitch, and is therefore much easier than people might think.
6. Figure 8
The Figure 8 is a great stopper knot, or a knot used for stopping lines being inadvertently pulled through the system. The Figure 8 is just one extra twist from a thumb knot.
We hope you get a lot of use for them and look forward to seeing you out on the water!
Summary
In this our second episode in our Youtube series, we show six great sailing knots and a few different ways of tying them. Knots are important, but just as important is how we tie them; some methods being much faster than others.
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