Knots for Boaters

Tinally · January 31, 2006

Found this link on another forum. A web page with animated illustration of how to tie those knots that you really should know how to tie........and lots of others I'd never heard of!!

http://www.animatedknots.com/indexboating.php?

**DHutch** · February 1, 2006

Yeah, its a great site. Very helpful in showing you how to tie the knots.

- Which is good, because from what ive seen a lot of NB'ers lack the ability to tie even the most basic knots successfully.

You dont need many, but the skill to be able to select a suitable knot for an occasion and form it i find very useful.

I think as a start i would suggest:

- Round turn and two half hitches (pretty good staple knot for securing things, can typically be undone under tension)

- Reef knot (another basic knot, suitable for joining similar rope under constant strain, such as around a parcel or reef sail)

- Clove hitch (very useful on a narrowboat as a temporary securing to a bollard while waiting at a lock landing or waterpoint etc)

- Bowline (staple knot for forming a loop in a rope that will not contract and can be undone again with easy)

- Sheet Bend (staple knot for joining two ropes of similar or dissimilar diameter that may or may not be under constant load, simular in formation to the reef knot)

Daniel

Allie · February 1, 2006

What a helpful site! I have owned a boat for years and I never knew all those knots. I intend to start practicing immediately.

Allie

Liam · February 1, 2006

Yes, a very useful site.

**DHutch** · October 16, 2009

Just to revive this thread to post some information on splicing rope.

Splicing rope is a very useful technique and one that many people feel they do not have and thus resort to buying pre-spiced rope and great expense. There's nothing wrong with this as such, however should need to reform a splice in a rope (say the rope as worn thin at the end, but it in otherwise good nick) or wish to purchase unspliced rope straight from the reel its worth noting that it infact a very simple process.

IM not going to make out im a rope splicing genius, ive only done maybe 10 in my whole lifetime, am slow, and often have to refer to a book to get it started if i havnt done one for a year or so. However with the use of a few photos from a book or website ive successfully created a splice each time the need as arisen.

- The Eye splice is as per the name used to splice the end of a rope to form a eye. Such as a mooring line to fit over a t-stud or dolly.

- The Short splice uses the same principle as the eye splice, but to join two ropes together and the end. Useful if a rope snaps for instance.

- The Long splice is a variant on the above. It is a little more difficult to form and not as strong, but joins the rope within its own profile (without a widening) so is usfull if the rope is be passed through a pulley or similar.

It is also possible to splice four or multi stand rope and well as three-stand with similar techniques although i have not tried this.

Braided rope can also be eye spliced. Although this uses a very different technique and method to rejoin the ropes.

Daniel

RLWP · October 16, 2009

If you are going to set about splicing ropes, find yourself a reel of insulation tape first.You can use it to stop the cut end of a bit of rope fraying, and I use it on the ends of the strands before tucking through. Makes life a lot easier and much simpler than putting on seizings and whippings for temporary stuff.

Richard

**DHutch** · October 16, 2009

If you are going to set about splicing ropes, find yourself a reel of insulation tape first.You can use it to stop the cut end of a bit of rope fraying, and I use it on the ends of the strands before tucking through. Makes life a lot easier and much simpler than putting on seizings and whippings for temporary stuff.

Richard

Yes, that is indeed very useful.

Here is an eye splice i did the other month for our replacement centerline.

nb Innisfree · October 16, 2009

Trouble with knots is they should be easy to undo but in reality if they are under serious load they will be difficult to undo, the only knots I can think of that are easily loosened are the watermans hitch, which isn't a knot really but so very useful for boaters to hitch to bollards, and the zeppelin knot allegedly used by the Germans to tether airships tho I think the RN has a different name for it. I tend to avoid knots if possible relying on hitches instead, several turns followed by a half hitch or two is usually more than adequate for most boaters needs IMO.

October 16, 2009

Excellent reference sight for complete novice's like myself. Thanks for sharing

dave moore · October 16, 2009

Hi all

I'd like to endorse Innisfree's comment about hitches...can't jam, won't slip and also allow a boat to be moored tightly, a scenario that lots of boaters seem unable to realise. I was shown the "boaters/tugmans hitch" by a working boater in the 60s and have used it since when tying back to the dollies or T stud (always best to take the line back to the boat if possible). I've never had a problem with it and would love to see it more widely used.

What is it?...rope from dolly to spike / ring on the bank...back to stud/dolly, take a round turn after pulling tight (this maintains the tension, pass the rope under and over to create what I call a "Figure of eight" around the dolly/stud. Repeat, coil the remaining rope neatly nearby and the job's done. It takes seconds to tie when familiar and is undone equally quickly. I recently spent a few miutes at each end of another boat unravelling a mass of jammed half hitches in a uselessly long mooring line that were holding a boat with a lot of slack. Apologies for typos, but I've had a few?! glasses of the stuff that has sent another thread into apoplexy!

Cheers

Grumpy and under the influence

Dave

Allan(nb Albert) · October 16, 2009

I sometimes feel spoilt for choice (better image here). Two year ago I had to be able to tie all the 100 knots on this board. I have forgotten a few now!

mykaskin · October 16, 2009

I was shown the "boaters/tugmans hitch" by a working boater in the 60s and have used it since

Just to make a point - if you learn anything new in the next year, make it this. It may save your or someone elses life - or at least your boat.

I can make a video of it if any one wants.

Mike

Dyad · October 17, 2009

Just to make a point - if you learn anything new in the next year, make it this. It may save your or someone elses life - or at least your boat.

I can make a video of it if any one wants.

Mike

Oh yes please, I am an occasional hirer and don't tie up very often so to see it in action would be great. I'm sure others would benefit too.

Kev

Iain_S · October 17, 2009

Hi all
I'd like to endorse Innisfree's comment about hitches...can't jam, won't slip and also allow a boat to be moored tightly, a scenario that lots of boaters seem unable to realise. I was shown the "boaters/tugmans hitch" by a working boater in the 60s and have used it since when tying back to the dollies or T stud (always best to take the line back to the boat if possible). I've never had a problem with it and would love to see it more widely used.

What is it?...rope from dolly to spike / ring on the bank...back to stud/dolly, take a round turn after pulling tight (this maintains the tension, pass the rope under and over to create what I call a "Figure of eight" around the dolly/stud. Repeat, coil the remaining rope neatly nearby and the job's done. It takes seconds to tie when familiar and is undone equally quickly. I recently spent a few miutes at each end of another boat unravelling a mass of jammed half hitches in a uselessly long mooring line that were holding a boat with a lot of slack. Apologies for typos, but I've had a few?! glasses of the stuff that has sent another thread into apoplexy!

Cheers

Grumpy and under the influence

Dave

I usually finish wth ONE half hitch if its going to be left for a while. The half hitch holds everything in place, and is easily undone, as it's not under any tension.

Iain

Iain_S · October 17, 2009

Here is an eye splice i did the other month for our replacement centerline.

A useful addition is tapering the end of the splice. The traditional way is to split each strand into two, cut one part off, twist the remainder together, and make another round of tucks, then repeat the whole process. With synthetic rope, it is easier to use "Californian" method, i.e. take longest strand, make a tuck, do the same with the next strand, and then another tuck with the strand you frst thought of. The result is that all the ends finish in a line, one after the other. (I'll add a pic when I've got one)

Iain

Tiny · October 17, 2009

Trouble with knots is they should be easy to undo but in reality if they are under serious load they will be difficult to undo, the only knots I can think of that are easily loosened are the watermans hitch, which isn't a knot really but so very useful for boaters to hitch to bollards, and the zeppelin knot allegedly used by the Germans to tether airships tho I think the RN has a different name for it. I tend to avoid knots if possible relying on hitches instead, several turns followed by a half hitch or two is usually more than adequate for most boaters needs IMO.

The lightermans hitch is only under load on the boat side but on the other it is always loose enough to undo. Round the post, under theline to boat and round the post, repeat as many times as you want leaving the free end neat. It looks a bit of a mess but it works.

nb Innisfree · October 17, 2009

The lightermans hitch is only under load on the boat side but on the other it is always loose enough to undo. Round the post, under theline to boat and round the post, repeat as many times as you want leaving the free end neat. It looks a bit of a mess but it works.

Yes that's what we do when tying off on a bollard, except we do lots of turns and just one or maybe two 'under the line line and round the post' and call it a watermans hitch which I learned originally at fire service training school, they don't use this and many other knots now having condensed and simplified knots and lines training. Although I use very few knots I still like brushing up on them now and again

Iain_S · October 17, 2009

(snip)
(I'll add a pic when I've got one)

Iain

And here, I hope, they are. The actual splice has fewer tucks than usual, as it's made in an offcut of scrap rope, which was a bi short.

Ready to taper

Strand on the left has had another tuck

Followed by the strand in the middle

The original strand gets another tuck

Ends cut short, heat sealed, and splice rolled beween foot and patio!

Iain

howardang · October 17, 2009

Oh yes please, I am an occasional hirer and don't tie up very often so to see it in action would be great. I'm sure others would benefit too.

Kev

This link may save the bother of making a video.

http://www.marinews.com/Lightermans-Hitch-730.php

It shows an animated description of a lightermans hitch

HTH

Howard

**DHutch** · October 17, 2009

Yeah, i like that!

Dalesman · October 17, 2009

This link may save the bother of making a video.

http://www.marinews.com/Lightermans-Hitch-730.php

It shows an animated description of a lighterman's hitch

HTH

Howard

Not the tugman's hitch that I learnt on the Mersey tugs..

Phil Ambrose · October 17, 2009

The lightermans hitch is only under load on the boat side but on the other it is always loose enough to undo. Round the post, under theline to boat and round the post, repeat as many times as you want leaving the free end neat. It looks a bit of a mess but it works.

This is the "knot" of choice down here on the Broads for exactly the reasons stated. Just as an aside I have lost count of the number of times I have had to take a knife to a hirers knot, oh and bless them a couple who spent 1/2 hour pouring over a instruction sheet on their hire boat trying to get the knot right, eventually when I realised what they where doing and took my dinghy across to assist.

howardang · October 17, 2009

Not the tugman's hitch that I learnt on the Mersey tugs..

Who mentioned a Tugman's Hitch, although the one shown in the animation has been well known for years as either a boatman's hitch, a lightermans hitch and, in some quarters outside the Mersey, a tugmans hitch as well.

Howard

Edited October 17, 2009 by howardang

RLWP · October 17, 2009

Yeah, i like that!

Me too. I usually put a decorative whipping on and let the ends sort themselves out. But that is nice because it only uses the material you started with and ends up looking good. I'll give that a practice

Richard

Chris Pink · October 18, 2009

This link may save the bother of making a video.

http://www.marinews.com/Lightermans-Hitch-730.php

It shows an animated description of a lightermans hitch

HTH

Howard

Being a bit dyslexic about knots i can't work out if this is the way I do this hitch.

The first part is but the subsequent two half hitches don't seem to be done in the bight which is the usual requirement for this hitch.

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Knots for Boaters

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Tinally

DHutch

Allie

Liam

DHutch

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nb Innisfree

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nb Innisfree

Iain_S

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