Sailing

Essential sailing knots: bowline, cleat hitch, figure-eight, round turn and clove hitch

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You can sail with a surprisingly small number of knots. Learn five well enough to tie without thinking, and in the dark, and you will cover almost everything a beginner needs on a dinghy or a yacht. A good sailing knot holds under load, does not jam, and comes undone easily when you want it to. A few words first: the working end is the end you are tying with; the standing part is the rest of the rope; a bight is a U-shaped fold.

Figure-eight (stopper knot)

A figure-eight knot stops a rope running out through a block or fairlead, and it goes on the ends of sheets on most boats.
  1. Make a loop by passing the working end over the standing part.
  2. Take the end round behind the standing part.
  3. Pass it down through the loop from the front.
  4. Pull tight. It should look like the number 8.
It is easy to untie even after being loaded, which is why it is preferred to a simple overhand knot.

Bowline

The bowline makes a fixed loop at the end of a rope that will not slip or tighten. It is used to tie sheets to sails, put a loop over a post, or make a loop for mooring. It is easy to undo once the load is off, but cannot be untied under load.
  1. Make a small loop in the standing part, with the working end side on top.
  2. Bring the working end up through the loop from underneath.
  3. Take it round behind the standing part.
  4. Pass it back down through the small loop.
  5. Hold the end and the side of the big loop, and pull on the standing part to tighten.
The common teaching rhyme: the rabbit comes out of the hole, goes round the tree and back down the hole. Leave a decent tail, and check the knot before you load it.

Cleat hitch

The cleat hitch secures a rope to a horn cleat, for mooring lines and halyards.
  1. Take the rope once round the base of the cleat, starting at the horn furthest from the load.
  2. Cross it over the top to make a figure of eight across the horns.
  3. Finish with a hitch: twist a loop so the rope lies flat alongside the last turn, and drop it over the horn.
Do not add hitch after hitch; one is enough, and a pile of them can jam when you need to let go quickly.

Round turn and two half hitches

This is a reliable way to tie a rope to a ring, post or rail, such as a mooring line to a ring on a pontoon or a fender to a rail.
  1. Pass the working end round the post twice, making a full round turn. This takes the strain while you tie.
  2. Bring the end over the standing part and through, making a half hitch.
  3. Repeat in the same direction for a second half hitch.
  4. Snug them up against the round turn.
It can be untied under load, which is its big advantage.

Clove hitch

The clove hitch is quick and adjustable, good for temporary jobs like hanging fenders from a rail.
  1. Pass the end round the rail.
  2. Cross it over itself and go round again.
  3. Tuck the end under the last turn so both ends come out in opposite directions between the turns.
It can slip or roll if the load changes direction, so do not rely on it for anything important. Add a half hitch for extra security.

Tips for learning

  • Practise with a short length of rope while watching television until your hands know the knots.
  • Learn each one from more than one direction, and with your eyes closed.
  • Tie them on the boat, not just on your lap; a cleat or rail feels different.
  • Coil and stow ropes neatly after use, so they run freely when you need them.
Which knot took you longest to learn, and what trick made it stick? Share your questions and experiences in the comments below.

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