Know your knots

Tying a bowline knot is a versatile knot used in various activities such as sailing, climbing, and camping. The bowline is known for creating a secure, non-slip loop that is simple to untie even after being under load, so no matter how much force you put on it, it can still be easily undone. It is commonly used for:

1. Mooring a boat alongside a pontoon by creating a loop at the end of a rope that sits under the cleat, thereby leaving enough space on the cleat for either a second line or even a third; tying three separate ropes would not work on just the two cleat protrusions. This allows the crew on board to throw the coiled rope ashore to use the cleat by taking two turns to prevent the boat hitting the pier or to loosen the turns until another line is correctly cleated.
2. Alternatively, the crew member creates a bowline ready to throw whilst the other end is already passed through the eye and has a few turns on the cleat. The person ashore then drops the pre-made loop onto the ashore cleat and the crew tightens the line on the yacht.
3. Bowline knots are also used for attaching the halyard to a bosun’s chair before pulling a crew member up the mast. NB it is essential that a second halyard should be used as a safety line.
4. Finally, Bowlines are also used for various rescue applications and towing a boat because the knot will be easily undone.

Use this saying to help remember how to tie a bowline: “the rabbit goes down the hole, around the tree and back up the hole”.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to tie a bowline (mostly pronounced as BOWLIN) knot:

Undo:

Take the bowline in hand and pull back the tight small loop inside the knot. This will ease the knot easily, even after heavy use.

A reef knot, also known as a square knot, is commonly used for tying two ends of a rope ropes of equal diameter together. It’s a symmetrical, simple and quick. The reef knot is used when reefing a sail to ensure the unused portion snugly tied to the boom when lines of similar size are permanently attached on both sides of the mainsail. Avoid using the reef knot when the ropes are of different sizes, as it can be prone to slipping under uneven loads. To help remember how to tie a reef knot, try to memorise the following, left over right and under, right over left and under. To differentiate from a granny knot, you can see the reef knot has two ropes parallel under the loop at one end and the opposite end has two parallel lines above the loop;

Here’s how to tie a reef knot:

It’s essential to note that when tying a reef knot, the same end that starts on top should finish on top. This ensures the knot holds properly.

Undo:

Pull either loop within the knot to undo it.

Take care not to create a granny knot where the tails sit perpendicular and will tighten and tighten making it difficult to undo.

A clove hitch is a versatile knot often used for temporarily securing a rope to a pole or wire. Used onto tie fenders, it’s quick to tie and untie, making it useful in various situations. The clove hitch is easily adjustable, but it’s important to note that it may slip under heavy loads or if the standing part is pulled in the wrong direction. A clove hitch with a half hitch is often used to ensure no slipping.

Clove hitches are still used for flying flags such as:

1. A square yellow flag when you arrive at a different country to alert Customs you are from abroad.
2. A small version of a foreign country’s ensign as a courtesy when flying your country’s ensign
3. Or club burgees that are flown mostly at the top of the mast; in this case the flag will be on a stick which will need two clove hitches to allow the flag fly above the electronic equipment. As long there is constant pressure on both parts (IE up and down). The clove hitches will do their job.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to tie a clove hitch:

Undo:

Very easy when the tension is removed.