Know Your Knots

And Theyll Serve You Well Ordinarily, when you want to put a rope to work, you have to tie a knot in it. And if you know only a few basic knots you can make your rope work much more efficiently. Knots are used to join two ropes together, or to shorten one rope - and to "tie up", tow, haul, hoist and support objects. Most knots are fairly simple to master - a little practice and you'll he surprised what you can do with a rope. Because often, several quite different knots might he used for the same job - it's important to know the general purpose of a knot before you decide on the best to use. For instance, if you wanted to secure a mooring line to a post with a very secure knot that you could leave in the end of your rope -and use over and over again - you might use a bowline. But if you wanted to moor it with a temporary but secure fastening that would untie quickly - you could use any one of a number of hitches. For that reason you are better to classify them very broadly under their general purposes, some of the knots, bends and hitches most commonly used. Since the safety of life and property often depends on a knotted rope - you want to make sure that both your knot and your rope are good. The success of your knot is up to YOU. The secret - Practice, Practice and Practice (excellent activity while watching TV)
Scouter Michael

The ALPINE BUTTERFLY If the Bowline is the King of Knots this must be the Queen. It is without question the best knot for making a non-slip loop in the bight of a rope, and is easy to make. Method A: make a bight of the required size with two small overhand loops turned inwards at the top. Overlap the loops and bring the bight up and through from front to back. Method B: 1-make a bight with one hand and hold it, 2-make one twist, 3-make a second twist, 4-fold the end over to the loop at your hand B, 5-push the end through the loop by your hand, B and back up through the centre loop, C.

BEND - to Tie Two Ropes Together A Bend is tied when it is necessary to lengthen a rope by joining it to another. A Bend should be used for a temporary purpose only-if the joining is intended to be permanent, a Splice is both stronger and safer. In general, Bends should be tied only in two ropes of the same size, stiffness, and smoothness - otherwise the Bend is not considered dependable. BOWLINE- used for mooring, lifting, hitching and joining Sometimes called the "king of knots", the Bowline never jams or slips if properly tied. Generally tied in the hand, it can also be used as a hitch and tied directly around the object. To Tie: Make an overland loop will the end held toward you. Pass the end up through the loop, then up behind the standing part - then down through the loop again. Draw up tight.

BOWLINE on the BIGHT To Tie: Double the rope, make overhand loop C, and draw loop-end D up through it. Then pass loop end D, towards you, down and over loop section A. Bring up in back until D lies behind standing part A. Draw loop D tight by a slow even pull on upper right side of loop A. To use, one leg is put through each loop and loop D passed under arms as shown.

The CARRICK BEND - used for heavy ropes, cables The Carrick Bend is one of the strongest of knots. It cannot jam and it unties easily. Under strain it always draws ulp tight correctly - which is important because very heavy ropes usually cannot be fully tightened by hand. However, (and although the precaution often is overlooked), for maximum security the ends always should be seized to the standing part. To Tie: With one rope-end form an underhand loop - with both the free end and - standing part pointing away from you. Start the second rope end beneath both sides of the loop. Cross it over the standing part of the first rope. Then under the free end of the first rope. Then over the left side of the loop. Cross it under itself - and let the second free end lie over the right side of the loop. Finish by seizing each end to the standing part.

The CATSPAW This is the Hook Hitch generally tied in a "sling" or continuous wreath of rope - for heavy hoisting. It does not jam and unties by itself when removed from the hook. It is tied by grasping two bights held well apart - and twisting each of them away from you. The two loops thus formed are then brought together and placed over the hook.

The CLOVE HITCH The Clove Hitch is a quick, simple method of fastening a rope around a post, spar or

stake. It is sometimes called the Builders Hitch because of its extensive use in fastening staging to upright posts. It can be tied in the middle or end of a rope. But since it has a tendency to slip when used at the end of a rope, the end should be half-hitched to the standing part for greater security. To Tie: Make a turn with the rope around the object and over itself. Take a second turn around the object. Pull the end up under the second turn so it lies between the rope and the object. Tighten by pulling on both ends.

DRAWING UP Once formed, a knot must be drawn up or tightened, slowly and evenly to make sure that all sections of the knot arrangement keep their place and their shape. Quick or careless tightening may result in a useless tangle. The Figure Eight Knot This is much easier to untie than the Over- hand Knot - is larger, stronger and does not injure rope fibres. It is the best knot to use to keep the end of a rope or "fall" from running out of a tackle or pulley. To Tie: Make an underhand loop. Bring the end around and over the standing part. Pass the end under and then up through the loop. Draw up tight.

DONT tie the Weak Granny Knot Remember that the Square Knot presents two ends lying together under one loop and over the opposite loop-while the Granny presents one end under and one over on both loops. Watch out for the Thief Knot, too. This has the two loose ends Joining out of opposite sides-instead of from the sane side as in the true Square Knot.

Most people automatically tie the granny knot as you practice it every day when you tie your shoes!!

The HALF HITCH a basic knot form The Half Hitch is generally used for fastening to an object for a right-angle pull. To Tie: Pass the end of the rope around the object and tie an Overhand Knot to the standing part. Figure 1 shows the Half Hitch tied with the end pulled close around the standing part. This is the first step in tying many more complicated Hitches, such as the thoroughly reliable Timber Hitch. But for use by itself, it is unsafe tied in this way, since it quickly slips untied. Figure 2 shows the Half Hitch tied with the end nipped under the

turn of the rope some distance away from the, standing part - this method is fairly reliable for temporary use-if the pull is steady and the arrangement is not disturbed.

The LAY of a rope is the direction in which the strands are twisted most rope is rightlaid - the strands spiral to the right - when you hold it vertical.

LOOP KNOTS - to hold an object when security comes first A Loop Knot, like a Hitch, fastens a rope to another object. But usually, the Loop Knot is first tied in the hand and then placed over the object -while the Hlitch is tied directly around the object. In general, the Loop Knot is a more secure and permanent type of knot than the Hitch because properly tied and drawn tight, it will not slip. Also, since it does not lose its shape, the same knot may he used many times over. An OVERHAND LOOP is made by crossing the end over the standing part.

An UNDERHAND LOOP is made by crossing the end under the standing part.

MAN HARNESS or ARTILLERY LOOP - for hauling or climbing This knot should be tied large enough to go around a mans shoulder leaving both hands free. It is used to tow ropes or equipment. Make a loop in the rope and fold it forward and

slightly to the right to get a loop shaped like the one in tire first sketch. Then take C up and under A and over B, as shown in the second sketch. A good hard yank on C, to the left, will finish the knot. Use in a series to provide handholds and footholds for climbing.

The Overhand Knot This is the simplest and smallest of all knot forms and the beginning of many more difficult ones. In general, use it only on small card and twine, since it jams and is hard to untie, often injuring the fibre. To Tie: Make an overhand loop. Pass the end under and up through the loop. Draw up tight.

SQUARE or REEF knot The universal package and first aid knot, making a flat knot for ropes of the same size. Though often used, it is a dangerous knot for tying two ropes together, since it unties easily when either free end is jerked. To tie:pass the left end over and under the right end. Curve what is now the left end towards the right. Cross what is now the right end over and under the left. Draw up tight.

The END is the end of the rope with which you are working when you tie a knot The STANDING PART is the inactive length of the rope The BIGHT is the central part of the rope between the working end and the standing part.

A ROUND TURN is taken by looping the rope twice around an object, as shown.

The SHEEPSHANK - used to shorten a rope. The Sheepshank is intended to shorten a rope for temporary use only. Carefully tied and drawn up tight, it is fairly reliable under a steady pull. But to make it secure for any length of time, both loops should be stopped to the standing parts. To tie: form an S loop as shown. Then with one free end of the rope make a Half Hitch and slip it over one of the loops. Tighten. Repeat with the other end.

Locking the Ends

The SHEET BEND - to tie light and medium ropes This is the common utility Bend used aboard ship, and unties easily without injuring rope fibres. While it can be tied in larger ropes, such as hawsers and cables, the Carrick Bend is preferable. Remember that its construction is like that of the Bowline -only instead of an end being tied to its own bight, one end is tied to the bight in the end of another rope -and you should find it most easy to tie. Also valuable when joining two ropes of different diameter, always form the loop with the thicker rope. To Tie: Make an overhand loop with the end of one rope. Pass the end of the other rope through the loop thus formed, then up behind its standing part - then down through the loop again. Draw up tight.

SPANISH BOWLINE Form three loops, as shown, in any central section of the rope. Turn the large centre loop A-B down. Enlarge it so that it encircles the smaller loops C and D. Put your hands through each of the small loops C. and D, grasp each side of large loop A and B and pull it through to complete the knot. Used to lift an injured man like the bowline on Bight, above or to sting a ladder.

Surgeons Knot Often used for twine - chiefly to keep the first tie from slipping before the knot is completed. To Tie: with one end, take three turns about the other end. Bring both ends up. Pass one end over and under the other end. Draw up tight.

TIMBER HITCH this simple, convenient Hitch which does not jam, and comes undone readily when the pull ceases. It is used mainly to tow or hoist cylindrical objects. It is used with one ore more Half Hitches made with the standing part - for towing a spar or hoisting a timber on end. To tie: pass a rope around the object and take a turn with the end around the standing part. Then, as shown, twist or turn the end back on itself. Three turns back are sufficient and they should follow the lay of the rope.

A TURN is taken by looping the rope around an object - often another section, as shown

TWO HALF HITCHES - quite secure, used for mooring just as its name states, Two Half Hitches is simply a Half Hitch tied twice - in the manner shown in Figure 1 above. It is quickly tied, reliable, can be put to almost any general use and is the I-hitch most commonly tied when mooring. It is also the usual method of tying a line to a ring hook in hand- line and pole fishing.

WHIPPING - keeping rope ends from unravelling

A good rope deserves good care. One way to keep your rope in good condition is to "whip" or bind the ends to prevent unravelling. In Splicing the separate strands of the rope are also whipped for the same- reason. To make the, whipping, a fine yarn, marline or spunyarn, is generally used. The ordinary whipping is made by placing the end of the yarn at the end of the rope and then laying a loop along the rope. You then wind the yarn tightly around both loop and rope, thus binding them together. Wind to a distance roughly equal to the diameter of the rope you are whipping.

The whipping is finished by putting the winding end B through the loop - then pulling end A tight, until the loop is drawn back out of sight. Both ends are then cut short to make a neat finish.