Ropework

Rope Work

There are thousands of individual knots but you only need to know a few.

All knotting may be summed up under three headings:• A Hitch - Hitches are knots that fix a piece of rope onto something else. • A Bend - Bends are knots that join two pieces of rope together. • A knot is anything other that a bend or hitch

Reef Knot Uses:- The Reef Knot is a flat knot. Do not use it for joining ropes together, as it is not always safe, particularly with nylon, terylene or other “man-made” ropes. Tying the reef points of a sail, for first aid and for tying string on parcels.

Sheet Bend The sheet bend is normally used to join two ropes together. Uses:- for tying flags onto halyards where there are no clips in place.

Double Sheet Bend The double sheet bend is more secure than the sheet bend, and is used where the ropes are slippery, of different materials, or of unequal thickness. Uses:- tying flags onto halyards.

Rope Work

Round Turn and Two Half Hitches This is a strong and secure knot. It is used to tie a rope to a post or ring. Uses:- Secure a boat or tow a vehicle.

Fisherman’s Bend The fisherman’s bend is similar to the round turn and two half hitches, but the first half hitch passes through the round turn. The knot is never pulled tight and can be untied easily. Uses:- to attach an anchor line to the ring of the anchor.

Clove Hitch The clove hitch is a simple knot for tying a rope to a post, and may be used in the middle of a line as well as at the end. A clove hitch remains secure if it is kept under a steady strain, but if the strain is intermittent, it may come loose, and untie. Uses:- secure a light boat to a bollard or suspend objects.

Rolling Hitch A rolling hitch is used to tie a rope to a spar, when the pull is in the line of the spar.

Rope Work

Timber Hitch The timber hitch is a simple way of putting a constricting piece of rope onto a spar or similar Uses:- in the start of lashings.

Bowline The bowline is used for making an eye or loop in the end of a rope or morring a bowline. It does not loosen or jam. Uses:- on a mooring line to slip over a bollard, for attaching jib sheets to the clew of the jib, for rescue a when tied around the waist, etc.

Bowline on the Bight The bowline on the bight puts two loops in the end of a rope. Uses:- used like a chair to lower a casualty with one loop under the arms and the second loop under the knees.

Overhand knot A simple overhand knot may suffice to stop the end of a rope running through a block or cleat.

Figure of Eight Is a knot on the end of a rope to stop it running through a fairlead or pulley and is more easily untied. Uses:- Ends of jib leads and main sheets.

Rope Work

Whipping This is used to protect and prevent rope ends from unravelling.

Sail Makers Whipping The sail makers whipping is one of the most reliable ways of whipping the end of a three strand rope to stop it unravelling.

Common Whipping A simpler type is the common whipping. There are a number of version and the one shown is probably the commonest.

West Country Whipping The West Country whipping is a series of overhand knots tied on the opposite sides to each other.

Eye Splice When you want to fix a piece of rope permanently such as the bowline on a boat it is best to splice it in place. The best splice for this is the three-stranded eye splice.

Back Splice The most common splice that one sees is the back splice but it has limited use. As a back splice doubles the diameter of the rope it can no longer be roved through a block or pulley. A whipping is a better way to protect a rope end.