Knots - Which Do You Use?

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menzies

menzies

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Grand Alaskan 53
What are your five most used knots, in order?

Mine are:

Bowline
Turn and two half hitches
Reef
Figure of eight
Granny.
 
Cleat Hitch
Clove Hitch
Bowline
Figure Eight
Running Clove
 
Roll and two half hitches, clove hitch, bowline, (double) sheet bend and shoelace bow. The last one is the one I have most trouble un-tying sometimes.
 
Last edited:
Not to start an argument or anything (yeah right!) but...

Is a cleat hitch a knot?

And you guys don't have shoe laces? :D
 
Last edited:
Yeah, not all "knots," but we're all friends here....

Cleat hitch, bowline, round turn and two half hitches, clove hitch, figure eight.

If transiting the large locks in Ballard, the sheet bend is essential to attach the lock tender's messenger line to your lock line. Unless you're a lubber.

Which they do see from time to time!
 
Sabre602 said:
If transiting the large locks in Ballard, the sheet bend is essential to attach the lock tender's messenger line to your lock line. Unless you're a lubber.
Click to expand...

Do they balk at two bowlines, boat side at the ready?
 
My Dad maintained you had to learn four inots if you wanted to be on his (crappy little) boat:

Stop knot (or figure eight)
Bowline
Reef knot
Clove hitch
I dont think he thought of a cleat hitch as a knot proper, but he was very demanding about them.

"A knot has to do two things: hold securely and release easily."

I am continually amazed how many knots I see that fail condition #2.

Bill in Petersburg
share.garmin.com/william butler3
 
AlaskaProf said:
My Dad maintained you had to learn four knots if you wanted to be on his (crappy little) boat:

Stop knot (or figure eight)
Bowline
Reef knot
Clove hitch
I dont think he thought of a cleat hitch as a knot proper, but he was very demanding about them.

"A knot has to do two things: hold securely and release easily."

I am continually amazed how many knots I see that fail condition #2.

Bill in Petersburg
share.garmin.com/william butler3
Click to expand...

If his priority was the figure eight he was probably a sailor as that is the knot of choice for sheets going through the gib track eye.
 
I can’t tie a knot to save my life. I hired out.
 
Bowline. Rolling Hitch (and variation constrictors), Round turn + 2, Clove hitches, Figure 8, Square. And yes, the shoelace knot.
 
Bowline, rolling hitch, slip knot, constrictor knot, round turn and 2 half hitches.


Different knots were used when I was sailing.
 
Bowline is very universal.
Sheet shank (Sheet bend) for the locks
Clover hitch for fenders
Square knot for the Bergie cover
Taut-line hitch for Canadian Bull rails
 
Bowline, Rolling hitch, and Square knots, for boating and when fishing, Surgeons's loop, Bloodline, and improved Clinch knots.
 
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Cleat hitch
Clove hitch
Bowline
Improved clinch
Perfection loop
 
Hangman's noose for potential mutiny.
 
Double slip knot is tops. Used routinely to tie shoes which I do several times a day. Consider mastery the second most memorable accomplishment as a child.
 
menzies said:
Do they balk at two bowlines, boat side at the ready?
Click to expand...
You're required to have two 50-foot lock lines, each with an eye at least 12 inches in diameter. Bowlines are fine in lieu of a spliced loop. If you're locking up from salt water to the Ship Canal at low tide (in the large lock), they'll throw down a light messenger line because you'll be 20 or more feet below the edge of the lock. That's where the sheet bend comes in. If they have scores of boats to cram in there, as they often do on nice summer weekends, they appreciate not having to untie the tangles that a lot of folks create.
 
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Bowline
Clove Hitch
Round turn & two half hitches
Truckers Hitch
Zepplin Bend
 
Of the knots and hitches we use routinely... only a few happen during a normal transit.

Bowline, trucker's hitch (securing the dinghy), Figure 8 stoppers (for the whips through our fenders... and these are all mostly static, usually not (!) tied anew every day.

But arriving at a transient dock usually sees us just using cleat hitches (knot, or not) or clove hitches, sometimes maybe two half hitches, and cow hitches for the fenders.

-Chris
 
Last edited:
Sabre602 said:
You're required to have two 50-foot lock lines, each with an eye at least 12 inches in diameter. Bowlines are fine in lieu of a spliced loop. If you're locking up from salt water to the Ship Canal at low tide (in the large lock), they'll throw down a light messenger line because you'll be 20 or more feet below the edge of the lock. That's where the sheet bend comes in. If they have scores of boats to cram in there, as they often do on nice summer weekends, they appreciate not having to untie the tangles that a lot of folks create.
Click to expand...

Got it. My concern on the sheet bend is that it requires the messenger end to be kept somewhat taut to keep the pinch point. Whereas a bowline, while it take a few seconds longer to undo, will keep. Or do you find the sheet bend holds regardless?
 
menzies said:
And you guys don't have shoe laces? :D
Click to expand...


Nope. IMG_1699.jpg
 
Holy crap---that's my shoes!!
 
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