Knotting – A Practical Workshop

1. Defi= nitions and Comments

Many of= the terms and their specific usages have become almost obsolete – and most people have reduced their usage to just “knots”, “splices” and “whippings”.

Knots, = Bends & Hitches are temporary by nature. All Knots, Bends & Hitches, weaken = the rope to some extent, but must not do so unduly. All must be reliable – i.e. they must not slip or give way unexpected= ly – but they must be removable= – i.e. able to be untied when required. The differences?

Knots &nb= sp; - tied in or to itself. &= nbsp; E.g. Reef knot; Bowline.

Bends &= nbsp; &= nbsp; - tied to another rope. E.g. Sheet bend; Carrick bend

Hitches= = - tied to another object. E.g. Clove = hitch; Rolling hitch.

&n= bsp;

Splices are fashioned with the constituent parts of the rope. They make a permanent change to th= e rope and are often whipped or served for strength or protection. Particularly wi= th splicing, maintaining the strength of the rope depends on the skill of the operator.

All of the above rely on friction= to hold them together. K. B. &am= p; H. are often made more secure if the working end is seized to the standing par= t, or an additional “safety tuck” is put in.

Whippin= g, Serving and Seizing are all “variations on a theme” ̵= 1; i.e. winding turns of a lighter material over some or all of the main rope ̵= 1; for strength, protection of the user, or preservation of the material.=

Whippin= g &= nbsp; - a variety of ways of applying twine to stop a rope from fraying or unlaying, sadly now often replaced by “Rigger’s Tape” or the “Butane Back-Splice!”.

Serving= &= nbsp; &nbs= p; - a similar technique, with small line or thin wire used to protect the main = rope or splice from chafe or ingress of weather; also used to protect sails and sailors from any rough edges or wire snags in a wire splice.

Seizing= &= nbsp; - another similar technique, but used to secure two ropes or parts together; three = or four seizings can be as strong as a splice and easier to repair or adjust.<= /o:p>

&n= bsp;

Part of= our history and heritage are the knots passed down from the sailor-men of old.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> They would spend their spare time = at sea fashioning decorative knots and whippings – partly for protection of bearing surfaces, but also to make their tools and ships smarter than average. Even in recent times= , it is a matter of pride to sail on a recognised “ti= ddly ship”!

&n= bsp;

2. Cordage, Twine, Line and Rope<= o:p>

&n= bsp;

Traditi= onally, “cordage” is the generic term.= This is divided into “twine” or “sailmakers”, which is the sailor’s term for what landsmen call string, while ̶= 0;line” refers to small sizes of cordage such as “gun line”, “mackerel line” and “cod line”, (up to about 1/8 in= . or 3mm.) and used for lanyards and lashings,

“= Rope” is the term used for the bulk supplies of cordage. Once it is cut to length and fitti= ngs or eyes spliced or tied in, it is always referred to by the job it does - warp; halyard; sheet etc. Hence the= old adage that there are no ropes on a ship!&n= bsp; However, “The Riggers Handbook” lists 4 exceptions ̵= 1; Bell Rope; Bolt Rope (on a sail); Man Rope (on a gangway); Tiller Rope (on a yawl or ketch). And surely if= warps are sub-divided into their uses, and some are referred to as springs and breasts, then the Head Rope and Stern Rope must also be included!

&n= bsp;

3. Materials Used

&n= bsp;

Traditi= onal materials like hemp, manila, sisal and coir are now found only on tradition= al boats such as Gaffers and Pilot Cutters.&n= bsp;

&n= bsp;

New, ma= n-made fibres have resulted in cordage that is stronger, harder wearing, longer lasting and is maintenance free (well, almost!). The down-side is that they are sli= ppier, harder to splice, and prone to UV degradation. They can also be horrendously expe= nsive, especially the really strong, low-stretch materials beloved of the racers – and which, like wire rope, are out-with the scope of this short pre= sentation.

&n= bsp;

4. Modern Materials – A Sum= mary

&n= bsp;

CATEGORIES<= /span>	POSITIVES	NEGATIVES	YACHTSMAN’S USES=
Polyethylene and Polyp= ropylene	Light; Water proof; Rot proof; Floats.	Hard to knot & spl= ice; Very slippery; Chafes.	MOB Equipment; Rescue = lines.
Polyamide (Nylon)=	Stronger; Flexible; Stretches.	10 -15% weaker when we= t; Slippery; Chafes.	Mooring lines; Anchor = rodes.
Polyester (Dacron; Terylene)	Strong; Stable; Resists stretching & shocks.	Wide variety of constructions.	Cruisers’ running rigging.
Kevlar etc<= /span>	Very strong; Non-stret= ch.	Hard to splice; UV dam= ages; Expensive.	Racers only! Halyards & sheets.=

&n= bsp;

5. Knotting in General=

Basical= ly, knots consist of various twists and turns to grip different objects or other lines, and to enable the yachtsman to perform particular tasks. They all rely on friction to hold = their shape and keep the various parts together.

&n= bsp;

The key criteria for a knot are that it should be able to be tied consistently, to = hold with reliability and security, and then be able to be eased and released wi= th control, while under tension. These factors can be summarised as REPEA= TABLE; RELIABLE; RELEASABLE.

&n= bsp;

Most kn= ots will weaken the cordage – bowlines by up to 40%, for example – = and this must be taken into account when specifying types and sizes for particu= lar tasks.

&n= bsp;

Dependi= ng on the skill and experience of the operator, a well-made splice will achieve 90-95% (or even 100%) of the standard for the cordage.

&n= bsp;

Chafe i= s the big killer for all cordage; even the benefit of the flexibility of nylon creates chafe as the constituent parts move against each other. Everything possible must be done to minimise chafe through the avoidance of sharp angles and kinks, while the u= se of good leads, large blocks, and padding, should always be considered.=

&n= bsp;

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &= nbsp; &nbs= p;

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &= nbsp; &nbs= p;

6. Demonstration Knots, Bends and Hitches

MARLINE= SPIKE HITCH &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; Gives you leverage.

FOUR CO= NSTRICTOR KNOTS &= nbsp; Single and Double; with the end and on the bight.

BOWLINE= S &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Different ways to tie the favourite knot.

MIDSHIP= MAN’S HITCH &n= bsp; = ; &= nbsp; Adjustable alternative to a Bowline.

ICICLE = HITCH &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &= nbsp; Will hold on anything.

BUNTLINE HITCH &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; &= nbsp; Compact and secure.

FRIGATE= (CLEAT) HITCH &n= bsp; = ; &= nbsp; Secure and easy to release.

RUIR= 17;S STOPPER KNOT &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Fast and bulky.

MONKEY&= #8217;S FIST & HEAVING LINE KNOT &nb= sp; Traditional and alternative means of weighting a rope.

TRUCKER= ’S HITCH &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; = ; How to tie down a “Houdinghy”!

&n= bsp;

7. Demonstration Splices

&n= bsp;

EYE SPL= ICE IMPROVED = ; &n= bsp; = ; One extra tuck for a better lie.

LONG SP= LICE &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; The cross-over made easy.

SHACKLE SPLICE = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; Basically a back splice, connecting rope to chain.

CHAIN <= span class=3DGramE>SPLICE &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; A slimmer splice for lighter but stronger chain.

DOUBLE = BRAID SPLICE &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; An introduction to the complexities:-

&= nbsp; (Extract the core; Taper the cover end; Insert the cover end into the centre of the = core;)

(Insert= the core end round the eye cover; Bring home! There, that was easy, wasn’t= it?)

&n= bsp;

8. Demonstration Whippings

&n= bsp;

COMMON<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:6'> &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; The traditional tidy ending.

SIMPLE<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:6'> &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; A quick and easy alternative.

SAILMAK= ERS &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; The Royal Navy’s method for 3-strand rope.

&n= bsp;

9. Some Little Hints and Tips

&n= bsp;

1. To f= ree a jammed Reef Knot. &n= bsp; Pull its ears sharply apart, or hold its ears and shake gently!

2. To m= aintain the lay in 3-strand rope. Coat it with Hair Gel before unlaying.

3. To r= educe foresail sheet hang ups. &= nbsp; Tie port sheet, right-handed & starboard sheet, left-handed.

4. For extra knot security. (1) &nb= sp; Whip or constrictor the end to the standing part.

5. For extra knot security. (2) &nb= sp; Add an extra tuck or over-hand knot

6. Look= after your rope. &nb= sp; = Use a FID or a Marling Spike to open the lay.

&n= bsp;

10. Conclusion<= /u>

&n= bsp;

Remembe= r that none of demonstrators in this session claim to be experts. We are just enthusiasts who like p= laying with rope - and enjoy sharing what we have learned.

&n= bsp;

And we = know we never stop learning - just preparing this session has shown us all some = new tricks. So if YOU have a favo= urite K, B, or H, a whipping or a splice you would like to share, please let us k= now about it.

&n= bsp;

Our tha= nks to you all, = Lagos<= /span> Navigators.