Boating Knots You Should Know
Any experienced mariner worth his salt knows several sailor’s knots that he can tie with his eyes shut. There are hundreds of different knots when it comes to boating and each one has its own specialized purpose. Some are meant for sail rigging, some are hitching knots for docking, some are for securing an anchor to a rope, some are for measuring how fast your boat is traveling and some are for measuring wind speed.
If you’re a novice boater, then you may not be aware of any of these knots, let alone how to tie them. But that’s what we’re here for. Jet Ski of Miami is your Florida boat dealer, so we’ve provided you with a selection of important nautical knots you should learn. There are a number of resources online with video examples of how to tie the knots below if you need more help.
Terms to Know
The tail or working end of a rope is simply the free, loose end. The standing line is the long portion of your rope that may end in a big coil of rope or to the object that the knot is meant to secure. There are fixed knots that do not move or adjust. A bend is a knot that joins two ropes or lines together. A hitch secures a line or rope to a piling, cleat or stanchion in order to anchor the boat. A bight is a loop formed in a rope or line.
Figure-Eight Knot
This convenient knot involves bringing the rope over itself to form a loop, then drawing that loop under the standing part of the rope and back through the initial loop in a figure-eight pattern. It’s easy to undo and similar to the overhand knot, but less permanent in nature.
Bowline Knot
A bowline knot is generally used to fasten a mooring line. Sometimes, it’s used to rescue a person who has gone overboard as it can be easily tied around their waist. To tie a bowline knot, make a loop in the rope, pass the tail of the rope through the loop, then under and over the standing part on the other side of your loop before pulling it back through the loop to finish it. This knot is easy to tighten and easy to undo, but not adjustable.
There’s a little song for this rope that is often used to demonstrate it to children and it might be handy for anyone who’s learning it to know: “The rabbit comes out of the hole, goes round the back of the tree and jumps back into the hole,” where the “rabbit” is the tail of the rope and the “hole” and “tree” are formed from the standing end.
Mooring Hitch
If you need a temporary knot for mooring your boat, use this easy knot that sort of resembles a pretzel with a big loop at one side. Throw your rope around a post and make a loop with the free end of the rope with some extra length. With the tail of the rope exiting the loop from the inside, you can grasp the standing line and pull a section of it through the loop. Take your free end and pull it partway through the new loop, then tighten your knot by tugging down the standing line. To release the mooring hitch, you just pull the free end and it unravels.
Stopper Knot
This simple knot is meant to prevent your rope from pulling through a clutch. It’s a double-overhand knot that doesn’t loosen easily. Use your hand facing you, palm up with your thumb pointing to the sky and your pinky parallel to the ground as a base. Wind the rope twice around your palm and fingers, then tuck the working end through the loops as you bring it over the top of your hand a third time. The end will go in the same direction as your fingers are pointing (to the right if you used your left hand; to the left if you used your right hand). Pull tight on the end as you remove the loops from your hand.
Clove Hitch
This knot is quick to tie and it can temporarily secure a boat to a dock. Wrap the rope around the object that you’re securing from the front, with the tail passing behind the object and beneath it again to cross over the standing line. Then take the tail and wind it again around the object, drawing the tail back up and under itself before pulling it tight.
These are, of course, not the only types of nautical knots out there, but you’ll be a much better boater if you learn these. Still need a boat? Browse our website to see the full stock of new and used boats for sale at our Miami dealership. Jet Ski of Miami proudly serves all of southern Florida, including those of you coming from Hialeah.