Knot-tying is an important aspect of sailing and the basics are easy to learn and are usually taught on an RYA course. The Figure of 8 knot and Bowline knots are some of the most basic, and yet most useful knots to know.
In boating, it’s important to know that there is a different name for each end of the rope. The loose end in your hand is called ‘the bitter end’, which originates from the name for the posts onto which you secure your boat while docking, called the bitts. The other end, which takes the strain, is called the standing end. The middle part or loop of the rope also has its unique name in knot-tying terminology and is known as the bight.
One of the simplest sailing knots is something many little boys already know how to tie – the Figure of 8 Knot. This knot is used as a quick stopper, for example to be used to keep the line of the mast in sight. This knot also has the advantage of being undone easily, however, this can be a drawback too as it sometimes slips out. The knot is simple to do: form a loop with the bitter end and pass the bitter end around the standing end and through the loop to make your figure of eight.
A Bowline is an ancient type of knot that you use to form a secure loop and is multi-purpose, and can conveniently be tied with one hand. Swimmers should not use this rope as it can become untied if unloaded. When teaching youngsters to tie the rope you can use a simple rhyme:
1. The Rabbit hole (make a loop with the one end).
2. The Rabbit comes up the hole (bring the other end through the loop).
3. The Rabbit comes up and around the tree (the second end goes around the first end)
4. then back down the hole (the rope goes back into the loop)
Another sailing knot, the Bowline on a Bight, is simple to tie once you are shown how but is hard to describe in words. It ca
n be used for a foothold and has the advantage that it neither slips nor binds. It is made by forming a blight and then forming a loop in the bight. The bight is passed through the small loop. The bight is then spread out and passed around the core of the knot.
Sailing knots are easy for everyone to learn and are one of the first skills that you will get taught in a sailing course, but are also easy to forget, so they should be practised often as they are important for crew safety and to keep the yacht undamaged. Once you’ve learnt a few simple knot tricks, learning more advanced knot techniques is plain sailing.