Know Your Knot Lingo
All sailors need to understand the parts of a rope before they tie a knot. Understand these terms and you will be on your way to knot-tying success.
Bitter end – either end of a piece of line (all line has two bitter ends). You hold the bitter end in one hand and the standing part in the other hand to tie a knot.
Standing Part -The idle, inactive part of a line. Knots are tied around the standing part.
Bight – formed when one bitter end forms a “U”-shape with the standing part of a line.
Loop – formed when one bitter end crosses over or under the standing part to form an “O”-shape
Knot – a general term for knots, bends, and hitches.
Bend – bends tie a line onto another line, mast, boom, becket, block, or rail.
Hitch – passing a bight of line over something; a line is hitched to a post, rail, boom, spar, or hook, usually over or under the same line.
Turn – a 180 degree turn around an object (rail, lifeline, sailboat boom)
Round Turn – A 360 degree turn formed when rope loops around itself or an object.
Start Right to Finish Right.
Take your time to start any knot with good technique. Hold the standing part of a rope in your non-dominant hand. Hold the bitter end in your dominant hand. In most knots, the standing part stays still and the bitter end weaves in and out or over and under the standing part to make the knot. Keep this in mind when you first pick up a piece of marine rope, whether you are right- or left-handed.
Use Plenty of Bitter End.
Count on the fact that you will use a lot of line to tie knots. When the bitter end passes over and around the standing part, a rail, boom, or other fixture, this takes up a lot of rope. Start with a generous amount of bitter end to make sure that you don’t run out of line before you finish tying your knot. It’s always better to have too much bitter end left over than too little. This helps make the knot safer and more secure.
Make That First Step Count!
Get the first step of a knot correct or the rest of the knot will be wrong. This single point will make or break knot tying! When you tie a knot into a piece of line, this very action weakens the line. Line fibers are bent and compressed. So, all marine knots are a compromise and you want to maintain as much of the original strength of the line as possible. Take your time to get that first step right and the rest of the steps will fall into place as easy as 1-2-3!
Remove the Slack.
Finish the knot and take out all the slack left in the knot. Pull on the bitter end (or ends), then the standing part. Then go back and repeat these steps until you have removed all slack. This action takes just a second or two, but will help make the knot compact, safe, and secure.
Check Your Work.
Look all around your knot after you finish and note the symmetry. Knots are a form of artwork. If your knot looks wrong, do not hesitate to untie and retie it. It takes just a few seconds to retie a knot. Make your knot safe and secure and it will serve you well under any sailing conditions.
Use these simple sailing tips to learn to tie marine knots the right way every time. Follow this easy guide to get you started–wherever in the world you choose to go sailing!
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