DSK wrote:
Gary Warner wrote:

Ok, so now that the restoration is done and we're actually
boating I figured I'd work on my knots, hitches, bends, etc.

Actually, for our little 22 footer with all the proper lines
already on-board I won't need many knots. I've learned
a couple of hiches for fenders and bends to join ropes
together and the bowline and bowline on a bight for loops.

Anyway, the Sheepshank has me puzzled. I'll probably
almost never need to shorten a rope, so it doen's
matter, but it's bothering me anyway.


The sheepshank is one of those old-time sailor knots that doesn't work
well with newer artificial fiber rope. I wouldn't call it "worthless"
but then I might also note that I've never had to tie one for any reason
an any boat in 40+ years of sailing.

IMHO a boater needs to know only two knots: clove hitch & bowline. Only
two knots, but you need to know how to tie them reliably and fast.

A figure-eight, rolling hitch, and sheet bend are also very handy to
know, but not really for everyday use. A bowline on a bight comes in
pretty handy sometimes, too. Recently I learned the tugboat hitch, and
think that is a very handy one.

Fair skies
Doug King

I used a sheepshank in anger a little over a month ago. I had been
camping overnight ashore with the boat moored with a 50m frape tackle
leading to my regular ground tackle (Danforth with approx 25m cable,
chain + warp) and a well dug in grapnel at the top of the beach. It had
been a wild night and I'd dragged maybe 10 metres. It was a lee shore
and although it was a narrow channel, there was more chop than I would
leave my boat at the waters edge in so while I was carrying each load of
kit down the beach, I held the boat off by tensioning the outhaul line
of the frape using a sheepshank right at the waters edge. Once I got
down there, I shook out the sheepshank so the boat would come in and
immediately hauled the boat + me and the kit back out while I stowed it
properly. I then let the boat come back in and landed and then retied
the saheepshank to hold her off again. A sheepshank will NOT hold in
modern rope if there isnt an even tension in the three parts. If you
need it to stay in shape when the line is slack or under a varying load,
an extra half hitch at each end helps.

I often use a rolling hitch. When you need to releave the tension on
another line there is no other quick to tie knot that will do. If you
ever get a riding turn on a winch or windlass knowing the rolling hitch
will give you a third choice to cutting the rope or cable and risking
serious injury trying to cleart it under load. Its also useful back on
itself for tensioning a line through an eye or ring.

--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
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'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Uffa Fox designed, All varnished hot
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