So I can tie a bowline and a figure 8 but I am not sure what their
primary
uses are on a boat.

1. can anyone tell me what they are used for?
2. what other knots should I know and why are these knots used?

Thanks,
Scott

Can you tie a bowline while wearing a blindfold?

Scotty

"RogueIT" wrote in message
oups.com..
..
So I can tie a bowline and a figure 8 but I am not sure
what their
primary
uses are on a boat.

1. can anyone tell me what they are used for?
2. what other knots should I know and why are these knots
used?

Thanks,
Scott

Scotty wrote:
Can you tie a bowline while wearing a blindfold?

Yes and behind my back, a tugboat/flying bowline that is.

Just learn the bowline...thats the most used knot.
Joe


Scotty

"RogueIT" wrote in message
oups.com..
.
So I can tie a bowline and a figure 8 but I am not sure
what their
primary
uses are on a boat.

1. can anyone tell me what they are used for?
2. what other knots should I know and why are these knots
used?

Thanks,
Scott

"RogueIT" wrote in message
oups.com...
So I can tie a bowline and a figure 8 but I am not sure what their
primary
uses are on a boat.

1. can anyone tell me what they are used for?

Bowline: non-tightening loop at the end of a line. Myriad uses, such as
affixing anchor rodes to shackles--either end, halyards to headboard or to
halyard shackles, sheets to jib clew, tack downhaul line, reefing lines,
flag halyards, securing halyard to bosun's chair, etc. Very secure and
easily removed.

Figure 8 is used as a line stopper. Won't allow the line to pass through a
fairlead or sheet stopper, but is easily removed as it won't tighten upon
itself like an overhand knot.

2. what other knots should I know and why are these knots used?

Clove hitch--for fastening a dockline to a dock piling or rail.
Half-hitches--see clove hitch.

Those four knots will accomplish 90% of everything you need to do with a
line.

Also learn how to do a proper flemish on a cleat.

Max

Bowlines are primarily used for attaching jib sheets to the clew of the jib.
Of course, there are lots of other uses. You can use them for attaching two
lines together, but you can also use a sheep bend for that (which is sort of
like a bowline, but with two different lines).

The one-handed bowline is useful if you're in the water and someone throws
you a line:

1.. Assuming that you are right handed, grasp the line with the left hand
about six feet from the free end; this will take all load off the last six
feet of line.
2.. Pass the slack end around behind your body and grasp the line about
six or eight inches from the end with the right hand palm up.
3.. Lie the right wrist across the top of the line between the body and
the left hand. Leave a gap between the body and the wrist. The palm of the
right hand is now down and the line forms a closed loop around the body.
4.. Push the right hand down and curl it over and around the line so that
the closed right hand is forced back to pass inside the loop next to the
body. The palm is now up and a loop is formed around the wrist. Keep this
loop loose. The end of the line in the right hand is now leading away from
the body parallel with the line coming from the left hand.
5.. Pass the end of the line around behind the line coming from the left
hand.
6.. Flip the end of the line towards the body with the fingers and catch
it with the thumb.
7.. Change the grip on the end so that the right hand now only holds the
very end of the line caught by the thumb.
8.. While holding tight to this end withdraw the right hand from the loop.
Figure 8s are used primary to prevent a line from going through a block,
such as a fairlead, and getting "lost" where you can't easily retrieve it.

Other knots that are useful include:

round turn and 2 half hitches - good for fenders, attaching to a piling
clove hitch - a temporary knot to perhaps let a line dry while hanging
sheep bend - attach two lines of dissimilar diameters
cleat hitch - tie up the boat on a dock, generally to secure a line to a
cleat
reefing or square knot - secure a reefed sail from flapping excessively,
attach two lines of the same diameter
rolling hitch - relieve the strain from a line, so you can clear an override

There are others, but these are the ones I use regularly.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"RogueIT" wrote in message
oups.com...
So I can tie a bowline and a figure 8 but I am not sure what their
primary
uses are on a boat.

1. can anyone tell me what they are used for?
2. what other knots should I know and why are these knots used?

Thanks,
Scott

sheet bend

I won't ask what you do with sheep.

"Capt. JG" wrote
lines together, but you can also use a sheep bend for that (which is sort
of like a bowline, but with two different lines).

Please don't. I typically eat them. :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"x" wrote in message ...
sheet bend

I won't ask what you do with sheep.

"Capt. JG" wrote
lines together, but you can also use a sheep bend for that (which is sort
of like a bowline, but with two different lines).

RogueIT wrote:

So I can tie a bowline and a figure 8 but I am not sure what their
primary
uses are on a boat.

1. can anyone tell me what they are used for?

A bowline is a loop. A gazillion and one uses! The reason to
use a bowline instead of any other knot is that the bowline
is very secure and yet can always be easily UN-tied no
matter great a strain is placed on it.

The figure-8 also has the feature of being easily untied,
although it will occasionally jam if placed under heavy
strain. It is mainly used to prevent the ends of lines from
being lost (running all the way out) thru some piece of
hardware such as a pulley, fairlead, stopper, etc etc. It
will also prevent fraying of lines.

2. what other knots should I know and why are these knots used?


I like the clove hitch, used for securing dock lines to
pilings, tying or lashing down almost anything, sistering
two spars or beams, etc etc. With the addition of a third
hitch it becomes very secure.

Another useful set of knots is the bowline or hitch tied in
the bight of the line. SOmetimes it is very awkward passing
the end of a line around & arund, sometimes the end is not
available.

This is a pretty good web site somebody passed on to me not
long ago.
http://www.animatedknots.com/

Here's another with a lot of variations on teh same knot...
their constrictor hitch for example is also called a
truckers hitch and was taught to me as a tent line hitch...
sometimes useful on a boat. The Lightermans Hitch is another
very good one of docklines, and also can be done with the
bight of the line.
http://www.scoutxing.com/knots/knots_index.htm

Skill with ropes is the mark of a good sailor. Tying a
bowline with one hand is a cool parlor trick, but it's
better if you can tie one with one hand in the dark while
the line is under strain and you are being pitched under
water every few seonds.

And you'd be amazed at how many people think they are tying
a bowline when they're really not.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

RogueIT wrote:
So I can tie a bowline and a figure 8 but I am not sure what their
primary
uses are on a boat.

1. can anyone tell me what they are used for?
2. what other knots should I know and why are these knots used?

As others have stated, a figure 8 is a stopper knot, it keeps a line
from accidently running through a fitting. A bowline is a fixed size
loop at the end of a line that has many uses.

Note that strictly speaking a "knot" is a line tied to itself. A "bend"
is a line tied to another line. A "hitch" is a line tied to an object.

You should learn at least one good bend and one good hitch. "two half
hitches" is a very good hitch. When a cleat is available, use the cleat
hitch. There are many others hitches, but these two will suffice for
most purposes.

Probably the most common and easiest bend to learn is the sheet bend
(not the sheep bend, as someone called it). Do NOT ever use a square
knot (or reef knot for the Brits) to tie two lines together if it's at
all important that they stay tied. It's called a "knot" rather than a
"bend" for a reason - it's great for it's intended purpose (reefing
sails) but useless or dangerous as a bend.

The bowline makes for a passable hitch, although the loop can catch
things it's not supposed to which makes it unsuitable for some
situations. The bowline also makes a passable bend by tieing the loop
of one around the other. Again, you have two loops that can catch
things, making it less than ideal, but it's definitely better than a
square knot for tieing two lines together. The bowline has many uses,
which is I guess why it doesn't get the qualifier knot-bend-hitch.

So a good set of basics for the sailor's toolkit is:

Figure 8 for a stopper knot
Two half hitches to tie lines to objects
Cleat hitch to tie a line to a horn cleat
Sheet bend to tie two lines together.
Reef knot to reef sails.
Bowline for multi purposes

Those six will go a long way. You'll pick up other specialty knots
along the way, but learn these six first.

//Walt

And, it's a sheet bend, not a sheep bend. :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Walt" wrote in message
...
RogueIT wrote:
So I can tie a bowline and a figure 8 but I am not sure what their
primary
uses are on a boat.

1. can anyone tell me what they are used for?
2. what other knots should I know and why are these knots used?

As others have stated, a figure 8 is a stopper knot, it keeps a line from
accidently running through a fitting. A bowline is a fixed size loop at
the end of a line that has many uses.

Note that strictly speaking a "knot" is a line tied to itself. A "bend"
is a line tied to another line. A "hitch" is a line tied to an object.

You should learn at least one good bend and one good hitch. "two half
hitches" is a very good hitch. When a cleat is available, use the cleat
hitch. There are many others hitches, but these two will suffice for most
purposes.

Probably the most common and easiest bend to learn is the sheet bend (not
the sheep bend, as someone called it). Do NOT ever use a square knot (or
reef knot for the Brits) to tie two lines together if it's at all
important that they stay tied. It's called a "knot" rather than a "bend"
for a reason - it's great for it's intended purpose (reefing sails) but
useless or dangerous as a bend.

The bowline makes for a passable hitch, although the loop can catch things
it's not supposed to which makes it unsuitable for some situations. The
bowline also makes a passable bend by tieing the loop of one around the
other. Again, you have two loops that can catch things, making it less
than ideal, but it's definitely better than a square knot for tieing two
lines together. The bowline has many uses, which is I guess why it
doesn't get the qualifier knot-bend-hitch.

So a good set of basics for the sailor's toolkit is:

Figure 8 for a stopper knot
Two half hitches to tie lines to objects
Cleat hitch to tie a line to a horn cleat
Sheet bend to tie two lines together.
Reef knot to reef sails.
Bowline for multi purposes

Those six will go a long way. You'll pick up other specialty knots along
the way, but learn these six first.

//Walt