If you knew exactly what was going on inside those splices, the know
wouldn't look so unreliable. It's all just friction. If you are
letting your halyards flog around enough that there is any risk of a
knot like that getting loose, you are doing something wrong.

The splice looks neater and more techie. It has a micro amount less
windage in a place that doesn't matter. Most important, it makes
twenty bucks for the marine store every time someone asks for one.
Then another twenty when they want to move the wear point or a whole
new halyard if the don't. Good deal for them.

If you ever have to go up the mast and snag a run away halyard with a
boathook, you'll be glad of that knot. The splice taper would have
jambed in the sheave while the weight of the knot and the clean stop
will let it come back easily.

I never heard of that knot but it's a great one and designed to be
used on that probably flogged and flapped around more than any others.

--

Roger Long