Boating Knots

Choose a knot below, or scroll down for more information:

Alpine Butterfly Bend - Reliable bend used to join two ropes

Reliable bend used to join two ropes of roughly similar size.

Alpine Butterfly Loop - Secure loop in middle of a rope

Secure loop in the middle of a length of rope.

Anchor Hitch - attaches an anchor line to an anchor

Excellent knot to attach an anchor line to an anchor.

Ashley Stopper Knot - bulky stopper knot

Makes reliable bulky stopper knot in the end of a rope.

Bowline Knot - secure loop in the end of a piece of rope

Reasonably secure loop in a rope's end - and easy to undo.

Bowline on a Bight Knot - double loop in middle of a rope

Bowline relative, but a double loop in the middle of a rope.

Buntline Hitch - used to join buntlines to square sails

Secure hitch originally used to join buntlines to square sails.

Secure rope join, readily untied even after a heavy load.

Chain Splice - attaches rope to anchor chain

Securely attaches three-strand rope to anchor chain

Cleat Hitch - Attaches dock line or mooring line to cleat

Attaches rope to cleat. Often used for Dock Lines.

Cleat Hitch - Halyard - used for halyards and clotheslines

Attaches rope to cleat - used for halyards, clotheslines, etc.

Clove Hitch - Rope End Method - used for stage scenery or mooring buoy

Temporary hold, e.g., stage scenery or mooring buoy

Constrictor Knot - Twist Method - quick temporary whipping for a fraying rope's end

Tie the Constrictor knot using the twisting method.

Makes a reliable, moderately large, stopper knot.

EStar Stopper Knot - suitable for slippery rope

Stopper knot suitable for slippery rope like Dyneema

Secure loop in the end of 3 or 4-strand rope.

Non-binding, quick and convenient stopper knot.

Halyard Hitch - Join halyard to a shackle at top of a sail

Compact knot to join halyard to a shackle at top of a sail.

Heaving Line Knot - Weights end of a rope

Weights end of a rope to make it carry further when thrown.

Icicle Hitch - Loop Method - Boating and Sailing Knot

Very secure slide and grip knot that may grip on tapered pole.

Lighterman's Hitch - Secure a tow line to a bollard

Simple strong way to secure a tow line to a bollard

Midshipman's Hitch - Adjustable loop in the end of a rope

An adjustable loop tied using a Rolling Hitch

Pile Hitch - Attach a mooring line to a dock post

Easy attachment to a mooring pole or to make rope fence.

Takes a mooring line's load during transfer to the Bitts

Rolling Hitch Knot - Slide and grip knot

Popular slide and grip knot, may fail with modern ropes.

Round Turn and Two Half Hitches - Secure a rope to a post or ring

Excellent way of securing a rope to a post or ring.

Bowline encircles the standing end to create a noose.

Soft Shackle - Sailing and Boating Knots

Neat method of creating a soft shackle in hollow-braid rope.

Edward's Soft Shackle - Metal Shackle Alternative

Edwards style shackle made out of hollow-braid rope.

Stevedore Stopper Knot - Use when setting a tarp

Intermediate size stopper using one more turn than the figure 8.

Valuable knot usually used for securing loads or tarpaulins.

Joins two ropes and avoids the risk of jamming.

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Welcome to Boating Knots

These animated knots are primarily for boaters, but many are useful for anyone who uses rope and values safety.

Selection

The selection of knots is based on many years of sailing combined with feedback and advice from several helpful captains. The knots are arranged in alphabetical order.

Boating Knot Characteristics

Rope used in boating is durable and expensive and is often handling heavy loads, e.g., when berthing, mooring, towing another vessel, preparing for a storm, or managing sails. The emphasis, therefore, is on safety, reliability, and convenience. In contrast to the fishing knots, value is also placed on being able to use the rope repeatedly and untie each knot without difficulty.

Boating Knots

Standing End, Tail, and Bitter End

Bitts & Bitter End

In many knots there is Standing End - which takes the strain, and a Tail - the loose end in your hand. On large ships a shore line is initially tightened with a winch. The tail is then properly called a Bitter End as it is transferred to the Bitts. To do this, a second rope is tied to the shore line with a Rat-Tailed Stopper or a Rolling Hitch to take the strain temporarily.

Mooring Lines and Names

Mooring lines on large ships are nearly always made of a high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) such as Vectran^® or Dyneema^®. These ropes float and their minimal elasticity reduces risk of injury due to "snap-back" in the event of a breakage. Each line serves a specific purpose. On large vessels two lines often run in parallel ("doubled up") for safety. The following diagram shows a typical arrangement:

Large Vessel Mooring Lines

A. Head Line
B. Head Line
C. Forward Breast Line
D. Forward Spring
E. Aft Spring
F. Aft Breast Line
G. Stern Line
H. Stern Line

On yachts mooring lines are more likely to be made of nylon, or polyester (Dacron^® or Terylene^®). By contrast with mooring a large vessel, distances are usually small and movements due to waves and tide are proportionately greater. Moreover, because far fewer lines are used, it is critical to understand their purpose:

Breast Lines prevent rotation and should run roughly at 90^o to the dock. To gain length, they should be led from the farthest part of the boat: the bow itself (or the outer hull of a catamaran) and from the far quarter of the stern.

Spring Lines prevent fore and aft movement and should run nearly parallel to the dock and may cross each other to obtain an optimal lie.

Direction: The Bow Spring may be led forwards and the Stern Spring aft, but MUST lead in opposite directions.

Yacht Mooring Lines

1. Bow Breast Line
2. Bow Spring Line
3. Stern Spring Line
4. Stern Breast Line

Doubling-Up and Sharing a Bollard

When two lines run to the same Bollard, especially when they are from different ships, the second line should be threaded up through the eye-splice of the first. This is called Dipping the Loop and allows either line to be released with out tangling.