Boating Skills & Seamanship Lesson 11 Lines & Knots for Your Boat Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc

Lesson Objectives Materials used in making rope Use, selection and care How to store rope About rope/line hardware Useful knots How to secure the boat’s line

Marlinspike Seamanship Art of handling & working all kinds of fiber, synthetic & wire rope Includes Knotting, splicing, worming, parceling, serving & fancy work What to a landlubber is - ROPE To a seaman is - LINE

Type of Line Natural Manila, Sisal Shrink when wet and rot when dry Weaker size for size than synthetics

Type of Line (cont’d) Synthetics Nylon Strongest size for size of synthetic Stretches most, resists chafing Does not shrink when wet Good for dock lines, towing and anchoring

Line Natural fiber Synthetic Wire Rope Manila, Sisal, Hemp, Jute, Cotton, Flax Synthetic Nylon, Polyester (Dacron), Polypropylene Wire Rope Steel strands

Natural Fiber Line Best is Manila Sisal is cheaper, but inferior Has strength, durability & minimal stretch Sisal is cheaper, but inferior Disadvantages Shrink when wet Rot if stowed wet Size for size, weaker than synthetic

Synthetic Line General - good wet/dry strength, resists water, mildew & rot Nylon - strongest, resists chafe, has most stretch, good for anchor and mooring

Synthetic Line (cont’d) Polyester - costs more than nylon, easier & smoother to handle, use anytime, no stretch Polypropylene - floats, costs less, deteriorates in sunlight, hard, slips on cleats, cuts

Manufacture of Line Laid Braided Right laid Left laid Single braided Double braided

Kinds of Rope Braid Twist

Composition of Right Laid Line fibers yams strands rope

Double Braided Line core

Wire Rope Maximum STRENGTH Minimum STRETCH Used mostly on sailboats for standing and running rigging Used on davits

Yachting Ropes WEIGHT AND STRENGTH COMPARISON SIZE Diameter 1/4” 3/8” 1/2” 5/8” 3/4” 7/8” 1” 1-1/8” (lbs) weight Per 100ft 1.7 3.5 6.6 10.5 15.0 20.5 27.0 34.5 Breaking Strength 1,750 3,200 6,600 10,200 13,500 18,500 24,000 32,000 Weight 2.2 4.5 7.6 12.4 19.3 23.5 31.3 40.4 1,300 2,850 4,900 7,800 10,780 14,000 17,500 23,500 Per 100 ft. 2.0 4.0 6.1 13.1 16.3 22.0 26.5 35.2 600 1,350 2,650 4,400 5,400 7,700 9,000 12,000 WEIGHT AND STRENGTH COMPARISON NYLON DACRON MANILA SIZE

“Ends” of Line Ends need to be protected from fraying & unlaying Ends can be Whipped with thread/small stuff Taped with waterproof tape Dipped in plastic liquid Melted with heat/flame

Temporary Whipped start finish Pull & cut

Making Up Lines Faking Flemishing Coiling Laying out line in figure eights so it is free to run without tangles Flemishing Neat, ornamental way to store line on deck Coiling Proper way to put line away in a locker or compartment Coiling Faking Flemishing

Losing Strength in Rope 100 76 70-65 60 55 45 95-90 87 85 splices knots No knots or splices Anchor or Fisherman’s bend Timber hitch Round turn Two Half-hitches Bowline Clove hitch Sheet bend or Weaver’s knot Square or Reef knot Eye splice Long splice Short splice

Parts of a Line Overhand Loop Working End Underhand Loop Standing Part Bitter End

Round Turn

Basic Mariner’s Knots & Bends Figure 8 Square Knot Clove Hitch Sheet of Becket Bend Anchor Bend Timber Hitch Bowline Half Hitches Rolling Hitch

Figure 8 The Stopper Knot It can be untied after being jammed Used on all lines on sailboat except spinnaker sheets

Square Knot Reef Knot - Alternate name To tie Used to secure reefed sail to boom Fasten two lines of equal size Difficult to untie if jammed To tie Right over left, then Left over right

Clove Hitch Used to tie line to piling Knot will jam under load Difficult to untie if load cannot be relieved

Sheet Bend Becket Bend - alternate name Ties two unequal sized lines together Easy to untie after heavy strain

Two Half Hitches Used to tie a line to a Ring, Piling, Post or Grommet Easier to untie under tension and more permanent than a clove hitch

Round Turn with 2 Half Hitches To tie a line permanently to a piling

Anchor or Fisherman’s Bend

The Bowline To make a temporary loop The rabbit comes up through the hole Around the tree Then back down into the hole

The Bowline The King of Knots Easy to untie Tie Jib sheets to Clew of Jib Tie lines to fittings Tie lines of equal or unequal size together Tie a rode to an anchor

Bowline

Timber Hitch

Rolling Hitch Around again, cross over first turn passing between the first turn and the standing part of its own line Tie a half hitch Around once

Cleats and Chocks

Mooring Cleat

Belaying to a Cleat

Jam Cleat Working End Standing Part

Lark’s Head

Cam Cleat

Chock Used to protect boat and line

Securing Cleats Use “through bolts” and backing block Deck

Securing Lines Bow Bitts Samson Post

Dipping the Eye Other boat’s eye on piling Your eye can be removed or put on without disturbing the other boat’s line

Turnbuckle

Blocks On a vessel, pulleys are called blocks Shell shackle Pin shackle Outer Strap Inner Strap Sheaves Thimble Becket Cheek

Double Sheave Block

Thimble

Special Lines Lead Line Measures Depth of Water Weighted with a lead weight (Hollow end for bottom sample)

Dock Lines Stern line Bow line Breast line Spring line

Dock Lines Spring line Bow/Stern lines

Fenders

Summary Natural fiber vs. Synthetic line Laid vs. Braided line Coiling, Faking, Flemishing Knots, Bends, Hitches Splices Securing lines Dipping the Line