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

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. 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

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

7. 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

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

9. 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

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

11. Kinds of Rope
Braid
Twist

12. Composition of Right Laid Line
fibers
yams
strands
rope

13. Double Braided Line
core

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

15. 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

16. “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

17. Temporary Whipped
start
finish
Pull & cut

18. 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

19. 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

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

21. Round Turn

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

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

24. 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

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

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

27. 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

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

29. Anchor or Fisherman’s Bend

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

31. 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

32. Bowline

33. Timber Hitch

34. 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

35. Cleats and Chocks

36. Mooring Cleat

37. Belaying to a Cleat

38. Jam Cleat
Working End
Standing Part

39. Lark’s Head

40. Cam Cleat

41. Chock
Used to protect boat and line

42. Securing Cleats Use “through bolts” and backing block Deck

43. Securing Lines
Bow Bitts
Samson Post

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

45. Turnbuckle

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

47. Double Sheave Block

48. Thimble

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

50. Dock Lines
Stern line
Bow line
Breast line
Spring line

51. Dock Lines
Spring line
Bow/Stern lines

52. Fenders

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