The New Encyclopedia of Knots E-Book

Derek Avery

• Herausgeber: G2 Rights
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 142

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

A new reference book that includes knots, turns, bends and hitches together with decorative knots, plaits, sennits and mats.

Das E-Book The New Encyclopedia of Knots wird angeboten von G2 Rights und wurde mit folgenden Begriffen kategorisiert:
hitches, rope, knots

Leseprobe

The New

Encyclopedia

of

KNOTS

First published in Great Britain by

Brockhampton Press

a member of

the Hodder Headline Group

20 Bloomsbury Street

London WC1B 3QA

This edition copyright

G2 Rights

Text copyright © 1997 Derek Avery

Illustrations drawn by Andrew Wright

copyright © Superlaunch Ltd

Derek Avery

has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of all the copyright holders.

ISBN:978-1-78281-118-3

Reprint 2014

Author’s note

There are strict regulations governing the use of wire eye splices in industry, and although certain knots are considered adequate for normal usage, you should always refer to the regulations in force at the time.

Never hold fish hooks in your bare hands; always use pliers to hold them firmly. Similarly, always be careful to wear heavy gloves or to wrap your hands in rags before pulling on thin monofilament lines or twine. This both avoids cutting your flesh and helps to give a better grip on the line.

The descriptions of the methods for tying all of the knots included here assume right-handedness, as individuals vary so much in their degree of ambidexterity.

Where a knot has been illustrated, it has been given a number working numerically from the beginning of the book. When more than one step has been illustrated in making a knot, the illustration number has been suffixed; thus the second step under the entry for binder turn is figure 11.2.

A

Admiralty eye splice: a wire splice generally considered adequate for normal industrial usage, the main feature of which is that after the first tuck, all strands are tucked away in an ‘over one, under one’ sequence, against the lay of the standing part.

figure 1

There are also various ways of completing the first full tuck, the most common of which is in the strand order of 1–6–2–3–5–4.

First establish the size of the eye and apply a seizing accordingly. Then unlay the strands to the required length, ensuring that they are in the correct order. The illustration (figure 1) shows the relative positions of the tucking strands to the standing part. The heart is always associated with strand 1, which is the first to be tucked and which is worked from left to right, over one and under one, with the standing part to the right. A marline spike or hollow splicing tool is used to separate the strands for tucking. After strand 1 has been tucked and hauled tight the heart can be cut out. Strand 6 is then tucked, also from left to right and also in an over one, under one sequence, and hauled tight. Strand 2 is worked from right to left, going around the same strand of the standing part as strand 6, but as it is progressing in the opposite direction it provides a locking turn when the strand is hauled tight. Strand 3 is worked from right to left, as is the next strand (5), but this strand breaks the established over and under sequence by being tucked under two strands initially. The final strand, 4, follows the previous strand (5) but reverts to the sequence of over one and under one, emerging between the two strands of the standing part that strand 5 had been tucked under. This completes the first tuck, and you can now continue, with all strands tucked over one and under one against the lay. Five full tucks are usual, and each strand should be hammered down with a mallet after each tuck.

Anchor bend seebucket hitch.

Anchoring seebelaying to a mooring bollard or samson post.

B

figure 2

Back splice: a splice used to prevent the end of a rope from unlaying. It starts with a crown knot (page 57), after which each strand is tucked three times back down the standing part (figure 2).

figure 3

Backwall hitch: a simple, quick and efficient method for attaching the tail of a rope to a hook. It relies upon a constant strain being maintained, but it will slip unless the knot is held in position while the strain is taken up (figure 3).

Bare end seebitter end.

Bargee’s eye splice: perhaps this is the simplest of splices, providing a rough and ready yet quite effective eye (figure 4.1), with the end of the rope tucked once through a single strand of the standing part (figure 4.2).

Barrel knot seeblood knot.

Becket bend seesheet bend.

Belaying: the method by which ropes are made fast on board ship and from ship to shore, by winding the rope under load in a figure-of-eight pattern around a fixture.

Belaying a rope with a cleat, or cleating, requires three or four cross turns of the rope, which passes under the horns of the cleat, crosses above the cleat (figures 5.1 and 5.2) and finishes with a half hitch (figure 5.3). This prevents the turns from falling off as the result of the boat’s motion. It is important that no load is applied to the half hitch, as this could result in jamming, making untying difficult. The half hitch is applied to the upper horn of the cleat, if the cleat is vertical.

figure 4.1

figure 4.2

figure 5.1

figure 5.2

Belaying a rope to a belaying pin is carried out in much the same way as when cleating. Make a start to the right of the pin with a full round turn taken clockwise around the pin; turns should always be taken in the same direction as that in which the rope is coiled. This prevents the strands from being forced open, and the rope will kink less. This does not apply to braided rope, which can be coiled or belayed in either direction without kinking. As in cleating, the cross turns on the belaying pin bear the load on the rope, and again a half hitch is added to keep the turns in place (figure 6).

figure 5.3

figure 6

Belaying to a mooring bollard or samson post secures a ship to shore. Take a series of turns around the post, and pass a bight of rope under the (loadbearing) standing part and then drop it over the turns on the post (figure 7). You can take the end around the post again, and pass another bight under the standing part to drop it over the post. You can repeat the process again, but on no account should you take a turn around the post with the standing part.

figure 7

A bollard with a pair of horizontal arms is known as a staghorn, and you can make fast a mooring line to a staghorn by taking the line around the bollard, up over one arm (figure 8.1), down, and back across the same side of the bollard and up over the other arm, returning across the same side of the bollard again in a figure-of-eight pattern (figure 8.2), repeating the sequence until the line is secure. This method, which is sometimes called anchoring, permits the line to be cast off even while it is under load.

figure 8.1

figure 8.2

Bend: a knot which ties together the ends of two free ropes, or the action of knotting two ropes together; one rope is said to be ‘bent to’ another; see also buntline fisherman’s bend, carrick bend, double carrick bend, double sheet bend, heaving line bend, hunter’s bend, sheet bend; for fisherman’s bend, see bucket hitch.

Bight: the slack part of a rope, formed between either end and the standing part, which is not entirely straight (figure 9); any loop or curvature, to the maximum of a full circle. Any point within the curve is said to be ‘in the bight’. If a knot is tied ‘on the bight’, the rope ends are not required for the tying process.

figure 9

figure 10.1

Bimini twist, twenty times around knot or double line loop: an angler’s knot, that when tied in nylon monofilament or braided line is claimed to be 100% efficient, or as strong as the unknotted line. It is commonly used by anglers as the basis for most of their knot systems.

figure 10.2

figure 10.3

Form a large bight, perhaps as much as a metre (yard) long, and hold the standing part and the end in your right hand, while placing your other hand within the bight to twist the end around the standing part twenty times. You should then lay the bight on the ground, and stand with your feet on the line (figure 10.1). Meanwhile, transfer the standing part only to your now-free left hand; the working end remains in your right hand.

Move your feet slightly apart to enlarge the loop and force the twists in the standing part and the working end to tighten. Meanwhile pull the standing part and the working end firmly, keeping your hands apart and at an angle of 45 degrees above the last twist in the line. Resist the tendency to lower your hands.

This angle forces the twists tightly together, so that the working end which you are holding in your right hand can now be lowered, almost to form a right-angle with the twists (figure 10.2). If you slacken the tension just a little on the standing part, this will enable it to jump back over the first twist. Now move your feet slowly farther apart, so that the tension created will force the line to roll down over the twists in parallel coils as you feed the standing part slowly into the twists so that they lie evenly and parallel to each other. When this layer of riding turns is complete, finish off with a half hitch around a single part of the bight and then a second half hitch around both parts (figure 10.3).

Binder turn: a less well-known variation of the sheet bend, with similar applications. It is a very useful knot for joining two ropes of different thicknesses, when the larger rope should provide the bight and the smaller rope provides the bends or turns. It has the added advantage that one of the standing parts and the two tails lie together on the same side, which make it a suitable knot for working close to a block.

figure 11.1

figure 11.2

Make a bight in one end of the rope and weave the second rope up through the bight from the back. Continue around the back of the bight (figure 11.1), around the front and up between the standing part of the first rope and its own first loop (figure 11.2). When you pull the knot tight, the two tails lie together with the standing part of the first rope.

Bitter end, bare end or tag end : the end of the rope with which you are working (figure 12); see also tail.

Blood bight: a loop knot favoured by anglers, which is no more than a simple stopper knot tied on the bight and therefore very easy to tie. Double the end of the line, holding the standing part and the end in your left hand. Form a loop, by bringing the end of this bight back, around and over itself, and hold this between the thumb and forefinger of your left hand, with the standing parts. Now take two twists in the loop, clockwise, to produce a 360 degree turn. This can be done most easily by placing your right forefinger down into the head of the loop to keep it taut, and winding your finger in an imaginary circle. Complete the knot by bringing the end of the bight from your left hand up through the eye of the loop and hauling it tight.

figure 12

Blood knot or barrel knot: a group of knots used by anglers, all of which have a large number of wrapping turns to provide a relatively high breaking strength. The blood knot is suitable for connecting lines of different sizes, although if the sizes vary greatly the improved blood knot (seepage 98) should be used.

Take the two lines from opposing sides and cross them to form an X. Squeeze the point where they cross between your forefinger and thumb, and with the other hand make up to five turns with the working end of the line, that extends on that hand’s side, around the standing part of the other line (figure 13.1 shows two turns). Then take the working end back towards the point of the cross and insert it on the other side of the X between the other working end and the standing part. These turns are repeated with the other working end which is then inserted through the same opening (figure 13.2). It is important that both ends are passed through the same opening, and that one travels from top to bottom and the other from bottom to top. The knot is then pulled tight by holding a standing part in each hand and tightening it by jerking it, which helps the turns to seat correctly (figure 13.3). For very low poundage line, pull steadily instead of jerking.

figure 13.1

figure 13.2

figure 13.3

Bowline: one of the most useful shipboard knots, used to form a standing loop in the end of a line. The bowline is easy to tie and produces a strong, non-slip knot.

One way of tying this knot is first to form a bight and then thread the working end up through it (figure 14.1). Complete the knot by passing the end around behind the standing part and back down through the bight (figure 14.2), and then pulling it tight.

Alternatively, and more professionally, begin by holding the standing part of the line in your left hand and with the working end in your right hand lay it across the standing part to form a bight and hold it there firmly between your right forefinger and thumb. Now lift your left hand so that the bight starts to loop over the working end, meanwhile turning your right hand clockwise so that the working end turns down and inwards towards the bottom of the bight. Continue to turn the working end as the standing part loops over it and forms a second bight, so that the working end turns upwards to poke up through this second bight that you have formed (figure 14.1). Complete the knot as before.

figure 14.1

figure 14.2

figure 15.1

Bowline on a bight: forms two loops which do not slide, most parts of the knot being made in double rope. In its early stages it is formed like a bowline, except that a bight of rope is used.

Form a bight and use this doubled rope to follow the instructions for a bowline (seepage 21) up to figure 14.1. Now instead of taking the end of the bight around the standing part, pull enough of the bight through the top bight (figure 15.1), separate it so that you can pull it down over the two lower bights (figure 15.2) then take it up to the back of the knot to a position around the standing parts (figure 15.3) and pull it tight. You now have a strong loop in the middle of a line, although its ends were not available to you.

figure 15.2

figure 15.3

Bowline bend: a simple yet secure way of joining any two lines together, consisting of two interlocking bowlines.

Bowse down: to draw tight a line by means of a purchase.

Braided rope seeplaited rope.

Breaking strength: the estimated load, calculated by the manufacturers, that will cause a rope to part. This is not a safe working load (seepage 142), which takes into account other factors.

Relative breaking strengths of 12mm (0.5in) three-stranded laid ropes are as follows, when hemp is the norm:

manilla 93.5%hemp 100%polyethylene 144%polypropylene 193%polyester 219%polyamide 300%Kevlar (braided) 706.5%

see also knot strength, rope strength, safe working load and security.

Bucket hitch, anchor bend or fisherman’s bend: an ideal knot for making a lanyard fast to the handle of a bucket, and so this has become most popularly known as the bucket hitch; in addition, this knot is indeed a hitch rather than a bend. It is a variation of the round turn and two half hitches and is very strong, with excellent holding properties.

First take a round turn on the anchor ring or post to which you are affixing the rope, then pass the end around behind the standing part (figure 16.1) and tuck it under the round turn. You can then work this tight before taking a half hitch around the standing part (figure 16.2). When using this knot with an anchor, seize the working end to the standing part for security, or alternatively tie a bowline on the standing part with the working end.

figure 16.1

figure 16.2

We recommend an alternative finish when you are using a slippery rope, similar to that which can be used for a buntline fisherman’s bend (seepage 28figure 19.2), whereby after tying the standard bucket hitch you tuck back the working end into the lay of the standing part.

Bulldog grip: