I went on a 2-year sailing trip with a friend. I'd never been aboard a boat up until the month we left, but before I left I spent a long time cramming myself wi

I went on a 2-year sailing trip with a friend. I'd never been aboard a boat up until the month we left, but before I left I spent a long time cramming myself with information. One was the knots, of course, and I learnt dozens of combinations and knew the pro's and con's of each knot, their breaking points, what to use with wet ropes, etc. Over the 2 year sailing trip, of the dozens I learnt, I used 5 in total: - The bowline - One hitch (round turn and two halfs) - Two bends (fishermans, figure of eight) - One stopper (figure of eight) Now back on land, I still use these 5 frequently, and the bowline daily. In a jam, you can use the bowline to do anything (even two of them to bend 2 ropes). It doesn't jam, is fine when wet, is ~60% as strong as the rope itself, and you can trust it with your life.