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This list is way too complicated. Simply know 5 knots and you are there. Bowline - used whenever you want to tie a rope to an object with a loop at the end of

This list is way too complicated. Simply know 5 knots and you are there. Bowline - used whenever you want to tie a rope to an object with a loop at the end of the line. Really strong knot, but you can't tie it under tension so you won't get a perfect length if you are trying to tie something down. If you don't know what to tie, this is probably it. Hitch - This is when you want to tie a rope around an object but the length matters or there is tension in the rope when you go to tie the knot. Useful in another 20% of situations. If you are tying something down I put a bowline on one side first since the length doesn't matter, and a hitch on the other since you will have tension in the line and want to tie it off with that tension in tact. Know how to put a loop in the middle of a line. You can use the loop as a way to get extra tension in your line. Figure eight stopper knot - whenever you need to keep a knot from going through something else. Not always obvious when it is useful. Know how to properly tie the end of one line to the end of another. If boating, also know how to tie a line to a cleat. I've been boating/sailing my entire life, rock climbing for a few years too. Never needed to know more than that. Better to know 6 knots perfectly so that in an emergency you can literally do them with your eyes closed or not looking, than to know 15 and try to find the perfect one for some specific situation.

JshWright 17y ago
I don't get the fixation with the bowline... it's harder to tie than a figure 8, and not as strong. Learn the figure-8 family (on a bight, follow-through, double loop, etc), and you'll know enough knots for almost any situation. On a bight it gives you a solid attachment point in the middle of a rope (tie a double loop if your life is gonna depend on it), Use a follow through around an object if you need to tie a hitch (also worth knowing a alternative like a clove hitch). A figure 8 bend is a _very_ secure way to attach two ropes together (again, also worth learning a simpler alternative like the becket bend). Once you've got the figure 8 mastered, pick up a couple more complex knot "systems" (trucker's hitch, tensionless hitch, etc). There are plenty of neat knots out there for specific situations, but for general purpose knot tying, nothing beats the figure 8 family. Obligatory "here's why I think I'm an expert" blurb: I've been climbing since I was 10, and am a New York State certified rope rescue technician.
- laut 17y ago
  Bowline is used for mooring boats. One of the characteristics is that it's easy to untie.
- krschultz 17y ago
  That is one of the differences between sailors and rock climbers. The "base" knot for sailors is generally the bowline and for climbers the figure 8. I think it has to do with priorities. In rock climbing your loads are pretty defined. So the ropes are sized appropriately and the knots are the weakness. You care about the strength of a knot, the stronger the knot the thinner the line you can carry. On a boat, that isn't really the priority. I have lines from 1/32" up to 2.5" on my boat. I don't really know the exact loads on anything and they are always changing. So all of the lines have a huge factor of safety, like 3-5x more than it needs. The strength of the knot matters little. But what does matter is speed. I can tie a bowline in under 2 seconds and figure 8 in under 2 seconds easily, if i'm using both hands. But if I'm using one hand, well it takes me a hell of a lot longer with the figure 8 than the bowline. There are a lot of situations where that might happen. For me it usually arises in emergencies. Am I laying on the deck reaching to tie a knot with one hand while holding on with the other? Or am I tieing a knot around a towing post while the line is starting to get taught? Am I holding onto a sail while trying to tie it off because a shackle broke? Those are the times that the ease of tieing and the speed of getting it done out weigh the benefits of the figure 8. They both have their place but doing both sports I think culturally thats why people know what knots they know.
billswift 17y ago
Hitch is a general term for a knot for attaching a rope to an object: I know of dozens of totally different hitches. Half-hitches, clove hitch, taut-line hitch, timber hitch; are all ones I can tie right off the top of my head with no review; and there are others I have forgotten details of like the camel hitch and pipe hitch. using the correct hitch is important; some slip in situations where another can hold well. Bowline is the only real loop making knot I use. Bends are for connecting two ropes: the most common is the square knot, and its variation with loops used for tying shoes, but the sheet bend is more generally useful since it can connect ropes of 2 different sizes, where square knots slip badly, and it is easier to untie; there are also more specialized bends that I have occasionally used. If you have been boating and rock climbing with your apparently limited knowledge, you have been lucky. Start with a few knots, then add to them as needed, it's not hard to learn dozens of very useful knots and hitches, as long as you don't try to do it all at once. Useful and ornamental ropework is a fascinating craft, which should appeal to hackers looking for something different to do, it can be both practical and good looking. The linked article mentions Ashley's Book of Knots which is a good reference, but Hervey Garrett Smith's "The Arts of the Sailor: Knotting, Splicing, and Ropework" has better descriptions for getting started and Graumont & Hensel's "Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Rope Work, 3rd ed" is the most complete reference.
- billswift 17y ago
  My bad, I named the wrong book by Smith. "The Arts of the Sailor" is okay, but I meant "Marlinspike Seamanship" as the best one for learning.

JshWright 17y ago

I don't get the fixation with the bowline... it's harder to tie than a figure 8, and not as strong. Learn the figure-8 family (on a bight, follow-through, double loop, etc), and you'll know enough knots for almost any situation. On a bight it gives you a solid attachment point in the middle of a rope (tie a double loop if your life is gonna depend on it), Use a follow through around an object if you need to tie a hitch (also worth knowing a alternative like a clove hitch). A figure 8 bend is a _very_ secure way to attach two ropes together (again, also worth learning a simpler alternative like the becket bend). Once you've got the figure 8 mastered, pick up a couple more complex knot "systems" (trucker's hitch, tensionless hitch, etc). There are plenty of neat knots out there for specific situations, but for general purpose knot tying, nothing beats the figure 8 family. Obligatory "here's why I think I'm an expert" blurb: I've been climbing since I was 10, and am a New York State certified rope rescue technician.

laut 17y ago
Bowline is used for mooring boats. One of the characteristics is that it's easy to untie.
krschultz 17y ago
That is one of the differences between sailors and rock climbers. The "base" knot for sailors is generally the bowline and for climbers the figure 8. I think it has to do with priorities. In rock climbing your loads are pretty defined. So the ropes are sized appropriately and the knots are the weakness. You care about the strength of a knot, the stronger the knot the thinner the line you can carry. On a boat, that isn't really the priority. I have lines from 1/32" up to 2.5" on my boat. I don't really know the exact loads on anything and they are always changing. So all of the lines have a huge factor of safety, like 3-5x more than it needs. The strength of the knot matters little. But what does matter is speed. I can tie a bowline in under 2 seconds and figure 8 in under 2 seconds easily, if i'm using both hands. But if I'm using one hand, well it takes me a hell of a lot longer with the figure 8 than the bowline. There are a lot of situations where that might happen. For me it usually arises in emergencies. Am I laying on the deck reaching to tie a knot with one hand while holding on with the other? Or am I tieing a knot around a towing post while the line is starting to get taught? Am I holding onto a sail while trying to tie it off because a shackle broke? Those are the times that the ease of tieing and the speed of getting it done out weigh the benefits of the figure 8. They both have their place but doing both sports I think culturally thats why people know what knots they know.

billswift 17y ago

Hitch is a general term for a knot for attaching a rope to an object: I know of dozens of totally different hitches. Half-hitches, clove hitch, taut-line hitch, timber hitch; are all ones I can tie right off the top of my head with no review; and there are others I have forgotten details of like the camel hitch and pipe hitch. using the correct hitch is important; some slip in situations where another can hold well. Bowline is the only real loop making knot I use. Bends are for connecting two ropes: the most common is the square knot, and its variation with loops used for tying shoes, but the sheet bend is more generally useful since it can connect ropes of 2 different sizes, where square knots slip badly, and it is easier to untie; there are also more specialized bends that I have occasionally used. If you have been boating and rock climbing with your apparently limited knowledge, you have been lucky. Start with a few knots, then add to them as needed, it's not hard to learn dozens of very useful knots and hitches, as long as you don't try to do it all at once. Useful and ornamental ropework is a fascinating craft, which should appeal to hackers looking for something different to do, it can be both practical and good looking. The linked article mentions Ashley's Book of Knots which is a good reference, but Hervey Garrett Smith's "The Arts of the Sailor: Knotting, Splicing, and Ropework" has better descriptions for getting started and Graumont & Hensel's "Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Rope Work, 3rd ed" is the most complete reference.

billswift 17y ago
My bad, I named the wrong book by Smith. "The Arts of the Sailor" is okay, but I meant "Marlinspike Seamanship" as the best one for learning.