OVERHAND KNOT

To prevent accidental unreeving of rope from a block

Figure Eight Knot

Used as a stopper knot and employed in many forms, especially at sea, it can
regularly be found in the lifelines of ships’ lifeboats and in the keel grablines of
boats’ rigging

Reef Knot

This is basically a flat knot, ideal for securing bandages over a wound when
tending injured personnel;

Sheepshank

The sheepshank is used generally for shortening a rope without cutting its
length. It is often used in keel grablines under ships’ lifeboats,
Bowline

If is by far the best way of making a temporary eye in the end of a rope, whether
it be point line or mooring rope size. It will not slip even when wet, it will not
jam, and it will come adrift easily when no longer required.

Bowline on the Bight

It forms a temporary bosun’s chair for lifting or lowering an injured person. It

may be necessary to protect the person from rope burn or pressure by padding
under the seat and armpits.

Bowline – Running

A slip knot is made by dipping the bight of rope around the standing part and
securing an ordinary bowline on to its own part, so forming a running noose.
Sheetbend – Single

This hitch is commonly used to join two ropes of unequal thickness.

Sheetbend – Double

It is used when securing a bosun’s chair to a gantline

Carrick Bend – Single

used for bending two hawsers around a capstan,

Carrick Bend – Double

It is used where additional weight could be expected to bear, as in towing
operations. The advantage of this bend over a sheetbend is that it will easily
come adrift when no longer required, whereas the sheetbend may jam and have
to be cut away.

Clove Hitch

it consists of two half hitches jamming against each other.

Cow Hitch

This hitch is used to form the ‘bale hitch’when employing a bale sling strop. It
is, however, more commonly used to hold a wire rope when constructing a
chain stopper

Fisherman’s Bend

This is used for securing a hawser to the ring of a buoy.

Rolling Hitch
The rolling hitch is one of the most useful hitches employed at sea. Providing it
is properly secured and the weight is against the double bight turn, the hitch
should not slip.

Round Turn and Two Half Hitches

This all-purpose hitch is used to secure a rope or hawser to a ring or spar.

Marline Spike Hitch

An easily constructed hitch much used by riggers to gain more leverage when
gripping thin line or rope. It is useful when whipping or binding is required to
be drawn exceptional tight.

Midshipman’s Hitch

This hitch may be used instead of a Blackwall hitch, especially when the rope
being used is ‘greasy’. It is a quick method of securing a rope’s length to a hook
Timber Hitch

A slip knot, in common use at sea today, the timber hitch lends itself to gripping
a smooth surface like a spar or log.

WHIPPINGS
Common Whipping

It is formed by frapping round the rope end and burying the end of the twine.
Once sufficient turns have been taken, the pull through end of the twine is laid
back down the lay of the rope. Frapping turns are then continued, by using the
bight of the twine. Each frapping turn made with the bight is passed about the
end of the rope. When the turns have made a secure tail end finish, pull through
on the downhaul of the bight and trim

Sailmaker’s Whipping

A bight of twine is laid into the strands of the rope itself.These strands are then
relaid up to form the original lay of rope, the bight of twine being left long
enough to be secured by being placed about the end of the identified strand,
once the frapping turns have been constructed. Commence turning up the
frapping turns about the tail end of the rope, having left a good length on the
whipping twine. Follow the lay of the strands under the whipping and pass the
bight over the same strand .Draw the bight of twine tight and secure the other
two ends in way of the rope lay by use of a reef knot, squeezed into the centre
of the rope ends lay. The bight and long ends of the twine form a binding about
the frapping turns of the whipping.

West Country Whipping

This whipping is made in the bight of a rope and is used for marking the rope at
various intervals. Although it is easy enough to construct, it is not as popular as
the common whipping, which may be used for the same purpose.

CORDAGE SPLICE
Back Splice
Used to stop a rope end from unravelling, a back splice performs the same
function as a whipping, though it is considerably more bulky. It is formed by
opening up the strands of the rope to be spliced for a convenient length and then
making a crown knot.
The crown should be pulled down tight, and then the tails can be spliced into the
rope against the lay, each tail being passed over the adjacent strand and under
the next.The ‘first tuck’ is the term used to describe the ‘tucking’ of each tail
once in this manner.A minimum of three full tucks should be made in a natural
fibre rope.

Eye Splice

This is by far the most widely used splice within the marine industry.The eye is
made by unlaying the three strands and interweaving them into the rope against
the lay. It is considered a permanent eye when completed, and if spliced without
a thimble, then it is referred to as a soft eye splice (as opposed to a hard eye
splice with a metal thimble set inside the eye).Once the first tuck is made, the
normal method of passing each tail over the adjacent strand and under the next
is followed.

The first tuck is made with the centre tail being spliced first at the required size
of the eye, against the lay of the rope; the second tail must be spliced next, over
the immediate strand in the rope and under the following one, again against the
lay of the rope; and the third and final tail must be tucked on the underside of
the splice against the lay, so completing the first tuck. Each tuck in the splice
should be drawn tight, but care should be taken not to over-tighten the first tuck,
or else a ‘jaw’ may result at the join of the eye to the splice.
Short Splice

This is a strong method of joining two ropes together, found in the making of
‘bale sling stops’.The rope thickness is increased by putting in a short splice,
and so it is rarely seen in running rigging, as the splice would tend to foul the
block.
When making this splice, it may be necessary to whip the ends of the separate
strands, and place a temporary whipping at the point where the two rope ends
marry together.As more experience is gained in constructing this splice, one
may probably discard the temporary whipping, unless splicing heavy duty ropes
like mooring ropes.

Long Splice

The purpose of this splice is to join two rope ends together without increasing
the thickness of the rope. The splice is not as strong as a short splice and is
generally used as a temporary method of joining ropes together as they pass
through a block.