Sailing Knots
There are 2 main Laser sailing knots used:
- the bowline knot, and
- the figure 8 knot.
As with most knots, once you know how to tie them, they are pretty easy.
So make sure that you practice these at home, so that you are confident that they are correct before you head down to the water to rig up.
The bowline knot
The Bowline knot
The bowline knot is a favorite amongst many sailors and is very commonly used. It is used to tie a loop (eg. attached a sheet rope to the clew of a sail), is quick and easy to tie, doesn’t come undone under load, and is easy to undo.
Some use a saying “the rabbit comes out of the hole, runs around the tree and back down the hole again” to remember how to tie it.
Check out the video below to see how it’s done…
The figure 8 knot
The Figure 8 knot
The figure 8 knot is very quick and easy to tie & undo, and is commonly used to stop ropes from running through blocks and pulleys.
Make sure that you watch this quick video to show you how easy it is…
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Other sailing knots
Other common sailing knots used include the following –
The Half-hitch knot
The Half-hitch knot
The half-hitch is not that useful by itself, but when doubled up to form 2 half-hitches, it can handle quite heavy loads.
The Clove-hitch knot
The Clove-hitch knot
The clove hitch is a commonly used and important knot, but use it with caution as it can slip or come undone without some form of locking to make it more secure (eg. finished off with a half-hitch).
