Sailing Club
Basic Knots
On a boat, a rope is never called a rope. It's called a line. But if it's used with the anchor, it's called a rode. If it's used to raise sails, it's a halyard. If it's used to trim sails, it's a sheet — a mainsheet for the mainsail and a jibsheet for the jib.
However, the basic knots below will serve for many situations. A bowline makes a loop that will not slip (use it, for example, to attach a sheet to a sail). A figure-eight stopper knot keeps the end of a line, such as a jibsheet, from slipping through a block. A round turn and two half-hitches serve as a fastening-for example, at a dock. A cleat knot makes the line fast.
CLEAT HITCH |
SQUARE KNOT |
FIGURE-8 KNOT |
HALF HITCH |
CLOVE HITCH |
HITCHES |
BOWLINE |
BOWLINE |