“WORK” HANDBOOKS

KNOTTING AND SPLICING ROPES AND CORDAGE

KNOTTING
AND SPLICING
ROPES AND CORDAGE
WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS AND DIAGRAMS
EDITED BY
PAUL N. HASLUCK
EDITOR OF “WORK” AND “BUILDING WORLD”
AUTHOR OF “HANDBOOKS FOR HANDICRAFTS,” ETC. ETC.
PHILADELPHIA
DAVID McKAY, Publisher
610, SOUTH WASHINGTON SQUARE
1907

PREFACE.

This Handbook contains, in a form convenient for everyday use, a comprehensive digest of the information on Knotting and Splicing Ropes and Cordage, scattered over more than twenty thousand columns of the journals it is my fortune to edit—and supplies concise information on the details of the subjects on which it treats.

Readers who may desire additional information respecting special details of the matters dealt with in this Handbook, or instructions on kindred subjects, should address a question to The Editor of WORK, La Belle Sauvage, London, E.C., so that it may be answered in the columns of that journal.

P. N. HASLUCK.

La Belle Sauvage, London.

CONTENTS.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

KNOTTING AND SPLICING ROPES AND CORDAGE.

CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION: ROPE FORMATION.

Knotting is an ancient device with which very early inhabitants of this earth must have been acquainted. From the beginning, mankind must always have used some kind of knot to join animal sinews, plant fibres, or hide strips which, in ancient days, were the prototypes of the varieties of cordage now employed.

A large number of knots has been invented by the skill of man, and on their strength and correct tying depend the lives of thousands and thousands of workmen—seamen, building trade operatives, etc., day by day. The importance of being able to make the knot best suited for the occasion both rapidly and correctly may come in a new light to some when it is pointed out that both lives and property have over and over again been sacrificed to ill-made knots; and this little volume is put forward in the belief that few things better repay the workman’s time and trouble in learning than the manipulation of ropes and cordage.

Cordage is used almost daily by everyone in some form or other, but comparatively few can handle it methodically. Men break their nails and teeth gnawing at their own knots endeavouring to untie them, and time and material are wasted. Time spent in learning a few of the simple bends and hitches, reliable under strain and easy to unbend when the strain is released, would never be regretted. It is not necessary for a landsman to learn all the numerous uses to which rope is put, but a knowledge of common “bends” is an inestimable convenience, if not a necessity.

The security of a knot ought not to be, as many seem to think, in the number of turns or hitches in its composition, but in the efficacy of the nip. A “bend” or “hitch” must be so formed that the part of rope under strain nips some portion of the knot, either against itself or the object to which it is attached; and in learning a bend, or impressing it upon one’s memory, it will be found most helpful to notice particularly the nip of each separate one as it is studied.

Rope, though usually of hemp, is made of other materials for certain purposes. Coir rope (cocoa-nut fibre), being light and buoyant, is useful for warps, rocket lines, life-buoy lines, and drift-nets. Manilla grass is adapted for reef points, yachts’ hawsers, and wherever tar would be injurious. Hide is required for wheel-ropes, or where great strength with pliability and small circumference is needed. Cotton is serviceable for fancy work, etc. The “yarns” are formed by twisting the hemp right-handed; the “strands,” by twisting or laying up the yarns left-handed; and the rope, by laying up the strands right-handed.

Three ropes laid up left-handed form what is known as a cable-laid rope; four-stranded ropes are laid round a heart. Ropes are sometimes laid left-handed, but if the strands are to be laid left-handed the yarns are laid right-handed. If the parts of hemp, etc., be twisted more than is necessary to hold them together, strength is lost. Upon following the course of a yarn in a rope it will be found that, by this alternate laying, it runs nearly straight with the direction of the rope’s length.

A three-stranded rope will bear a greater strain in comparison with its size than any other of the same material; cable-laid ropes and four-stranded ropes are, roughly speaking, about one-fifth weaker. Rope is measured by its circumference, and is laid up in lengths of 113 fathoms, sizes varying up to 28 in.; but it is not usually made up in coils when the size exceeds 5 in. Very small ropes are distinguished by their yarns rather than their size; thus sailors speak of nine-, twelve-, and eighteen-yarn stuff, which is commonly called “seizing stuff.”

If the fibres of which a rope is composed were laid parallel to one another and fastened at the two ends, the combined strength of these fibres would be utilised to the full; in other words, they lose strength by being twisted or “laid up.” But, on the other hand, the length of the fibres being at most but a few feet, their usefulness in this state is very limited, and the inconvenience of using them so is prohibitive. For this reason the fibres are first twisted into “yarns”; these, again, are laid up into “strands,” a strand being formed of several yarns; and, finally, three or more strands are formed into a rope. As twisting diminishes the strength of a rope, it is important that the yarns be carefully laid up, so as to bring an even strain on every part. It should not be laid up too hard—that is, it should only have sufficient twist in it to prevent the fibres from being drawn out without breaking.

“Hawser-laid” ropes are made of three strands laid right-handed, or “with the sun,” as it is termed. “Shroud-laid” are made of four strands laid right-handed. A “cable-laid” rope is made of three hawser-laid ropes laid up left-handed, and therefore contains nine strands. Obviously the size of a rope is regulated by the quantity of yarns composing the strands, and not by the number of strands that it contains.

With regard to the weight of ropes, it may be said that ropes of all kinds are usually measured by their circumference. The weight of clean, dry, hemp rope in pounds per fathom is one-fourth of the square of the circumference in inches; for example, a 3-in. hemp rope (about 1 in. in diameter) weighs ¼ × 32^2 = 2¼ lb. per fathom (6 ft.). A flat hemp rope, with a width of about four times the thickness, weighs in pounds per fathom about twice the square of the circumference in inches; for example, a 3-in. by ¾-in. flat hemp rope will weigh about 2 × 7 = 14 lb. per fathom.

Round wire ropes weigh in pounds per fathom seven-eighths of the square of the circumference in inches; for example, a 3-in. wire rope weighs about ⅞ × 3^2 = 7⅞ lb. per fathom. A flat wire rope weighs in pounds per fathom ten times the sectional area in square inches; for example, a flat wire rope, 3 in. by ¾ in. = say 2 sq. in. area, will weigh about 10 × 2 = 20 lb. per fathom.

The maximum safe load on a rope depends on many circumstances, such as quality, age and dryness of rope, nature of load, mode of lifting, etc. Approximately, the safe load on a new hemp rope in hundredweights with direct lift is three times the weight in pounds per fathom. On a sound old rope fall one-half the square of the circumference is sufficient load. A Bessemer steel wire rope will safely carry in hundredweights three times the square of its circumference in inches, and a crucible steel wire rope four times the square of its circumference. For hemp ropes the minimum diameter of sheave should be circumference of rope + 2, and for wire ropes the diameter of sheave in inches should be equal to circumference of rope in sixteenths.

The principle of rope making is very readily shown by holding the ends of a piece of twine or whipcord, about a foot long, in the hands and twisting it so as to increase the lay. If the twine be now slackened by bringing the hands nearer to one another, a loop will first form in the middle of the twine, and it will continue to twist itself up into a compact cord which will not unlay, as the tension to which the strands have been subjected causes friction between them, which holds them together. In other words, the tendency of each part singly to unlay, acting in opposite directions, is the means of keeping them together when joined.

Some very interesting experiments were made by Réaumur, the purposes of which were to ascertain the loss of strength occasioned by laying up the fibres of various substances, one or two of which are given.

1. A thread, consisting of 832 fibres of silk, each of which carried 1 dram and 18 grains, broke with a weight of 5 lbs., though the sum of the absolute strength of the fibres is 104 drams, or upwards of 8 lbs. 2 oz.

2. Three threads were twisted together, their mean strength being nearly 8 lbs. They broke with 17½ lbs., whereas they should have carried 24 lbs.

These experiments prove that though convenience and portability are gained by twisting the fibres, there is a great loss in the strength of the resultant rope.

In speaking of the size of a rope, the circumference and not the diameter is alluded to. Thus, a three-inch rope would be slightly less than an inch in diameter.

In practising knotting it is as well to use a tolerably firm material, such as whipcord, for small common knots, or, still better, line used for sea fishing. Either can be tied up and undone over and over again without injuring it, which is not the case with twine; it is also more easy to see which way the parts of a knot lie in the harder material, and then to find out whether the turns are properly made or not. For more complicated knots, particularly those where the strands of the rope have to be unlaid to form the knot, such as a wall knot (p. 66) or a Matthew Walker (p. 70), it is advisable to use three strands of fishing line, each about a foot long. If a “seizing” (a seizing is shown in Fig. 57, p. 51) be put round them in the centre, so as to hold them firmly together, a good representation of a rope with the strands unlaid ready for working is obtained. A knot can be made and unmade as often as required in this way, without detriment to the strands; but the strands of a rope, owing to their loose nature, will seldom bear knotting more than once or twice. If desired, the knots can be made as above described and kept for future reference. In string also it is better to use hard laid stuff at first, but when these matters are thoroughly understood knots can be made on any sort of cordage without difficulty.

CHAPTER II.
SIMPLE AND USEFUL KNOTS.

Fig. 1.—Overhand Knot.

Fig. 2.—Fourfold Overhand Knot, Loose and Taut.

The simplest knot that is made is the overhand knot (Fig. 1). It is very useful, and forms a part of many other knots. To make it, the standing part of the rope—that is, the main part in opposition to the end—is held in the left hand, and the end of the rope is passed back over it (whence its name) and put through the loop thus formed. It is used at the end of a rope to prevent the strands unlaying, and sometimes in the middle of a rope as a stopper knot. If the end of the rope is passed through the “bight” or loop two, three, or more times before hauling it taut, the double, treble, or fourfold knot, A (Fig. 2), is obtained. This is a larger knot than Fig. 1, and is often used on the thongs of whips, being then termed a blood knot. B (Fig. 2) shows the knot hauled taut. Fig. 1 also goes by the name of the Staffordshire knot, as it forms the insignia of the county. A Flemish or figure-of-eight knot is shown by Fig. 3. To make it, pass the end of the rope back, over, and round the standing part, and up through the first bight. The Flemish knot is used for much the same purposes as the preceding knots, but is rather more ornamental.

Fig. 3.—Figure-of-eight Knot.

The bight of a rope is the loop formed when a rope is bent back on itself, in contradistinction to the ends.

Fig. 4.—Sailor’s Knots or Reef Knots.

The conditions under which the ends of two pieces of cordage have to be joined together are various, and several methods are brought into requisition; but it is always of considerable importance that the most suitable knot be employed in each case. The value of some knots consists in the rapidity with which they can be made, of others in the readiness with which they can be undone; but it is an essential that the knot holds firmly and does not slip when once hauled taut.

Fig. 5.—Reef Knot, Half-made.

The commonest knot for joining the ends of two ropes, and probably the knot that is most often made, is the sailor’s, true, or reef knot (Figs. 4 and 5). When correctly made it is as perfect as a knot can be. It can be made and undone with equal rapidity, and is very secure when taut. Its one disadvantage is that it will not answer when made with ropes of different sizes, as it then slips and comes adrift, but where the two pieces of cordage are of the same size it is most secure and reliable, the strain being equally distributed on every part. It requires a little practice to make it properly. To do this, take an end in each hand and lay one over the other, the right end being undermost; bring the left-hand end under the standing part of the right end, as shown at A (Fig. 5), and over the end at B, round it, and up through the bight at C. The key to the knot is the putting of the right end under the left when the two ends are crossed at the beginning of the knot, as the left-hand end then comes naturally first over and then round the other rope, and the ends lie parallel with the standing parts, as at A (Fig. 4).

Fig. 6.—Granny or Lubber’s Knot.

If the ends are not passed correctly, a granny, lubber’s, or calf knot results. This is shown in Fig. 6. Though at first sight this seems to be a good knot, yet it is not so in reality, and when any strain comes upon it, it slips and becomes useless. Fig. 7 is a granny knot, as it appears when hauled upon. It is considered a very lubberly thing to make a granny knot, and readers should practise until they can make a true knot rapidly and with certainty in any position.

The sailor’s knot is invariably used for reefing sails, the ease with which it can be undone making it very valuable for this purpose. It is only necessary to take hold of the two parts on each side just outside the knot and bring the hands together, and the loops slip over one another, as in Fig. 4, and the knot can be opened at once.

Fig. 7.—Granny Knot, Taut.

This knot has a curious peculiarity which is not generally known. If the end of one of the ropes is taken in one hand and the standing part of the same rope in the other, and both are hauled until the rope is straight, the knot becomes dislocated, so to speak, and the rope not hauled upon forms a hitch, B (Fig. 4), round the other part. This property was the secret of Hermann’s celebrated trick, “the knotted handkerchiefs.” After the handkerchiefs, knotted together at the corners, were returned to him by the audience, under pretence of tightening the knots still more, he treated each knot as has been described. The knots seemed firm, but really were loosened so that a touch with his wand separated them easily.

The common bow or rosette knot is a modification of the sailor’s knot. The first part of the process of making it is the same, but instead of passing one end singly over and under the other, as in the sailor’s knot, both ends are bent back on themselves, and the double parts worked as before. Care must be taken to pass these doubled ends exactly as those described in the sailor’s knot, or a granny bow will result. Some persons’ shoes always come untied, the reason being that they are tied with granny instead of true bows.

Fig. 8.—Overhand Rosette Knot or Bow.

Another way of joining the ends of two pieces of cordage is shown in Fig. 8. This is merely an overhand knot, made with two ropes instead of one. Sometimes it is called an openhand knot. It can be made very quickly, and there is no fear of its slipping, but if there is much strain put upon it the rope is very apt to part at the knot, in consequence of the short “nip,” or turn, that it makes just as it enters the knot.

Fig. 9 shows the weaver’s knot partly made, and Fig. 10 the same knot completed, but not hauled taut. Weavers call this the “thumb knot,” as it is made over the thumb of the left hand, and is used by them in joining their “ends” as they break. The rapidity with which they make the knot, snip off the ends, and set the loom going again is wonderful. Netters use this knot to join their twine, and it also forms the mesh of the netting itself, though, of course, it is then made in a very different way. In making the weaver’s knot, the two ends to be joined are crossed in the same way as in the sailor’s knot, placing the right end under, and holding them with the thumb and finger of the left hand at the place where they cross. The standing part of the right-hand rope is then brought back over the thumb and between the two ends, as shown in Fig. 9. The end A is then bent down over it, and held with the left thumb, while the knot is completed by hauling on B.

Fig. 9.—Weaver’s Knot, Half-made.

An excellent way of joining two ropes is illustrated by Fig. 11. The ends are laid alongside one another, overlapping each sufficiently to give room for the knot to be made. The double parts are then grasped in each hand and an overhand knot is formed, which is made taut by hauling on both parts at once, as if the knot were single.

Fig. 10.—Weaver’s Knot, Closed.

Though the above is the easiest way to make the knot, it is not available where the ropes are fast. In this case a simple knot is made on the end of one rope, but not drawn taut. The end of the other rope is passed through the bight of the first, and a second loop formed with it alongside the first. The knot is closed by drawing the two ropes as before. This is in every way an excellent knot, and very secure.

Fig. 11.—Overhand Knot Joining Two Ropes.

Fig. 12 shows the ends of two ropes joined by means of a Flemish knot. It does not require much description, and is made after the manner of the knot last described.

Fig. 12.—Flemish Knot Joining Two Ropes.

Fig. 13.—Fisherman’s Knot.

The fisherman’s knot (Fig. 13) derives its name from the fact that it is always used for joining silkworm gut for fishing purposes. In making it, the strands are made to overlap one another, and an overhand knot is made with one end round the other strand. The strands are turned round, and another overhand knot made with the other end round the first strand. When the knot is tightened by hauling on the standing parts, one knot jams against the other and holds securely. The knot is improved by putting the ends twice through their respective loops, as at A (Fig. 2, p. 15). The size of the knot is increased by this means, but it will stand a much heavier strain, so that it is advisable to do this whenever the size of the knot is not of paramount importance.

The whipcord knot (Fig. 14) is used to fasten the lash to a whip. The lash B is laid across the ends of the thong A which are turned up over it. The lash is brought completely round the thong and through the loop it makes, which secures the ends of the thong firmly. If a silk lash is used, the short end is cut off, but if whipcord, the two ends are generally twisted together for a few inches, as at B, and an overhand knot made with one end round the other, to secure them. The remaining part is left somewhat longer, and another overhand knot at the end prevents it from unravelling.

Fig. 14.—Whipcord Knot.

CHAPTER III.
EYE KNOTS, HITCHES, AND BENDS.

One of the simplest eye knots is shown by Fig. 15, and is known as the “running” or “slip knot.” A bight is first formed, and an overhand knot made with the ends round the standing part. The last named may be drawn through the knot, and the eye made to any size required. There is less chance of the knot coming undone if an overhand knot is made on the end A. With this knot a sailor ties his neck-handkerchief.

Fig. 15.—Running Knot.

Fig. 16 is the “fisherman’s eye knot.” A bight is first made of sufficient length, and an overhand knot formed with the standing part round the other strand; the end is now passed round the standing part, and knotted as before. Thus there is a running knot A, with a check knot B, which, when hauled upon, jam tight against one another, and hold securely. This is one of the best knots for making an eye in fishing, as the strain is divided equally between the two knots.

Fig. 16.—Fisherman’s Eye Knot.

Fig. 17.—Openhand Eye Knot.

A common way of making an eye on the end of a piece of cord is illustrated by Fig. 17. It is practically the same knot as Fig. 8 (p. 19), except that only one rope is used. The end is brought back along the rope to form the eye, and an overhand knot made with the two parts. This knot, from being so easily made, is often used, but it lacks strength, like the openhand knot (Fig. 8), and should not be used where it is required to bear much strain. It will have been noticed how very often openhand knots form the component parts of other knots.

Fig. 18.—Flemish Eye Knot.

Fig. 18 is an eye made with a “Flemish” knot. It is worked just the same as a single Flemish knot (Fig. 12, p. 22), the only difference being that two parts are used instead of one. It is stronger, but clumsier, than the one just described, and is not much used.

Fig. 19.—Crabber’s Eye Knot.

The “crabber’s knot” (Fig. 19) is a curious and not very well known knot, but it is unlikely to part when strained. To make it, bring the end back to form a loop, taking it first under and then over the standing part, up through the main loop, over the standing part again, and up through its own bight. Before the turns are hauled into their places, the knot will slip on the part A, as in an ordinary slip knot; but if the part B is hauled upon, the strand A, which passes through the centre of the knot, rises, and the coil which goes round it jams, making the knot secure: so that it may be used as a running knot or otherwise, as desired. This is also called a running knot with crossed ends.

Fig. 20.—Bowline Knot.

The “bowline knot” (Fig. 20) cannot slip, and is therefore always used for slinging a man for the purpose of doing some particular piece of work; the workman sits in the sling. The end is first laid back over the standing part, so as to form a loop; the end is then passed up through the loop, round the back of the standing part, and down through the loop again. Hauling on the end and the standing part makes the knot taut.

A modification of this knot, called a “Bowline on a Bight,” is shown by Fig. 21. The loop is made as in the previous knot, only with the two parts of a doubled rope; the bight is then passed up through the loop, opened, and turned backwards over the rest of the knot, when it appears as illustrated. To untie it, draw the bight of the rope up until it is slack enough, and bring the whole of the other parts of the knot up through it, when it will readily come adrift. If the standing parts of the rope are held fast, it puzzles the uninitiated to undo it.

Fig. 21.—Running Bowline on Bight.

A “Running Bowline” has the knot made on the end after it has been passed round the standing part, thus forming a loop through which the main rope will run. Two ropes may be joined together by making a bowline in the end of one of them, and putting the end of the other through the bight, and forming with it another bowline on its own part. This is often used to join hawsers together.

Figs. 22 and 23.—Running Knot with Two Ends,
Loose and Fastened.

Fig. 22 shows a method of making a rope fast to a post or pillar. The rope is doubled and passed round the post, and the ends put through the loop. For greater security, the ends may be passed round the standing part and through the bight thus formed, as in Fig. 23; or, instead of passing the cords through the bight, a loop may be formed by doubling the ends, and this loop put through the bight, thus forming a slippery hitch. This knot has the advantage of being more readily undone than the other one, as it is necessary merely to pull at the ends, and the rope is released at once. The ends may also be secured by making a Flemish knot on them, instead of an overhand knot.

Fig. 24.—Two Half Hitches.

The remainder of this chapter will discuss a different class of fastenings. It is not easy to state, however, where knots end and bends and hitches begin; indeed, a tie that, in certain circumstances and made a particular way, is called a “knot,” differently constructed, and under other conditions, is called a “bend” or “hitch,” though the result is the same in both cases. As an illustration, take two half-hitches (Fig. 24), which, if made in another way round a pole, are called a “builder’s knot.” If readers will analyse the knots illustrated throughout this book, they will find several other similar instances. A (Fig. 24) is a single hitch, being merely a loop formed in a rope. This is readily done by holding the rope in the left hand, and giving it a twist with the right; the loop then forms itself, as it were. When a tightly laid piece of cordage is twisted, these loops are apt to rise and form “kinks,” which are very objectionable, as the cord is sure to part at the kink when a strain is put on it. It is still worse in the case of wire, which breaks readily when kinked. Tight, hard cordage should always be well stretched before it is used, to avoid kinking.

Two half-hitches (Fig. 24) are a useful knot for a variety of purposes, as they are quickly made, and will not slip, no matter what strain is put upon them—indeed, the more they are hauled upon the faster they hold. They are the best means of making a rope fast to a hook. First one hitch is slipped on, and then the other on the top of it, and the rope is fast in less than two seconds. This knot is used by surgeons in reducing a dislocation of the thumb joint.

Fig. 25.—Builder’s Knot.

Fig. 25 is the builder’s knot, merely two half-hitches, but as it is used in places where the hitches cannot be passed over the ends of the timber it is made by holding one end in the left hand, passing the rope round the pole, under the end, round the pole again, above the first part, and under its own part; from its non-liability to slip laterally this knot is always used to fasten one pole to another in fitting up scaffolding, from which circumstance it has acquired its name. If, instead of beginning the knot as in Fig. 25, the end is passed, after it has gone round the pole, two or three times round the other part, as in Fig. 2 (p. 15), the remainder of the knot is rather more easily made, as it holds itself taut, and will not slip while the end is put round to complete the fastening.

A “builder’s double knot” is made in the same way, except that the end goes round again, as before, and underneath its own part, so making it much stronger. When a builder’s knot is made on a rope for the purpose of securing a small line to a stout rope, it is called a “clove-hitch.”

The “timber hitch” (Fig. 26) is a rough and ready way of securing a piece of timber or anything similar; it is made by bringing the end of a rope round the timber, then round the standing part, and then, taking two or more turns, round its own part. The pressure of the coils one over the other holds the timber securely, and the more it is hauled on the tighter it holds. It can be cast off readily.

Fig. 26.—Timber Hitch.

Fig. 27 is the “killick hitch,” a modification of the timber hitch, used for fastening a stone to the end of a rope. After making a timber hitch and hauling it taut, a single hitch is made, and slipped over the end of the stone alongside of it. Some of the best fishing grounds are on rocky coasts where an anchor would not hold; and if it did, there might be considerable risk of losing it altogether, from its jamming in the crevices of a rock. In these places a killick, or large stone, slung as shown in Fig. 27, is used, which holds the boat by its own weight, without any risk of getting fast to the ground.

Fig. 27.—Killick Hitch.

Fig. 28.—Magnus Hitch.

The “magnus hitch” (Fig. 28) is a method of securing a rope to a spar, as there is but little tendency to slip endways along the spar. In making it, take the end of the rope twice round the spar, in front of the standing part, round the spar again, and then through the last bight.

Fig. 29.—Fisherman’s Bend.

Fig. 30.—Rolling Hitch.

The “fisherman’s bend” (Fig. 29) consists of two round turns round a spar, and a half-hitch round the standing part, and through the turns on the spar, and another half-hitch above it, round the standing part. It is used for bending studdingsail halliards to the yard, and, in yachts, for bending on the gaff topsail halliards.

A “rolling hitch” (Fig. 30) is made by taking three round turns round a spar, and then making two half-hitches round the standing part of the rope, and hauling taut.

Fig. 31.—Topsail Halliard Bend.

Fig. 32.—Racking Hitch.

The “topsail halliard bend” (Fig. 31) is used chiefly on board yachts, and is made by bringing the rope twice round the spar, back round the standing part, under all the turns, over two turns, and under the last. This hitch is shown open for the sake of clearness, but in practice it is usual to jam the coils close together, and haul them all taut.

Fig. 32 is a “racking hitch,” for hitching a rope on to the hook of a block. Two bights are made in a rope, these are turned over from the operator two or three times, and the two loops are put on to the hook. This is sometimes called a “cat’s paw.”

Fig. 33.—Slippery Hitch.

Fig. 34.—Carrick Bend.

The value of the “slippery hitch” (Fig. 33) consists in the readiness with which it can be cast off in case of emergency; at the same time, it holds securely while there is a strain on the rope A. If the mainsheet of small boats is made fast at all, always a more or less risky proceeding, a slippery hitch should always be used as a start. A sharp pull at the end of the rope lets the sheet go at once.

For the “carrick bend” (Fig. 34) lay the end of a rope over the standing part to form a loop; put the end of another rope under the bight over the standing part at A, under the end at B, over the rope again at C, under its own part, and over the rope B, and haul taut. The parts A and B form the first loop made. This bend generally is used for binding hawsers together, to increase their length for warping or towing. It can be undone readily without the aid of a pricker or marlinespike, which would have to be used for many knots after they had been in the water. As in the sailor’s knot, it is only necessary to grasp the ropes just outside the knot, and push the loops inwards, and the knot comes adrift at once.

Fig. 35.—Bending Sheet to Clew of Sail.

Fig. 35 shows the clew of a sail, and the method of bending the sheet on to it. This is termed a “sheet bend.” The sheet is not, as many suppose, a part of the sail, but is a rope used in setting a sail, to keep the clew or lower corner of the sail down to its place. In making a sheet bend, the end is passed up through the clew, round the back of it, under its own part, and over the clew again. The end is generally stopped to the standing part with rope- yarn or other small stuff. The knot thus formed is exactly the same as the weaver’s knot (Fig. 10, p. 21). Fig. 36 shows a method of giving additional security to this knot. The end is passed twice round the back of the loop before putting it under its own part. This knot is very much used by fishermen in bending a line on to a loop of gut.

Fig. 36.—More Secure Sheet Bend.

Fig. 37.—Bending Rope to Loop.

Another and somewhat more complicated method of bending a rope on to a loop is illustrated by Fig. 37. B is the standing part, and A the end of the rope to be bent on a loop already formed. Pass the end down through the loop, round over its own part, and through the loop, round the back of it, and through its own bight. When hauled taut, this holds more securely than either of the other methods, but, on the other hand, takes longer to make.

Fig. 38.—Blackwall Hitch.

The “Blackwall hitch” (Fig. 38) is a ready way of securing a rope temporarily to a hook. The method of making it is evident from the illustration. As the standing part when hauled upon jams the end against the back of the hook, it holds much more firmly than would be supposed at first sight.

The “midshipman’s hitch” (Fig. 39) is an old-fashioned hitch, used for attaching a tail-block to a rope. A round turn is first made over the standing part, and the end is brought up, passed twice round above the first hitch, and then passed out underneath its own part.

The “marlinespike hitch” (Fig. 40) is used for getting a purchase on the seizing stuff when serving a rope, so as to leave the turns taut. Make a bight in the seizing stuff, and bring it back over the standing part; pass the marlinespike under the standing part, and over the sides of the bight. This is practically identical with the running knot (Fig. 15, p. 24). Seizing is described on p. 96.

Fig. 39.—Midshipman’s Hitch.

Fig. 40.—Marlinespike Hitch.

Fig. 41.—Regulating Lashing.

Fig. 42.—Stationer’s Knot.

Fig. 41 is a “regulating lashing,” used when the tension of a rope requires altering from time to time. Tent ropes are secured this way, as they require easing in wet weather, and tightening in dry. For this purpose, the piece of wood A is slipped up or down the cord, the friction of the cord against the sides of the hole fixing it sufficiently.

The “stationer’s knot” (Fig. 42) is handy for tying up a parcel, as it can be made rapidly, and undone with ease. Make a running noose at the end of a piece of twine, and bring it to the centre of the parcel; take the twine round the parcel again at right angles, round the noose, and making a bight slip it under, as illustrated. A pull at the end releases the knot instantly, as can be proved by experiment.

CHAPTER IV.
RING KNOTS AND ROPE SHORTENINGS.

Fig. 43.—Slippery Ring Knot.

Fig. 44.—Boat Knot.

Fig. 45.—Lark Boat Knot.

Often it is necessary to fasten a rope to a ring, and there are a variety of methods of doing this. Fig. 43, for instance, shows the end to be passed through the ring, and a bight put under the standing part; this is a ready way of temporarily fastening the painter of a boat to the ring of a pier; as in the stationer’s knot (Fig. 42, p. 41), a sharp pull at the end of the rope frees the painter at once. This is an excellent fastening for many purposes. The “boat knot” (Fig. 44) is another means of mooring a small boat. It is made in the same way as a marlinespike hitch (Fig. 40, p. 40), the only difference being that a thowl pin or other small piece of wood is put through the centre of the knot instead of a marlinespike. By withdrawing the pin the knot comes adrift of its own accord. Fig. 45 is another form of boat knot, called the “lark boat knot,” or “double boat knot.” This differs from the last knot, inasmuch as a bight, instead of a single end of rope, is put through the ring; a piece of wood is used to fasten it, as in the boat knot. It is rather the better knot of the two.

Fig. 46.—Lark’s Head.

Fig. 47.—Lark’s Head Stoppered.

If, instead of the ends being brought down outside the bight after it has been passed through the ring, they are put through it, a “single lark’s head” (Fig. 46) is the result, and Fig. 47 shows the same knot “stoppered.” It may be made by passing a bight through the ring, and drawing the two parts of the rope through the bight; or where this is not practicable by reason of one end of the rope being fast, the end may be passed up through the ring behind the standing part, and down through the ring and bight again. Sometimes, instead of stoppering this knot with an overhand knot, as in Fig. 47, the end is seized to the standing part with twine.

Fig. 48.—Lark’s Head with Crossed Ends.

Fig. 49.—Double Lark’s Head.

A “lark knot” with crossed ends (Fig. 48) is made in the manner above described, except that the end comes over instead of through the bight. The ends are often stoppered as in the last knot.

If the standing part is taken in one hand and the end in the other, and drawn apart, it is nothing more than a “clove-hitch” or “builder’s knot” (Fig. 25, p. 31) under a different name.

Fig. 50.—Treble Lark’s Head.

Fig. 51.—Backhanded Sailor’s Knot.

In the “double lark’s head” (Fig. 49) a bight is first made, and the ends passed through it; the ends are then put through the ring and through the loop just made and hauled taut. Fig. 50 shows the “treble lark’s head,” which is not so difficult as it looks. First bring the bight of a rope up through the ring, take one of the ends, and pass it through the bight, and up through the ring, and then down through its own bight; do the same with the other part and the knot is formed.

Fig. 52.—Capstan Knot.

Fig. 53.—Another Form of Sailor’s Knot.

In Fig. 51 is illustrated a “backhanded sailor’s knot,” made by passing an end through the ring round at the back of the standing part and through the ring again, and finishing with two half-hitches round the standing part. It may also be made with the end in the last turn put under the standing part and under its own part.

Fig. 52 is the “capstan knot.” To make this, cross the end of the rope after it is through the ring, bring it round the standing part, through the first bight and through its own bight, thus forming a sort of figure-of-eight knot.

Another “sailor’s knot,” composed of two half-hitches round the standing part of the rope, is shown by Fig. 53. This is one of the most useful and easily-made knots known, and is used as a mooring knot.

Fig. 54.—Gunner’s Knot.

A “gunner’s knot” (Fig. 54) is simply a “carrick bend” (Fig. 34, p. 36), made with the two ends of a rope after it has been passed through two rings. Gunners themselves call this a “delay knot.”

Fig. 55.—Beginning Artillery Knot.

Fig. 56.—Artillery Knot Finished.

Fig. 57.—Bend Shortening.

Fig. 58.—Chain Knot.

The knot shown in Figs. 55 and 56 is called “manharness,” or the “artilleryman’s knot,” and is used when hauling guns over a difficult country, when horses cannot be employed. It is a valuable knot where heavy weights have to be drawn with ropes, as by its use a man can exert his strength to much greater advantage than by merely grasping the rope with his hands. To make it, form a half-hitch, turn it round, and lay it against the standing part. This is, in fact, a marlinespike hitch, and is represented in Fig. 40, p. 40. Now pass the right hand into the bight C, and going under A, as shown in Fig. 55, grasp the part B, and draw it through C until a loop of sufficient size is made. When using it, the head and one arm are passed through the loop illustrated in Fig. 56, which shows the knot finished. A little care is required in closing the knot, so that the turns may jam properly one against the other, or the knot will slip. When several men are employed, a bowline is generally made at the end of the rope, and as many loops as there are men to haul at equal distances along it.

It frequently happens that a rope is too long for its purpose, and as it is inadvisable and wasteful to cut it, some method of reducing its length has to be devised; hence have arisen what are termed “shortenings.”

The “loop” or “bend” shortening (Fig. 57) is the simplest of these. The rope is merely bent as much as is required, so as to form two bights, and the two parts seized together with small stuff. This is a simple and good method of shortening ropes.

Fig. 59.—Beginning Chain Knot.

The “chain knot” (Fig. 58) is another method of shortening ropes. In beginning it, make a running knot (Fig. 59), and draw a portion of the part A through the loop B; do this with the forefinger and thumb of the left hand. It will now form another loop, through which a fresh piece of A is to be passed. This process is to be repeated until all the slack of the rope is taken up. Finish it off by putting a piece of stick or a belaying-pin through the last loop, or by drawing the end itself up through the bight.

Fig. 60.—Twist Knot.

Fig. 61.—Beginning Twist Knot.

The “twist knot” (Fig. 60) is another shortening. Place the cord to be shortened as in Fig. 61, bring one of the outside parts over the middle strand, and the outer strand on the opposite side is brought over this, which is now the middle part. This is continued as long as required, the outside strand alternately being placed over the centre strand, as in an ordinary three-plait. Fig. 60 shows the plait completed, and the manner of finishing off the end. These shortenings are ornamental as well as useful. They may be used for thickening a piece of small cord, so as to give more substance where it has to be hauled upon, and thus prevent the hand being cut with the cord.

Fig. 62.—Sheepshanks.

Fig. 63.—Sheepshanks Fastened.

Fig. 64.—Sheepshanks Knotted.

Fig. 62 is the “sheepshanks” or “dogshanks”—a common and old-fashioned method of shortening, applicable to any size of cordage. The twist and chain knots are not suitable for very stout rope. Two bights are formed in the rope, as in Fig. 61; a half-hitch is then made at each end, and slipped over the bights. This is made more secure if a seizing is put round the two parts, A, B (Fig. 62). It can also be secured when ends of rope are free by passing each end through the adjoining bight, as shown in Fig. 63.

Fig. 65.—Sheepshanks Knotted.

Fig. 64 is a “knotted sheepshanks.” It differs from the last in that the ends are fastened rather differently. The two bights are made as before, and each end, after passing through the bight nearest to it, is put through the bight it has just made, thus forming an overhand knot at each end. In making Fig. 65, the parts of the rope are arranged as before. A marlinespike hitch (Fig. 40, p. 40) is made at each end and the bight put through it. The left side of Fig. 65 shows the knot made, and the bight in the act of being passed through it. It goes over the outside strand, under the centre one, and over the next. On the right side of the figure the loop is shown in its place, ready to be hauled taut.

Fig. 66.—Boat Knot Shortening or Sheepshanks Toggled.

Fig. 67.—Knot Shortening.

The “boat-knot” shortening (Fig. 66) is another form of sheepshanks. The ends are secured by bringing a portion of the loose part of the rope through the bight at each end, and toggling it with a belaying-pin or piece of wood, as in the boat knot (Fig. 44, p. 44). It is loosened readily, and can be made when both ends are fast.

Fig. 68.—Beginning Knot Shortening.

Fig. 69.—Double Chain Knot.

The “knot” shortening (Fig. 67) is a ready mode of taking up the slack of a rope, though it is not suitable for very stout ropes, and can be made only where one end of the rope is free. The rope is laid as at Fig. 68. The three parts are grasped with both hands near the bights, and an overhand knot is formed with the whole of the strands. It forms a good shortening for moderate-sized cordage, where the strain is not too heavy.

The “double chain knot” (Fig. 69) is perhaps the most ornamental knot of this group. A turn is first taken round the standing part, and the loose end is then passed through the loop thus formed at A. In doing this another loop B is made, through which the end is brought. The end is thus continually passed from one side to the other through the preceding loop until the knot is of the proper length. It may be finished, if desired, by making an overhand knot with the end over its own part, or merely passing it through the last loop, and hauling on it.

CHAPTER V.
TIES AND LASHINGS.

A “wedding knot” or tie, used for fastening together the eyes at the ends of two ropes, is shown by Fig. 70. It is made by passing rope-yarn or marline through the eyes backwards and forwards until strong enough, and then is fastened by taking several turns round the middle and fastening the ends with a reef knot. This forms a sort of hinge between the ropes.

Fig. 70.—Wedding Knot.

Fig. 71.—Chain Knot Lashed to Spar.

The “chain knot,” for lashing to a spar is illustrated by Fig. 71; a clove-hitch is first formed round the spar, and as many single hitches as required are then made. It may be finished off with any secure knot. Fig. 72 shows another and better way of making the chain knot. An overhand knot is formed at each turn, and consequently it is much more secure than Fig. 71. This is used for bending yachts’ sails to the gaff. As each turn forms a knot if the cord parts, the remainder holds firm, and does not necessarily come adrift, as it would be almost sure to do it if fastened as in Fig. 71.

Fig. 72.—Improved Chain Knot.

Fig. 73.—Cross Lashing.

Fig. 73 is a “cross lashing,” employed when a lever is used to a rope. After several turns round the rope, the lashing is crossed round the lever and fastened with a reef knot. All these lashings are used when several men are required to haul on large ropes at the same time.

For the “necklace tie” (Fig. 74) several turns are taken round the spar to be joined, then two turns round the lashings, and it is secured with a reef knot. When this is used as a lashing for shearlegs, the crossing of the two legs puts a strain on the knot, and effectually secures it. For this purpose it is called a Portuguese knot.

Fig. 75 shows a “packing knot,” used for securing large pieces of timber together. It is used near stone quarries for holding the blocks of stone on to the carriages by which they are moved. Fig. 75 represents a block of granite secured to a trolley with packing knots. Two or three turns are made somewhat loosely with cordage round the block and its carriage; a stout piece of wood is then inserted under the coils, and twisted round until all the slack is taken out and the cordage is taut. The end of the lever is then secured with twine to the side of the carriage, as shown in the right side of the figure. The other lashing is supposed to be all ready for tautening up.

Fig. 74.—Necklace Tie.

Fig. 75.—Packing Knot.

It is often necessary to lash two things together without showing an external knot, which would spoil the smoothness and neatness of the work—as, for instance, in whipping the two parts of a broken fishing-rod together. Fig. 76 shows a common method of finishing off whipping without showing a knot. Lay one end forward, as at A, then pass the other end round and round a sufficient number of times, hauling taut each time; three or four loose turns are now made, and the end passed under them backwards; these are worked down into their places, and when the ends are hauled taut and cut off the job is completed. The end A need not come so far as shown in Fig. 76, but may be hidden under the coils.

Fig. 76.—Finishing off Whipping.

Fig. 77 is another method of accomplishing the purpose. Instead of a single end, as in the last case, a bight of the seizing stuff is laid along the part to be whipped, and the turns passed over it; when these are completed the end is passed through the bight, as at A. The end B is now hauled upon to bring the bight and the end of the rope snug under the coils. There are now two loops interlacing at the centre of the work, and these cannot come undone. When the ends A and B are cut off close to the turns, the whole is fair and smooth.

Fig. 77.—Finishing off Whipping.

“Nippering,” or “packing,” is shown in Fig. 78. This is a method of securing two ropes together with cross turns; these are hauled taut, jamming the ropes together, and are further secured by round turns over all, with a reef knot at the ends.

The “west country whipping” (Fig. 79) is an excellent method, and deserves to be practised oftener than it is. Bring the middle of the material used under the part to be whipped, raise the ends and tie an overhand knot, lower the ends and tie another underneath; continue tying a single knot above and below alternately, finishing with a reef knot; or a round turn or two may be taken and the ends may then be secured; but a reef knot is the most usual way of fastening off this whipping. This is not quite so neat-looking a method as Figs. 76 and 77, but it is very strong and trustworthy, and is an excellent way of fastening large hooks, such as those used for cod or conger, on to a line.

Fig. 78.—Nippering.

Fig. 79.—West Country Whipping.

Fig. 80.—Catspaw.

Fig. 81.—Beginning Catspaw.

A “catspaw” (Fig. 80) is used for attaching a rope to a tackle hook. Fig. 81 shows how to begin it. A loop is made, and laid over the standing part so as to form two bights; these are rolled over two or three times, and the hook inserted in them. When the standing part is hauled upon, the hooks take the form shown in Fig. 71 (p. 59), and will not slip.

Fig. 82.—Securing Block to Rope.

Fig. 82 shows a way of securing a block to a rope with a selvage strop. The middle of the selvage is placed against the rope, and cross turns taken until the bights come together, when the loop of the block is put through them.

CHAPTER VI.
FANCY KNOTS.

Although these knots are termed fancy knots, they are not necessarily used for ornamental purposes, but are often of considerable utility; indeed, they could hardly be done without aboard ship.

Fig. 83.—Wall Knot.

Fig. 84.—Stopper Knot.

One of the commonest knots of this kind is the “wall knot”; Fig. 83 shows this ready for hauling taut. First unlay the strands at the end of a rope and make a bight with one strand A; hold this to the standing part with the thumb of the left hand, make a loop with the next strand B round the end of the first strand, and bring the remaining strand C round the end of the strand B and through the bight of A.

Fig. 85.—Beginning Crowning.

Fig. 86.—Crowning Complete.

If the ends are taken round once more and brought up in the centre of the knot, it is called a “stopper knot” (see Fig. 84). In this case the ends are whipped together and cut off level. Fig. 84 is the stopper knot finished. Fig. 85 shows the crowning begun. Open the strands of a rope as before, but do not put a seizing round them. Lay the strand A down over the centre of the rope, and then bring B down over A and strand C over B and through the bight of A. Fig. 86 shows how the strands tie when they are nearly taut. The strands in Fig. 85 are hardly in the position which they occupy when the knot is actually being made, as they are then much snugger.

Fig. 87.—Beginning Manrope Knot.