s/y Nine of Cups
Knots
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There are knots for everything it seems: One to secure
fenders; one to tie the boat or dinghy to a bollard or a cleat;
one to tie two lines together; ones that come quickly undone;
ones that don’t come undone at all. There are splices, fancy
work, lashings and slings.  David has mastered several;
Marcie cares to know about four and gets by.
The Ashley Book of Knots
is probably the most
definitive book on knots
there is and it’s part of our
ship’s reference library.
David made the entry mat above and it sits in
our cockpit.  The pattern is called ocean plait.
He’s also made lanyards, bracelets, placemats ,
coasters and fancy wine bottle holders as well.
Sometimes, the knotting is a bit more
complicated like the pattern David chose for
coachwhipping the wheel: 18-strand round
sennet with a core and finished with Turk's
heads at each spoke aka six triple-strand
coachwhipping.
Trivia:  On a boat, you never refer to  tying a
knot…the correct terminology is “making  fast”.
A rope becomes a line when it is cut.
Another classic which is
used frequently aboard is
"The Marlinspike Sailor"
which provides not only
knots, but lots of
knot-type projects.
Return to Boat Projects
Boat Projects & Diversions
How-to directions for
making a lanyard
Ashley's Book of Knots is really an
encyclopedia with over 3,900 knots and
over 7,000 drawings and illustrations.  
There are all the practical knots, but
there are some for tricks and puzzles,
some for setting up circus tents, some for
fly-tying and even one for attaching a
saddle to your camel!
Beyond the common bowline, half hitch and square/reef knots for
which directions abound, there are several other specialized knots
which we use regularly on
Nine of Cups. .Click on the knot of your
choice below for instructions and practical applications.
Bowline in a bight
for adding a loop to the middle of a
line.
Constrictor knot  
for temporary seizing or whipping
Butterfly knot
like a bowline in a bight, it is used for
adding a loop in the middle of a line.
Ashley bend
for joining two similarly sized lines
together
Double sheet bend
for joining two different sized lines
together
Rolling hitch
for attaching one line to another
loaded line.
Turk's head
a decorative knot
While first thinking about knots, it’s
hard to comprehend how there
could be so many. But just think of
all the knots you're already familiar
with already from Granny knots to
tying shoelaces, to bowties to a
hangman’s noose, to surgeon’s
stitches.
We intend to add to this page from time
to time, so check back for updates.