Main maritime bends

To make it easier to navigate the description of nautical knots, here are a few terms:

• fixed end — the end of the rope that is fixed in place or not used when tying a knot, opposite to the working end
• working end — the loose end of the rope that is used to start tying a knot.
• loop (open) — the running (fixed) end of the rope, bent in half so that it does not cross itself.
• peg (closed loop) — a loop made by the running or fixed end of the rope so that the rope crosses itself.
• half knot — an ordinary overlap of two different ends of the same rope or two ends of different ropes.
• wrap — wrapping a rope around an object (log, pole, other rope, hook) in such a way that both ends of the rope do not cross each other.
• turn — a complete turn of the rope around an object, made so that the end of the rope is then directed in the opposite direction
• half hitch — wrapping a rope around an object and then crossing the end of the rope at a right angle without passing it through the closed loop formed (not to be confused with the knot called a «simple half hitch»).

Main maritime bends

Overhand knot. To tie it, you need to make a half knot with the running end of the rope around its standing end. It can be tied at the end or in the middle of the rope. To do this, wrap the running end of the rope once around its standing end and pass it through the loop formed. Depending on how it is tied, a simple knot can be left-handed or right-handed.

Overhand knot

Stevedore knot. Like the figure eight knot, this knot acts as a stopper when passing through pulleys. It is tied in the same way, with the only difference being that the running end is inserted into the loop after being wrapped around the standing end of the rope twice. When tightening this knot, make sure that the strands at the standing end do not twist and slip into the loop. A tightened stevedore's knot is easier to untie if you pull on the loop that is closer to the standing end.

Stevedore stopper

Anchor bend or fisherman's knot. One of the most important actions involving the use of knots in maritime affairs is tying a rope to an anchor. In the five thousand years of shipbuilding, people have not been able to come up with a more reliable nautical knot than this one. Proven by centuries of maritime practice, this knot is recognised by sailors of all countries as the most reliable for attaching a rope to a ring or anchor shackle. The fisherman's bowline (or anchor knot) is somewhat similar to a simple bowline with a slip knot. It differs from it in that the first of the two half-knots passes additionally inside the slip knot that wraps around the object. When using this knot for an anchor, it is always necessary to secure the running end to the standing end with a hitch. In this case, even with very strong traction, the fisherman's bayonet does not tighten and holds securely. It can be safely used in all cases when working with ropes that are subject to strong traction.

Anchor bend

Flemish bend. This is one of the oldest nautical knots, used on ships to connect two ropes, both thin and thick. There are two ways to tie this knot. First, make a figure eight at the end of one of the ropes to be tied together. Insert the running end of the second rope towards the exit of the figure eight and repeat the figure eight tied on the first rope. After that, grasping each of the two ends, left and right, begin to tighten the knot evenly, trying to maintain its shape. To tighten the knot completely, pull on the fixed ends of the ropes. To connect two ropes with a Flemish knot using the second method, place the running ends of the ropes to be tied parallel to each other so that they touch each other for about one metre in length. At this point, tie a figure eight with the two ropes folded together. To do this, you will have to wrap around and thread through the loop together with the short running end of one of the ropes and the long standing end. This is precisely what makes the second method of tying a Flemish knot inconvenient. The connection of two ropes with a Flemish knot is considered very strong. Even when tightened strongly, this knot does not damage the rope and is relatively easy to untie. In addition, it has an excellent quality — it does not slip and holds securely on synthetic fishing line.

Flemish bend

Water bend. The water knot is simple and reliable. Sailors use this nautical knot in exceptional cases when something needs to be tied quickly. It has a serious drawback: a tightly tied knot is very difficult to untie, especially if it gets wet. Its only positive qualities are the speed with which it can be tied. Do not try to tie synthetic ropes and fishing line with this knot: it will slip.

Water bend

Zeppelin Bend. The Zeppelin knot is used to join two ropes. It is a simple knot, very reliable and protected from jamming. The knot got its name from an association that owned several airships in the 1920s. The airships were called ‘Zeppelins’ in honour of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin. Zeppelins had enormous lifting capacity, which meant that the knots used to tie them to the ground had to be reliable and able to withstand heavy loads, but at the same time easy to untie when necessary. The Zeppelin knot met all these requirements.

Zeppelin Bend

Harness bend. Simple, original and designed for quick tying. Used to tie two belts or two ribbons together, as well as to tie bags. Quite durable and easy to untie when there is no tension.

Harness bend

Scaffold knot. It is used for temporarily securing a rope to objects floating in water. Its advantage is that the running end of the rope cannot slip out of the loop, and therefore it is considered reliable. To tie this knot, the rope is laid in the form of two loops of equal size. Both loops are wrapped several times with the running end of the rope, after which this end is passed through the loop facing the standing part of the rope and, pulling the outer loop, is clamped in it. Such a noose can be easily untied by pulling on the standing part of the rope.

Scaffold knot

Boatswain's knot or Spanish bowline knot. This ancient nautical knot is used to lift a person up or lower them from a height. When using the bosun's knot, one foot is placed in each of its two loops and the rope is held with the hand. This knot can be used to lift or lower an unconscious person from a height. To prevent them from falling out of the two loops, one or two half-hitches are tied around their chest with the running end of the rope.

Spanish bowline knot

Double bowline knot. This knot, which has two non-tightening loops, is used instead of a bowline to lift a person to a height, to lift or lower an unconscious person, and in other cases. When tying the knot, one of the loops is made almost half the size of the other. The person sits in one loop, while the second loop wraps around their torso under their arms. This allows them to work with both hands once they have been lifted to a height. In maritime practice, there are several ways to tie a double bowline knot. The simplest is to tie the knot with a rope folded in three. After inserting the running end (in the form of a loop) into the small loop of the knot, the finished end should be pulled out slightly and, wrapping it around the large loop, placed in the upper part of the knot. Holding the root part of the rope with one hand, pull the right side of the large double loop with the other hand. After that, the knot will tighten and be ready for use.

Double bowline knot

Running bowline. This knot has a small loop through which the standing end is passed. It is based on the lasso principle. In maritime affairs, it is used to catch floating logs and drowned bodies, and to search for and raise anchors left on the seabed.

Running bowline

Sheet knot. It got its name from the word ‘sheet’ — a piece of rigging used to control a sail by pulling on one lower corner if it is oblique and on two corners if it is straight and suspended from a yard. Sheets are named after the sail to which they are attached. The sheet bend knot is reliable and fulfils its purpose — it securely holds the sheet in the clew of the sail. It does not come undone immediately when the tension on the rope is released, but for this to happen, the loop (or clew) must be wrapped around the running end not once, but twice, and also passed twice under the standing end. The sheet bend knot is a component of some types of woven fishing nets. The sheet bend knot is also reliable for tying two ropes of different thicknesses. It holds well on synthetic ropes of equal thickness.

Sheet knot

Docker's bend. In maritime practice, it is often necessary to attach a much thinner rope to a thick rope. This is always necessary when mooring a ship to a berth, when one or more mooring ends need to be passed from the deck. To tie this knot, fold the running end of the thick rope to which the thin rope is to be attached in half. Insert the thin rope into the loop formed at the bottom, wrap it once around the root of the thick rope, pass it under the thin rope, then over the running end of the thick rope, and then under the three ropes, and insert it into the loop. This nautical knot is strong enough to pull a heavy mooring with the throwing end.

Docker bend

Slipped overhand knot. This knot serves as the simplest stopper, which can be quickly released even when the rope is taut. When pulled on the running end, it will instantly untie. It can be used in all cases where something needs to be temporarily secured so that the rope can be released at any moment.

Slipped overhand knot

Simple bend. Two identical half-bayonets form a knot that sailors call a simple bayonet. The main use of a simple bayonet in the navy is to secure mooring ends to mooring devices, fasten cargo boom guy ropes to cleats and eyebolts, and fasten cargo shackles to the load being lifted. The maximum number of half hitches in such a knot should not exceed three, as this is quite sufficient and the strength of the knot as a whole will not increase with a larger number of half hitches. The reliability of this knot for mooring is evidenced by an old English nautical phrase: ‘Two half hitches saved the Queen's ship.’ On shore, this simple but reliable knot can be used in all cases where a rope needs to be temporarily attached to an object for strong traction, such as a hook when towing a car.

Simple bend

Ship's bed bend. For many centuries, sailors on ships slept on canvas hammocks suspended from the ceiling. During the day, the bunks were rolled up and stored together with pillows, blankets and sheets in so-called bunk nets along the side of the deck, serving as reliable protection from cannonballs and shrapnel during battle. In the evening, before lights out, on the command ‘bunks down,’ they were carried below deck and hung up. Tying a knot to hang a bunk is a serious business. You need to use a knot that does not tighten, is easy to untie, and holds securely. The most important thing was that it would not come undone under the constant rocking of the ship. Sailors used various knots to hang their bunks, but the most reliable was considered to be the bunk bayonet.

Ship-bed bend

Ashleys bend. This is a very reliable knot that is easy to untie but difficult to loosen. It is named after the famous knot expert Clifford Warren Ashley, who is believed to have first documented it in his book Ashley's Book of Knots. The Ashley knot is a very secure way to join two ropes, especially when working with thin rope.

Ashleys bend

Alpine Butterfly knot. In addition to its beautiful name, this is a very useful knot that can be used to form a fixed loop in the middle of a rope. The Alpine Butterfly knot has a variety of uses, such as a safety loop for the opposite carabiner or connecting damaged sections of rope. The size of the loop can be adjusted.

Alpine Butterfly knot

Sheet bend knot. This is a simple knot for joining two ropes. This knot is ideal for joining ropes of two different diameters.

Sheet bend knot

‘Trucker's Hitch’ knot. This knot is used when you need to securely fasten heavy loads, tie canoes and other items to the roof rack of a car. This is the most useful method for tightening a rope like a guitar string. Once the rope is tightened to the desired tension using a loop, the knot is secured with a pair of half hitches around one or both ropes.

Trucker-Hitch knot

Mooring knot. As the name suggests, this knot is used for mooring a ship or yacht. The knot holds well under load and can be untied instantly by pulling sharply on the free end without even leaving the boat.

Mooring bend

'Icicle knot'. This knot is used to connect a rope to a pole that needs to be lifted vertically or dragged horizontally in a parallel direction. This knot holds quite well even if the surface is smooth or conical in shape. Hence the name ‘icicle knot’.

Icicle knot

Port's bend. With this quick and easy knot, you can tie and untie a boat or yacht to a cleat on a pier or the side of a ship. We believe that all boat and yacht owners should know this knot.

Port bend