Like most sailors, you’ve probably seen many articles and books about knots. You’ve probably also seen the hundreds, if not thousands, of social media posts about many different knots. Although these are all educational and entertaining, after over 40 years of sailing, in my experience, there are only a handful of primary knots all boaters should know and be able to execute easily and quickly.
Many knots are used almost every time we go boating, such as a cleat hitch, clove or rolling hitch and cow hitch, while others are used more occasionally such as a figure-eight, bowline, reef knot and sheet bend.
Once you learn these knots, you also need to be able to determine—at times very quickly—which knot is best suited for a specific task. Once determined, knowing how to execute that knot is just as important. Since we often only have one hand available, I demonstrate how to make most of these knots with one hand only in the video below.
Here is my take on each of these knots, what they can be used for and how to actually make these all-important knots. If you’re an old salt, up your skills with the one-handed techniques. If you’re a beginner, winter is a great time to practice tying these knots at home so you’ll be prepared when the season begins again.
Cleat Hitch
The cleat hitch is perhaps the most used knot in boating, yet it is also one of the most improperly executed knots we see. Just take a walk along any dock and you’ll quickly see a mish-mash of variations of the cleat hitch, if they can still be called that. Used mostly to tie the boat to the dock, mooring ball, rafting up or tied to a stern cleat to pull your dinghy, this knot is very simple to make and use as long as we note where the initial load is coming from. Confusion about where to begin the cleat hitch is the most frequent mistake I see, so much so, I wrote an article about the cleat hitch alone! See “How to Cleat Your Lines—Properly.”
Clove Hitch and Rolling Hitch
The clove hitch and rolling hitch are mostly used to easily set and secure fenders—these knots will safely hold under load and are easily broken (taken apart). While the clove hitch is great to secure and adjust fenders to the proper height, the rolling hitch knot is excellent to tie the line to the fender itself or applied to the bitter end of a sheet, preventing it from slipping out of pulleys or clutches.
Figure-eight
The figure-eight is used to prevent a line from going through a block or clutch. This is another very easy and efficient knot, often used on the bitter end of foresail and mainsail sheets, halyards and lines that are led to the cockpit through clutched and/or line organizers.
Bowline
The bowline is one of the most popular and safest utility knots, used to secure a line to any number of attachment points. Think: attaching a foresail sheet; attaching the bow of your tender for pulling or holding; or attaching to the base of the mast to be towed; etc.
Reef Knot / Sheet Bend
The reef knot and sheet bend are two somewhat similar and easy knots that are mostly used to tie two lines together. The reef knot is used for lines of equal size while the sheet bend is used to tie two lines of different sizes. It is a great utilitarian knot used to make lines longer. I’ve often used this knot to attach two lines together in order to reach and attach my stern to the shore, like a tree, while anchored in a tight anchorage or small bay.
Cow Hitch
The cow hitch is a super easy knot to attach line for storage, such as securing coiled lines to a lifeline, like a mooring line for example.
Conclusion
Knowing these knots, at a minimum, will help sailors in almost any situation. Perhaps you have one or more favorites you’d like to add to the essentials list. If so, I would love to hear what knots you use the most. As always, thanks for reading.
I would add a string of half hitches. Two round turns and a string of hitches is a common way to secure a dock line to a piling. A string of half hitches is the standard way to tie-off a lifeline or standing rigging lashing (PS tested this –at least 6 hitches for Dyneema lashings). Easy to adjust, very strong, and reliable as long as the tail is secured against loosening with a seizing or close double overhand around the standing part.
Hi drew, thanks for your comment and suggestions. And I certainly agree with those knots and technics. As you know, when it comes to knots, we can go on and on and come up with a few dozen knots, based on personal choices. BTW, the article is intended to show a few basic knots, with a special attention on how to accomplish these using one hand. Also, as I’ve learned over the years, many knots, albeit the same, have different names depending where you are!
One knot, especially for sailors, is an absolute necessity. Everyone experiences a winch override at some point – usually at the most inopportune time. With a “taunt-line-hitch” tied to the load-side of the override, the tail can be lead to another winch to take the pressure off the fouled line, and the override released.
Thanks Leo. I’ve never heard of a “taunt line hitch” and will certainly look it up..
Just looked it up, it’s a taut knot. And yes that is a good knot but not sure I understand you description of how to use it to release an overridden line on a winch.
Sorry, but I believe there are some important errors in this article that are misleading. The knot identified as a “rolling hitch” in not a rolling hitch. It is not even a hitch. A hitch is used to tie a line to something. This is a stopper knot and not a rolling hitch. Secondly, the knot identified as a “reef knot” is not a reef knot. It is a dangerous thief knot that will slip easily to the point that it will fall apart when put under stress. A reef knot should be used as a binding knot as when reefing a sail to the boom. It is not that great for tying two ropes together. Use the sheet bend for that. The reef knot can slip, but not as easily as the thief knot shown. The two free, working ends (short ends in this case) that he wrongly calls the “bitter ends” throughout the article on a reef knot should both be on the same side of the reef knot pointing in opposite directions. The bitter or standing end of a line is the far end that is attached to something. This term evolved from tying the end of the anchor rode to the bitts, but it could be the end of your bow painter that is tied to the boat. If the gentleman used the thief knot as shown to tie two lines together in order to secure his boat to shore, I think he’s lucky to have his boat still there when he returned.
Hi Rick and thank you for your time for sending your comment. Indeed I seem to have mislabeled the one labelled rolling hitch as it is a “stopper” knot.
As for the reef knot, I use this when I need to extend a line with an other of the same size and material. This knot would be used for somewhat temporary needs. However, the ends of each line, when left longer, can also be tied down or chock around the opposite line to prevent slipping if needed or kept under tension.
As for my use of the term bitter end, I do understand it’s origins, but it has become a pretty common name indicating for the end of a line. But I will try and remember the proper term, standing end, moving forward.
Again, thank you for your comments Rick. I really do appreciate them and do take away the extra knowledge.
Sorry Marc, but Rick is right. That is not a reef knot or a square knot (same thing). It is a thief knot, used to detect if someone’s been in the pantry.
I use the alpine figure eight very often and I think it should be learned and kept as a go to whenever you need to set an eye along a line.
Do you mean a butterfly knot or a figure 8 on a bight? A butterfly loop (aka alpine butterfly loop) is the only common knot with “alpine” in it. commonly used to add a loop in the center of a line. A figure 8 on a bight is also common for this.
Yes, a butterfly loop can be tied with one hand, although even hanging from the side of a cliff (I’m still a frequent climber) or climbing the mast I have never needed to tie any knot more complicated than a slipped half hitch or figure 8 on a bight with one hand, and the figure 8 was only because I could. Being able to tie each knot wearing mittens in the dark, on the other hand, can come in handy, which is why climbers stick to just a few simple knots.
Yes, Alpine butterfly knot….that’s the one. Sorry for the name twist – I learned it while climbing and very usefull and simple – hard with one hand, but it’s douable
Hi Tony, Thanks for your comment and suggestion on the Alpine Figure Eight. I will certainly look it up. BTW, can it be set using one hand?