Under pressure the bowline tightens, so it won’t give way. It has a number of practical uses as well, such as hanging a hammock. It can also be used to tie two lines together. Why is this useful? You can tie it around a post or other fixed object to make the line fast, or on smaller boats it is used fasten the halyard to the sail. Simply put, the bowline is way of turning the end of your line into a loop. It has been in use by sailors continuously for at least 500 years. The bowline is the king of sailing knots. (A synthetic rope like the ones used on sailboats works best!) Then sign up for an ASA sailing course to get hands-on practice. So, read about the knots here, and practice with any old piece of rope you have handy. Next time you go out sailing with a friend, take a charter, or join a flotilla, you’ll feel more comfortable helping out around the boat when it’s time to put fenders out, tie up to the dock, or make a line fast. Knowing these basic knots will make you more useful as a sailing companion. Your fingers need the tactile learning experience in order to develop muscle memory that will allow you to tie them quickly when you need to! Don’t forget, it’s necessary to practice these in order to get them down. In this blog I’ll single out three very important sailing knots, explaining what they’re used for and how to tie them. But the reality is that most sailors can get along with only knowing a few, as long as they’re the right ones. There are as many sailing knots as there are stars in the night sky - or so it seems.
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