Guide to Maritime Knots and Safety

Knots are essential in the maritime industry. They secure vessels to docks and piers, connect two lines, create a stop for pulleys, secure anchors, and more. Tying the appropriate knot for a given situation and doing it correctly is vital for maritime safety and preventing accidents and injuries.

How Are Knots Used in the Maritime Industry?

Knots secure ropes and lines to each other and to other objects. Knot tying is used in all types of maritime settings, from the smallest rowboat secured to a lakeside dock to the world’s biggest cruise ships and container ships.

Mariners have been using knots for thousands of years. Today, there are many different types of knots used for various purposes. Some of the uses of knots in the maritime industry include:

• Securing a boat or ship to a dock, pier, or other stationary object
• Securing an anchor to a vessel
• Securing tarps or sails
• Joining two ropes or lines to each other
• Lifting an object
• Adding weight to a line for tossing
• Stopping a line from slipping or from going through a pulley
• Rescuing someone who has fallen overboard

Other terms are used for knots in specific applications. For example, a knot that ties two ropes together is called a bend. A hitch is a knot that secures a line to another object, like a cleat on a dock.

Why Is Knot Tying Important for Maritime Safety?

Knots are essential for maritime safety for many reasons. One of the most important is that they secure boats and ships to prevent them from moving.

A vessel that is not well secured can move and strike people and other ships. A vessel that is supposed to be securely moored but then moves can also cause falls and accidents on board.

Secure knots also keep cargo and other objects from moving and striking people and other objects. Moving cargo can cause injuries. Cargo that shifts can even cause a boat to capsize.

Mooring lines that are not correctly secured can snap and strike a worker. These kinds of mooring line accidents can cause serious injuries, falls overboard, and even fatalities.

Guide to Basic Maritime Knots

A poorly tied knot, or the incorrect knot for the situation, can cause accidents with serious consequences. It is essential that anyone in the maritime industry, and even recreational boaters, understand and can use basic knots. Here are a few to know.

Bowline

A bowline is one of the most useful maritime knots and is often used to secure vessels to a dock or pier. It creates a strong loop that doesn’t come apart even under high tension. And yet, it can be untied easily, even under tension.

• Make a small loop a few feet from the end of the line.
• Pass the end of the line through the loop.
• Wrap the end around the line above the loop and then thread it down through the loop.
• Pull with force on the end of the line and the line above the loop to tighten.

Cleat Hitch

A cleat hitch is a standard type of knot for securing a boat to a cleat, a t-shaped fixture on a dock or pier.

• Wrap the line once around the cleat’s base. This is under the two “horns” of the cleat.
• Wrap the line around the horns in a figure eight.
• Reverse direction and make another figure eight around the horns.
• Pass the end of the line underneath and pull it tight.

Clove Hitch

While a cleat hitch is best for securing a boat to a cleat, use a clove hitch for securing it to a cylindrical object, like a post on a dock. This is often necessary when a cleat is not available.

• Wrap the line once around the post.
• Begin to wrap it around a second time, with the end of the line going over the top of the first wrap.
• Before completing the second wrap, pass the end of the line underneath and pull to tighten.

Figure Eight

Use a figure eight knot as a stopper to prevent a line from slipping. It gets tighter and stronger as the tension increases in the line. This type of knot is also used in rock climbing.

• Make a loop in the end of the rope.
• Pass the end of the rope through the loop.
• Pull the end of the rope to tighten the knot.

Sheet Bend

This is an essential knot used to tie two ropes together. The two ropes joined can be of different diameters, which is not the case for other bends.

• Create a loop at the end of one of the ropes. Use the thicker rope if they are two different sizes.
• Pass the end of the second rope under and through the loop.
• Pass the end of the second rope around the first rope.
• Pull the end of the second rope under itself and pull to tighten.

Ropes and knots are essential in maritime work. When workers don’t know how to use the right knots in given situations, the result can be accidents and injuries. All maritime workers should be trained in tying knots and when to use them.