What are your "Go To" Knots?

Misterbulbous · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:58 pm

As I referenced in a different post, the first time I took my boat out (15 years ago?), I got out on the lake, cruised around, nervously approached the dock and suddenly realized I didn't know any boating knots. I think I tied up to my posts using a granny knot or pretended I was tying my shoes...

Fortunately, I've picked up my marlinspike over the years, but still have a lot to learn and my aresenal is still only two or three knots.

Anyone else have a similar experience? Anyone care to share their favorite or most useful knots for daily mooring?

ric · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:03 pm

I'm lazy, I own/buy these. The spliced end goes in a cleat, and the open end goes on another cleat just using the standard cleat knot to get the slack right.

On a more permanent docking, I get longer dock lines with a spliced end and wrap them around the dock posts in a neat fashion at least 4 times. Easy to adjust when the lake levels change. Looks cleaner then cleats with no loose rope for kids or animals to mess with. I get a foot long section of clear hose that fits the line (3/8) from ACE Hardware for $2 to avoid chafing against the wood dock.

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:34 pm

ric wrote:

I'm lazy, I own/buy these. The spliced end goes in a cleat, and the open end goes on another cleat just using the standard cleat knot to get the slack right.

+1. I do it the same way to keep it simple. I would try to do some fancier knots but I know next time I returned to the boat it probably wouldn't be there. :shock:

ric · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:42 pm

When my laziness level was at x1000 on my old boat (12ft fishing) I screwed in big eye bolts into the dock, put hiking carabiners on the dock line, and securely knotted dock line to boat's cleats.

Want to go fishing? Unclip dock lines from eye bolts and go. Took longer to put a beer in the coozie then to set off.

Berger · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:06 pm

The Bowline knot is one of the most useful knots you'll ever need to know how to tie.

http://www.animatedknots.com/bowline/

Misterbulbous · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:30 pm

Good responses. I use the cleat hitch and bowline as well. One of the handiest things I've found is just keeping a few 4' dock lines with a standard loop at each end. Like others, I like to keep it simple and get the boat tied off in a matter of seconds, rather than standing there for 25 minutes fussing around while everyone is watching. I'll link a picture when I get home from work...

I still admit that I have a lot to learn, but I love to critique other peoples knots when I see their boats tied up. Funny how many times it looks like a complete mess. Cleat hitch is the most common offender.

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:25 pm

The cleat, bowline and half-hitch knots will cover you in most situations. That and those not familiar with fancier knots will understand how to untie them quickly should an urgent situation develop.

One tip with cleats, you can use the ears of the cleat to lift how the line drapes across nearby surfaces. As in, I like to run the first line up and over a cleat ear (for lack of a better term for it) so the line is lifted away from the fiberglass deck below. This helps avoid the line rubbing on the fiberglass as much.

This is also why I find it's better to use the softer and more expensive braided lines instead of the cheaper and rougher 3-strand nylon kind. That and I wash the lines each season to keep them supple and get the salty grit and dirt out of them. I use a couple of large mesh laundry bags to avoid having monstrous knots in the washer.

Also consider how your arrange the permanent lines at your home dock. It'll depend on your tides and docking setups, of course, but sometimes it's useful to keep just the 'loop' end of the line at the boat. This way you don't have a lot of line left lying around on the boat. Lots of extra line can also be avoided by trimming them once you know just how much is needed.

Ccmblack · **Posted:** Wed May 02, 2012 10:10 pm

+ 1 on bowline. It is extremely versatile...also great to add length to a line without the knot coming undone or tightening down. Every boater should know this knot...even for off boat knowledge.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Wed May 02, 2012 10:42 pm

At the slip, I use 6 dock lines. Three of them always stay on the dock. When I return, there is no need of rejusting those three lines. As in, this will make the boat go right back in the same spot every time.

weather · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 6:00 am

I leave the loop end of the line on the boat cleats and neatly loop and hang the bow and spring lines from the railing, the aft line comes off and is stored. I then use a standard cleat tie with the loose end to the dock. For the fenders I use a clove hitch followed by a half hitch for the front 3 fenders that hang from the railing - this allows easy height adjustment and removal for longer cruises.
Great site that Berger listed above, has good explanation of the good and bad of each knot.

taz42169 · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 8:05 am

Another good knot to know is the double figure 8 with a bite. I use it for climbing and securing things...

http://www.chockstone.org/TechTips/F8Knots.htm

www.iFourWinns.com

What are your "Go To" Knots?

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