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18

Tied Up In Knots

“Topmen, aloft!” sang out the commodore in a piercing 

voice that rose above the screaming wind and roar of 

the sea. “Take in the topgallants and royals!”

We all raced aloft; but no sooner had these sails 

been furled and we returned to the deck than the 

commodore was at us again.

“Reef topsails!” he shouted even louder than before. 

“Away aloft—take in one reef!”

Mick and I scrambled up, almost out of breath, into 

the mizzen-top; which we hardly reached before we 

heard the commodore give the next order necessary to 

enable us to take in the reef—

“Weather topsail braces, round in! Lower the 

topsails!”

~ from Young Tom Bowling by J.C. Hutcheson, 1896. 

Do you know how to tie a reef knot? A sailor’s life and the safety of 

the entire crew and ship can depend on the quality of knots he ties. 

Sailors take pride in being able to match the right knot to a specifi c 

job, and even modern sailors need to master this skill. 

Tied Up In Knots

“In the rigging”. In The South Pole, by Roald Amundsen, 1872-1928. 

Archival Photograph by Mr. Steve Nicklas, NOS, NGS. Courtesy NOAA

What You Will Do

Learn to tie some basic knots that have been 

used by mariners for centuries and are often 

useful in everyday life
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What You Will Need

r One or more pieces of rope, about 3 feet long; 

nylon, polypropylene, manila, or cotton 

ropes, 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch in diameter work 

well

r Pictures or video showing how to tie knots

How to do It

There are three different types of “knot.” 

• A Bend is used to join two ropes (often of 

different diameters), or to fasten a rope to 

an eye, ring, or other structure. Examples: 

sheet or becket bend; anchor bend

• A Hitch is designed to stay in place under 

strain, but remain easily adjustable when 

the strain is removed. Examples; clove 

hitch, half hitch, rolling hitch

• A Knot is used to fasten ropes together, 

or to fasten a rope to an object, or to 

enlarge the end of a rope (as in a stopper 

knot.) A stopper knot is usually tied at 

the end of a rope to prevent the line from 

slipping through an eye, ring, or pulley. 

A good knot must be able to be easily 

untied. Examples; bowline, reef (square) 

knot, overhand knot, figure eight knot

Five Useful Knots

Bowline

Uses: Forms a loop at the end of a rope that 

will not slip (close up) when the rope is under 

tension. This knot is easy to untie, even after 

it has been under high strain.

How to Tie It: Be sure the free end of the rope 

lies inside the loop when the knot is completed.

Figure Eight

Uses: A “stopper” used to prevent the end of 

the rope from slipping through a pulley. Also 

used in mountain climbing to secure a rappelling line to a climbing harness.

How to Tie It:
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Clove Hitch

Uses: Used to secure a line to a round object 

such as a post or rail. 

How to Tie It:

Reef Knot (Square Knot)

Uses: Used for lashings and other situations 

where a line must be tied around an object, 

but should NEVER be used as a bend to tie 

two ropes together. “Reefing” a sail means to 

make the sail smaller by partially folding or 

“furling” the sail. A Reef Knot is used to tie 

the sail in a partially folded position.

How to Tie It: If you grab one of the free ends 

and jerk it across the knot, the knot will “capsize” and slip apart easily.

Sheet Bend

Uses: One of the best bends for joining two 

ropes together, especially if the ropes do not 

have the same diameter.

How to Tie It: The rope with the larger diameter should be used for the loop. 
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Turn Your Knot Tying Skill into a Game:

Organize a knot tying race. Give each contestant five pieces of rope, and see 

who will be first to correctly tie all five knots. If one knot is wrong, the contestant loses. If this seems harsh, remember that a single badly tied knot 

can be disaster for mariners at sea.

Want to Know More?

There are lots of books on knot tying and ropecraft. Two very good ones are:

Knotcraft: The Practical and Entertaining Art of Knot Tying by Allan and Paulette Macfarlan; Dover Craft Books, 1983

The Arts of the Sailor – Knotting, Splicing and Ropework by Hervey Garret 

Smith; Dover Publications, reprint edition

You can find animated knot tying instructions at 

www.animatedknots.com/indexbasics.php

Another Web site with instructions for tying many different knots is: 

www.2020site.org/knots/

 The dredging and sounding arrangements on board the CHALLENGER.

 In The Voyage of the CHALLENGER - The Atlantic Vol I, by Sir C. Wyville Thomson, 1878. 

 Archival Photography by Steve Nicklas, NOS, NGS. Courtesy NOAA