divide the rope. Unless the ends are at liberty it could not be used
round a mast, but it can be easily slipped round a pier.
This knot is frequently checked by a bow as shown in the diagram above,
lower right.
It is sometimes checked by a Flemish Knot or by a Check Knot. These two
knots cannot be tied unless the ends are loose. They cannot be untied
without assistance from a marlinespike or some similar contrivance.
[Illustration: RUNNING KNOT CHECKED BY A FLEMISH KNOT (LEFT) AND BY A
CHECK KNOT (RIGHT)]
=The Stationer’s Knot= is handy for tying a parcel as it can be made
rapidly and undone with ease. Make a running noose at the end of a
piece of twine and bring it to the center of the parcel. Take the twine
round the parcel at right angles, round the noose and making a bight
slip it under as illustrated. A pull at the end releases the knot
instantly.
[Illustration: STATIONER’S KNOT]
PURCHASES AND SLINGS
=Single Whip=--rope rove through a single block fixed in any position.
It is used for light work. No power is gained.
=Double Whip=--rope rove through two single blocks--upper block a tail
block, lower one movable hook block. The standing part of the fall is
secured close to the tail block. The power gained is double.
[Illustration: SINGLE WHIP DOUBLE WHIP RUNNER GUN TACKLE]
=Runner=--a piece of rope rove through a single block with a standing
eye in one end and pointed at the other. The power gained is double.
=Gun Tackle=--two single blocks. Power gained--twice or three times
according to which is the movable block.
[Illustration:
HANDY BILLY OR JIGGER
WATCH OR LUFF TACKLE
DOUBLE LUFF
THREE-FOLD PURCHASE]
=Jigger=--a small tackle for general use; a double block with a tail
called a jigger and a single block with a hook. The standing part
of the fall is spliced into the strop of the single block. Power
gained--three or four times.
=Handy Billy= is a small tackle for general use.
=Up and Down Tackle=--a double and single block. The double block is
fitted with a thimble, the single block is a hook block, fitted with a
long strop. The standing part of the fall is spliced in the strop of
the single block. Power gained--three times.
=Luff Tackle=--two hook blocks, one double and one single. The standing
part of the fall of this tackle is spliced into a strop of the single
block. It is sometimes rove through a becket in the single block and
secured by being spliced round the strop at the neck of it. Power
gained--three or four times.
=Double Luff Tackle=--two double blocks.
=Three-fold Purchase=--two three-fold blocks. Power gained--six or
seven times.
[Illustration:
FOUR-FOLD PURCHASE
SINGLE SPANISH BURTON
DOUBLE SPANISH BURTON]
=Four-fold Purchase=--two four-fold blocks. Power gained--eight times.
=Single Spanish Burton=--two blocks and a hook. Power gained--three
times. It is not in general use.
=Burton=--a double hook block and a single hook block, fitted with a
long strop, the standing part being spliced round the strop and hook
of the single block. Power gained--three times.
=Runner and Tackle=--consists of three blocks, one double and two
single. One of the single blocks is fitted with a thimble, as a lashing
or shackling block, through which the runner is rove. The double block
of the tackle is turned in one end of the runner. The standing part of
the tackle is spliced in the seat of the single block which is fitted
with a long strop and hook. Power gained--eight times.
=Double Spanish Burton=--There are two forms of this purchase. One by
using three single blocks and the other by using one double and two
single blocks. Power gained--five times.
[Illustration: SPANISH WINDLASS]
=A Spanish Windlass=--To rig a Spanish windlass take a good strand well
greased in the center. Place the strand over the two parts of the rope
that are to be hove together and bringing the ends of the strand up
again, place a bolt close to the strand. Take the ends of the strand
and lay them up with their own parts so as to form two eyes. Take a
round turn with this round the bolt, put a marlinespike in each eye and
heave around.
=A Parbuckle= is used for hauling up or lowering down a cask, or any
cylindrical object where there is no crane or tackle. Middle the rope
to be used for the parbuckle, place the bight over a post or pin as
most convenient; the two ends are then passed under the two quarters of
the cask, bring the ends back again over it and they both being hauled
taut or slackened together either raise or lower the cask as may be
required. Care must be taken to keep an equal strain on both parts to
prevent the cask slipping out.
There are several methods of slinging a cask, viz., with butt slings,
bale slings and head up, also by means of can hooks.
[Illustration: PARBUCKLE BUTT SLINGS BALE SLINGS CAN HOOKS]
=A Butt Sling= is a single piece of rope fitted with an eye splice in
one end and the other end pointed or whipped. To sling the cask, the
cask is placed on its bilge bung up; reeve the end of the sling through
the eye splice and place the loop thus formed over one end of the
cask between the first and second hoops and haul well taut, the eye
splice being in line with the bungs; then take the end of the sling
round the other end of the cask between the first and second hoops and
clove-hitch it to its own part in line with the bung.
=A Bale Sling= is a single piece of rope short spliced together. To
sling a cask, the cask is placed on its bilge bung up, the slings
passed underneath both ends of the cask between the first and second
hoops; the bights are then taken over the cask, and one bight passed
through the other, taking care the cross is in line with the bung.
=Can Hooks= are used for breaking off a cask, that is for lifting out
the first cask of a tier where there is not room to put on a butt or
bale sling. Casks are never hoisted up with can hooks.
=To pass a life line= dip the end under the slings and over the davit
and take two or three turns round all parts and hold on to the end.
To pass a life line for a “full due” proceed as above but substitute
half hitches for round turns and tuck the end in.
=To sling a cask= head up the cask is placed on its end, pass a rope
under the bottom fairly in the center, then form an overhand knot with
both ends of the rope on the top of the cask, open the knot out and
place bights over the head between the first and second loops, haul
them well taut, then reef-knot both ends together on top.
[Illustration: SLING A CASK ON END]
=A Stropper= is used for securing a rope while it is being belayed.
Take the stropper in the left hand, make a half hitch against the lay,
dog the end with the lay of the rope and seize it. With left-handed
rope the end of the stropper should be passed under the rope from left
to right. To put a strop on a hemp rope, center the bight of the strop
and place it over the rope, then dog the ends opposite ways under and
over, and hook on the tackle to both bights.
=To put a strop on a Spar= use the ordinary bale sling strop.
[Illustration:
TO PAN A STROPPER
TO PUT A STROP ON A SPAR
TAIL JIGGER]
=A Tail Jigger= is similar to a stropper but with an additional turn.
To put on a tail jigger take the first two parts of a rolling hitch,
dog the end with the lay and seize it.
FASTENINGS, MOORINGS AND RING KNOTS
A landsman is always fascinated by the ease with which the sailor will
handle big ropes and the way in which he will warp a vessel in or out
of a dock or moor it to a pier by the simple twisting of the cable
round a post or cleat which are on the vessels themselves or on the
pier-head.
=The Simple Stoppered Loop= is familiar to all and when the end of the
rope can be constantly used no other fastening is required.
[Illustration: LARK’S HEAD SIMPLE STOPPERED LOOP]
=A Lark’s Head= can easily be made over a post when there is a running
noose or knot. This is clearly shown in the diagram.
[Illustration: WATERMAN’S KNOT TWISTED ROPE FASTENING]
=The Waterman’s Knot= is used when the end of the rope is not stoppered
or when the middle of the rope must be used. This is similar to the
clove hitch. It can very quickly be made by placing two loops on the
rope as shown in the diagram.
The holding power of a twisted rope is illustrated clearly in the
diagram to the right of the Waterman’s Knot.
[Illustration: TWO LOOPS OF A WATERMAN’S KNOT]
=The Chain Fastening= is of a more permanent character, and is used
when a vessel is to be moored for any length of time.
[Illustration: CHAIN FASTENING]
Square moorings or sheaves are occasionally used for the mooring of
vessels. In these instances the fastenings vary. The diagram shows a
double fastening to sheaves.
[Illustration: DOUBLE CHAIN FASTENING TO SHEAVES]
=A loop fastening to sheaves= may be tied or untied without untying
the loop itself. It is made by passing the loops, =A=, =B=, =C=, =D=,
and =E= as shown and then placing the loop =F= over the head of the
right-hand post of the sheaves. When slackened the loop of the cable
=F= will again slip over the head of the post and the turns and then
reversed. There is a more simple fastening by wrapping the cable round
the angle of the sheaves.
[Illustration: LOOP FASTENING TO SHEAVES]
=The crossed and square fastenings= as shown in the diagrams need no
explanation. The ends are secured by being stoppered to the cable.
[Illustration: CROSSED AND SQUARE FASTENING]
[Illustration: SQUARE FASTENING]
To secure a rope round a cleat first take a round turn, then a figure
of 8 knot is made round the cleat pin and repeated twice. On no account
should a half hitch be made over the pin or cleat afterwards. The main
object is to insure that the rope will not jamb.
[Illustration: TO SECURE A ROPE ROUND A BELAYING PIN OR ROUND A CLEAT]
A study of the many knots used for fastenings or moorings show that
they are only practical applications of many of the knots, bends or
hitches that have already been illustrated in preceding chapters of
this book.
[Illustration: FIGs. 1 to 6]
=The Sailor’s Knot= is a very simple mooring knot for the painter of
a small boat. It is shown on Figs. 1 and 2. This knot shows one line
straight while the end is twisted round in two hitches.
=The Slippery Ring Knot= is shown in Fig. 3. It can be cast off at any
moment. Fig. 4 shows the same knot but it is made permanent by being
stoppered as seen in Fig. 4. The slippery ring knot has one turn in the
ring.
=The Simple Boat Knot=, Fig. 5, has an advantage for rapidity of
unmooring. It is made with only one turn in the ring. The loose end is
left longer than in the diagram but as it sometimes catches in the ring
it is not very popular with sailors.
=The Lark Boat Knot=, Fig. 6, is really a double boat knot. It differs
from the boat knot in that a bight instead of a single end of rope is
put through the ring and a thole used to fasten it.
[Illustration: FIGS. 7 to 12]
=The Boat Knot=, Fig. 7, is made in the same way as the marlinespike
hitch, the only difference being that a thole pin or other small
piece of wood is put through the center of the knot instead of a
marlinespike. By withdrawing the pin the knot comes adrift of its own
accord.
=Simple and Crossed Running Knots= are shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The
simple fastening, Fig. 8, is not so secure, but chafes less than the
crossed running knot, Fig. 9.
=The Capstan Knot=, Fig. 10, is an application of the figure of 8 knot.
To make this cross the end of the rope after it is through the ring,
bring it round the standing part, through the first bight and through
its own bight.
=The Lark’s Head Knot=, Fig. 11, is somewhat like the lark boat knot
but instead of the ends being brought down outside the bight after
being passed through the ring, they are put through it. This is seen in
the ring part of Fig. 11. The whole illustration shows a Lark’s Head
stoppered.
=The Lark’s Head Stoppered= may be made by passing a bight through the
ring and drawing the two parts of the rope through the bight. Where
this is not practical by reason of one end of the rope being fast, the
end may be passed up through the ring behind the standing part and
drawn down through the right and bight again. Sometimes instead of
being stoppered with an overhand knot as seen in Fig. 11 the end is
seized to the standing part with twine, as shown in Fig. 12.
[Illustration: FIGs. 13 to 18]
=The Lark’s Head with Crossed Ends= in Fig. 13 is made in the same way
as the Lark’s head except that the end comes over instead of through
the bight. If the standing part is taken in one hand and the end in the
other and drawn apart this knot is the clove hitch or builder’s knot.
=The Double Lark’s Head=, Fig. 14, is easily followed in the diagram. A
bight is first made and the ends passed through it, the ends are then
put through the ring and through the loop already made and hauled taut.
=The Treble Lark’s Head=, Fig. 15, is not as difficult as it appears
in the diagram. First bring the bight of the rope up through the ring,
then take one of the ends and pass it through the bight and up through
the ring. Then put it down through its own bight. Do the same with the
other part and the knot is formed.
=Back-Handed Sailors’ Knots= are shown in Figs. 16 and 17. This knot
is made by passing an end through the ring round at the back of the
standing part and through the ring again, finishing with two half
hitches round the standing part.
[Illustration: A SLIP KNOT STOPPERED]
=Slip Knots= stoppered as shown in Fig. 18 and above are easily made
and the diagrams show their formation clearly.
[Illustration: SLIP KNOT AND SLIP CLINCH]
=Slip Knot secured by a slip clinch= is another simple knot and easily
followed in the diagram.
[Illustration: GUNNER’S OR DELAY KNOT]
=The Gunner’s Knot= is simply a carrick bend made with the two ends of
a rope after it has been passed through two rings. This is sometimes
called a delay knot.
[Illustration: LEAD LINE AND LEAD]
=Securing Lead Line to Lead.=--The lead is fitted with a good wire
grommet parcelled over. The lead line should have a long eye spliced in
it and is secured by passing the eye through the grommet and over the
lead.
=Hawsers= are bent together by two half hitches and seizing the ends in
addition to methods already explained.
[Illustration: BEND HAWSERS MOUSING A HOOK]
=Mousing a hook= is to prevent a chain or rope from slipping off or to
prevent it becoming unhooked. A few turns of a rope yarn are passed
round the ends of the hook and the standing part, the ends are brought
round the middle a few times and fastened with a reef knot.
LASHINGS, SEIZINGS, ETC.
A practical knowledge of the proper way to lash a rope is necessary
to anyone who has anything to do with a vessel no matter what its
character. Occasions constantly occur on sea and on land, in fair
weather and foul, to unite ropes on the bight or that are fitted with
eyes or with other loops.
[Illustration: RUNNING KNOT IN THE EYE OF A ROPE]
=A Running knot fastened in the eye of a rope= is the simplest of these
knots. The diagram shows how this is made.
[Illustration: DEAD-EYE LASHING]
=The Dead-Eye Lashing= is one of frequent use on board full-rigged
ships. It admits of easy adjustment to the strain of the ropes. The ram
blocks are fastened in the eyes, which are made by simple lashings and
tightened by the lanyards, =A=, =A=, which pass through holes on the
dead-eye, so as to tighten or slacken the rope at will. The ends of the
lanyard are fastened to the main rope.
[Illustration: BELAYING-PIN SPLICE]
=The Belaying-Pin Splice= as shown in the diagram really illustrates
three methods of joining cordage. The belaying pin is marked =A=. It is
stoppered on the end of the rope and served with yarn, passed through
the eye of the rope and at the other end a loop is formed. Through this
loop or bend a button secured to the rope, =B=, by a single knot is
passed, and the double junction is complete.
=The Wedding Knot= or =Rose Lashing= is one to join two rope ends both
having eyes. The lashing is passed successively through both eyes and
then tied in the center.
[Illustration: WEDDING KNOT (UPPER) SHELL LASHING]
=The Shell Lashing= is made by looping two ends of rope around a
spherical shell and seizing the end to the standing parts.
[Illustration: A CROSS LASHING]
=A Cross Lashing= is used when a lever is used to a rope. After several
turns round the rope, the lashing is crossed round the lever and
fastened with a reef knot.
[Illustration: PORTUGUESE KNOT OR NECKLACE TIE]
=The Portuguese Knot= or =Necklace Tie= is made by taking several
turns round the spars to be joined, then two turns round the lashings
and secured with a reef knot.
[Illustration: NIPPERING OR PACKING]
=Nippering= or =Packing= is a method for securing two ropes together
with cross turns. These are hauled taut and further secured by round
turns over all after the ropes have been jammed together. The ends are
fastened with a reef knot.
[Illustration: WEST COUNTRY WHIPPING]
=A West Country Whipping= is formed by middling the twine around the
part of the rope to be marked and half-knotting it at every half turn
so that each knot will be on opposite sides. When a sufficient number
of turns are passed finish it off with a reef knot.
[Illustration: FINISHING A WHIPPING]
To finish off a whipping without showing a knot lay one end forward
as at =A= in the diagram, then pass the other end round and round a
sufficient number of times, hauling taut each time. Three or four loose
turns are then made and the end passed under these backwards. These
ends are worked down into their places and when they are hauled taut
are cut off.
[Illustration: FINISHING A WHIPPING]
Another method is, instead of having a single end, a bight of the
seizing is laid along the part to be whipped and the turns passed over
it. When these are completed the end is passed through the bight at
=A=. The end =B= is then hauled upon to bring the bight and the end of
the rope snug under the coils. There are now two loops interlacing at
the center of the work and these cannot come undone. When the ends are
cut off close to the turns the whole is fair and smooth.
[Illustration: A USEFUL BAND]
A useful band is shown in the diagram above. The second end =B= is
drawn through by a turn--a very useful method of securing a ligature or
a fractured fishing rod.
[Illustration: PACKING KNOT]
=The Packing Knot= is used for binding timbers together. The first
diagram shows it started at =A= and =B= shows it completed. It is
tightened by means of a packing-stick, =C=, which is twisted under the
knot and then twisted round and secured as shown. A quicker plan is two
toggles shown in the second diagram. After twisting the sticks round
tie the two ends of the sticks together.
[Illustration: SIMPLE PACKING KNOT]
=A Toggle= is a piece of wood turned to shape and having a groove in
the center round which the end of a rope is spliced. An eye is made
in another rope by any method and the toggle is slipped into it. To
unfasten it the ropes are slackened. Another form of toggle is a round
piece of wood shaped like a button. It has a hole in the center
through which a rope is passed and the end knotted.
[Illustration: TOGGLES]
=The Jury=, or =Double Pitcher Knot= as it is sometimes called, is
useful when a jury mast has to be rigged, as the loops form a means of
attaching the necessary supports to the mast. The center =K= in the
second diagram is slipped over the masthead and the weight brought on
the stays tightens it and holds it in its position on the mast.
[Illustration: JURY KNOT, FIRST STAGE]
It is formed by three ordinary half hitches each placed behind the
other with the loop of the last laid over the first. Keep the hitches
together with the right hand and with the left take =A= and dip it
under =B= and pull =C= through =A= and =B=.
Then, holding the knot with the left hand, place =F= over =E= and pull
=D= between =E= and =F=. Take =G= in the teeth and pull on the parts
=G=, =F= and =A=. The ends =H= and =Z= may be either knotted or spliced.
[Illustration: JURY KNOT, COMPLETED]
=Racking Seizing= is used where the strain is on only one part of the
rope. An eye splice is formed in one end of racking and the first turn
is passed round both parts of the rope like a round seizing; it is
then dipped between both parts and the remaining turns are passed as
racking turns, over and under, leaving sufficient space between each
racking turn for a roundabout turn to lie, the usual number taken
being thirteen. After these are passed the end is dipped down inside
the last turn and the roundabout turns are passed from the end towards
the eye between the racking turns. When the last roundabout turn is
passed, the end is passed up between both parts of the shroud, ready
for passing the cross turns, which are passed by taking the end along
the seizing and passing it down between the seventh and sixth turns
along the seizing, again towards the eye, up between the two parts of
the shroud, as before, and again drawn between the seventh and sixth
turns so as to form a clove hitch. Then finish off with a crown and
wall as in other seizings.
To make the racking neater after passing the last roundabout turn, the
end is taken outside all parts of the racking instead of between the
six and seven turns, and clove formed at the same time.
[Illustration: RACKING SEIZING]
SPLICING AND ROPE WORK
It is sometimes necessary to unite hawsers, cables and even ropes in
such a manner that there is no obvious difference in their diameter and
no substantial weakening of their strength. This can be done only by
splicing, that is, putting the ends together by opening the strands and
placing them into one another, or if equal diameter is not essential
by putting strands of the end of a rope between those of a bight. When
ropes are knotted they cannot be run through a block. In driving ropes,
too, knotting is out of the question. It is calculated that a splice
will weaken the strength of a rope about one-eighth.
[Illustration: SHORT SPLICE]
=A short splice= is used for joining any rope not needed to travel
through a block.
To make a short splice unlay the rope to the required length which
is twice the circumference of the rope for the long ends and one and
a half times the circumference for the short ends. When this is done
whip all the ends with yarn. The ends are then placed together as shown
in the first diagram, the strands of one rope alternately between the
strands of the other. The two ropes are then jammed closely together.
The end of one rope with the strands of the other rope are now held
firmly in the left hand. Sometimes it is better to put a lashing round
the strands to keep them down to the rope on which they lie. The long
ends are tucked in twice and the short ends once. Pass the left hand
over the first strand next to it and underneath the second strand. Haul
it taut in the lay of the rope. Then enter the right-hand strand and
lastly the middle strand in a similar manner to the first or left-hand
strand. Haul them taut along the lay of the rope. Put the long ends in
again as before, cut the stop off the fork and put the short ends in
once in a similar way. Stretch the splice, whip the ends and cut them
off. If it is intended to serve over the splice, put the strands in
once and a half each way, take a few of the underneath yarns from each
strand to fill up the lay of the rope for worming, scrape the ends and
marl them down ready for serving.
[Illustration: LONG SPLICE]
=The Long Splice= has many advantages over the short one. To make it
unlay the ends of two ropes to the length of five and a half times
the circumference of the rope. Crutch them together as for the short
splice. Unlay one strand and fill up the vacant space which it leaves
with the opposite strand next to it. Then turn the rope round and lay
hold of the two next strands that will come opposite their respective
lays. Unlay one filling up the vacant space, as before, with the other.
Take one-third out of each strand, knot the opposite strands together
and heave them well in place. Stick all six ends once under one strand.
Having stretched the splice well cut off the ends.
[Illustration: EYE SPLICE]