How to Tie a Clove Hitch Knot for Sailing

Basic hitch knots provide a way to secure a rope to another object. In both scouting programs and sailing schools, you will need to learn how to tie a clove hitch knot. Typically, the clove hitch knot is used for hanging a buoy, because it is very quick to tie and easy to adjust. Visually, it appears as a figure-8 lying on its side.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rope

1. 

   Take the end of the rope and travel it over the object you intend to attach the rope to.

2. 

   Wrap the rope around the object, coming back up and over the beginning of the knot. This creates one side of the figure-8.

3. 

   Repeat a similar wrap. This time, take the end of the rope and travel it behind the object, bringing the end up from the bottom to the front of the object. This creates the visual of the other half of the figure-8.

4. 

   Place the tail end of the rope under the middle of the figure-8. Pull tightly. This finishes the clove hitch knot.

Tips & Warnings

• The clove hitch knot can also be tied in the bight, or the middle of the rope. To do so, create two back-to-back overhand loops. Then place the openings around a pole and pull to tighten. This is typically used when there is tension being placed on both ends of the rope.
• While this is an important knot to learn, it is not very secure. You would use it to tie a rope to a boat in circumstances when you intended to remove the rope fairly quickly.

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