How to Make Nautical Knots

It is important to use strong coils of rope for your nautical knots.

When boating, it is important to be confident in your knots, as nautical knots are used for everything from securing buoys to the side of a boat for docking, to mounting an anchor for tying off on a dock or another boat. Tying loose knots can result in damage to the boat from a poor docking, or lost items when the knot comes undone. The reef knot, figure eight knot and bowline hitch are three basic but effective nautical knots.

Things You'll Need

• Ropes

Instructions

Figure Eight

1. Bend the loose end of the rope around in front of the body of the rope, creating a loop.

2. Drape the loose end back behind the body of the rope, creating a second loop.

3. Weave the loose end over the near side of the first loop, then through the first loop.

4. Pull on the end to tighten the figure eight.

Reef Knot

1. Bend one of the two knots being secured together, creating a loop.

2. Bend the second rope to create a loop in that rope as well, then pass the second loop through the first loop.

3. Reach through the second loop and grab both ends of the first rope.

4. Pull the two ends of the first rope through the second loop.

5. Pull the loose ends of both ropes to tighten the reef knot and tie the ropes together.

Bowline Hitch

1. Wrap the rope around the item on which you will tie off.

2. Create a loop in the body of the rope, before the section passed around the object.

3. Pass the end of the rope up through the bottom of the loop and out the top.

4. Wrap the loose end around the body of the rope above the loop.

5. Pass the loose end back through the loop and pull to tighten the hitch.

References

• Animated Knots; Grog's Index of Boating Knots

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish