replacing main halyard and running it aft...how long?

[Oswego John]

Hi John and all,

I have always been fascinated with knots, bends and what have you, Anything to do with ropes and lines. Your list of 10 is a good list for any sailor to have command of.

I crewed on some larger sailing vessels where the Captain forbade the use of the square knot on his ship.

The square knot should never be used to join two lines of different diameters together. The readers should try a simple experiment by tying a square knot using different diameter lines and exerting considerable tug on both standing parts. You might be surprised to see what happens.

It is much safer to use a sheet bend or another knot/bend when joining unequal lines. Another thing to be aware of, there is a right and a wrong way to tie the sheet bend. When the bend is completed, both bitter ends should be on the same side of the bend/knot.

Keep up the good work. Maybe next winter we'll get into double turk's heads and monkey fists.

Best regards,
O J

[Jim Davis]

The square knot has only one acceptable use afloat and that is to tie in reef points. It holds well and is easily untied by capsizing it. One other passable use is as a bow knot in your shoe laces.

[Tom Keevil]

It's a good idea to make your halyard long enough so it will reach your main genoa winches after passing through a block on the deck. This makes it a lot easier to hoist someone up the mast. Otherwise you will be using a winch on the mast, which is generally not as powerful, and is probably held on by screws into the thin aluminum of the mast. Those screws are probably corroded as well. Our genoa winches are also self-tailing, which makes it a lot easier. In addition it is easier to see what the person on the mast is doing if you're not directly below them, and if the person up the mast drops a screwdriver, it is less likely to land on your head if you're back in the cockpit.

[RichMason]

I was going to use the winch that is mounted on my cabin top starboard side and the cam cleat behind it. I assume these were used by the original self-tending jib somehow. I assume it is mounted strongly enough to hoist the sail until I can install some other gear.

[Carter Brey]

It is much safer to use a sheet bend or another knot/bend when joining unequal lines. Another thing to be aware of, there is a right and a wrong way to tie the sheet bend. When the bend is completed, both bitter ends should be on the same side of the bend/knot.

Keep up the good work. Maybe next winter we'll get into double turk's heads and monkey fists.

Best regards,
O J

I was delighted to learn the Zeppelin Bend from Brian Toss' excellent book. Unlike the sheet bend, it has a beautiful straight lead and the ends are less likely to foul.

OJ, I know what you mean about the pleasure in this stuff. I keep a length of whipped 1/8" clothesline in my locker at Lincoln Center. I'm constantly experimenting during breaks. My colleagues in the Philharmonic think I'm some kind of daft menace.

[bottomscraper]

http://www.animatedknots.com/
http://www.42brghtn.mistral.co.uk/knots/42ktmenu.html
http://www.folsoms.net/knots/