Being out on the open water is always a fun experience, whether you’re wakeboarding, tubing, traveling from one marina to another, or simply cruising around. To fully enjoy these adventures and stay safe, though, it’s important to know how to dock your boat correctly and tie a strong knot. There are hundreds of boat knots, but you should certainly learn the five listed below if you’re planning on your boat still being there when you get back.
Cleat Hitch
The cleat hitch is one of the most common knots boaters use to tie their boats to any fixed dock, floating dock, or boat lift. Normally, this is additionally performed on the cleats equipped on the boat. The cleat hitch utilizes a “figure 8” pattern on a cleat. It’s designed to easily tie and untie, and at the same time, it holds watercraft securely with superior strength.
To tie a cleat hitch, first pull the end of the rope fully around the bottom of the cleat. Next, bring the rope over the top and wrap it around the other horn of the cleat. After that, bring it over the top again and make sure you have sufficient length to build another loop. Finally, make an underhand loop and insert it on the horn of the cleat you started with, pulling the end to make sure it’s as tight as possible. This creates a lock to top off and restrain the free end of the last wrap.
Bowline Knot
The bowline knot is another great type of knot for situations where a firm hold is crucial. Similar to the cleat hitch, it’s also easy to untie on a moment’s notice. When fully tied, this knot provides a fixed loop around the end of the rope that could be used on a post or cleat. This doesn’t tend to work well for longer, more permanent mooring, but is ideal for brief mooring scenarios, such as a quick run to grab a forgotten life jacket.
The first step in tying the bowline knot is to lay the rope across your left hand with the end hanging down. Next, bring the end of the rope up to form an eye hole (also known as the rabbit hole). The free end of the rope should be overlapping the fixed side of it. After that, bring the rope up through the eye hole, wrap it around the fixed side, and then bring it back through the eye hole. This is referred to as the rabbit coming out of the hole, traveling around the tree, and going back into the hole. Once the “rabbit” is back in the hole, finally pull the end of the rope while also pulling the fixed side to tighten it around the post or cleat.
Anchor Bend
The anchor bend is used most commonly to tie a rope to an anchor in order to secure the anchor to the boat. To ensure the anchor doesn’t get lost, boaters commonly double-knot the end of the rope on the anchor. The first step in tying this knot is to make two loops around the chain link atop the anchor. The next step is to pass the end of the rope behind the fixed line, followed by pushing it through the loops created in the first step and pulling it tight. Next, wrap the end around the fixed line above the first knot, making sure you put the end under the first wrap strand. Once you’ve done that, you’ve made what’s called a half hitch. To top it off, tie a knot with a small string to seize the free end and fixed line together.
Clove Hitch
Similar to the bowline knot, the clove hitch is excellent for temporary mooring at dock posts, though it can still be used for other applications. It’s very easy to tie and untie, making it an excellent knot for quick adjustments. Be careful when creating this knot, as it can easily slip without constant tension in the line.
The first step in creating this knot is to wrap the line fully around the post once, making sure to loop the line beneath itself when wrapped. Then, wrap the line around the post again over the first wrapped segment. Finally, when coming back around again, slip the end of the line under the previous wrap, and pull it as tight as possible.
Figure 8 Knot
The figure 8 knot is one of the strongest knots boaters can make. It has a very well-secured loop at the end, making it perfect for long-term mooring. It’s actually the recommended knot to use if you’re going to leave your boat moored for more than a week. This knot is so strong that rock climbers also frequently use it to secure their gear. To tie this knot, allow two feet of rope from the end to tie a single “8” and then begin by tying the “8.” Make sure you weave under and then over the fixed end when doing this. Next, leave a loop of your desired size at the bottom of the “8,” then retrace the “8” you made in the first step. Pull the end tight after tracing the “8” the second time, and the knot is complete.
