Nautical Knowledge of Knots

Oh man, I love alliteration, even if it’s only phonetic alliteration like that title. The actual subject of this entry is an interest I picked up in the Coast Guard, that of knots.

It is my firm belief that any man worth his salt should be able to tie the following knots, as they have practical use in day to day life.

  1. The Overhand Knot, essentially the basic knot that everyone knows how to tie.
  2. The Bowline (pronounced “bo-line”), this is one the most useful knots.
  3. The Clove Hitch, which is useful for securing a line to an object.
  4. The Figure Eight Knot, which is the most common knot for preventing lines from slipping from retention devices.
  5. The Slip Knot, which is useful for all kinds of tasks.
  6. The Fisherman’s Knot, which is good for binding two pieces of line together. You might not use this one as much, but you’ll be glad to know it when you need it.

Knowing how to tie a good knot definitely falls into my list of “John Wayne Approved” skills. Plus, a good knowledge of knots can come in handy the next time your kids get out of line are studying for their scout badges.