To Be or Knot To Be

By Robin Battley

Very few basics in scuba diving and boating are performed with the range of creativity and individuality found in knot tying. Near the beginning of virtually every instructional manual are a series of diagrams illustrating certain key knots. Why'd they do that? Why give pages of apparent hieroglyphics such a high priority?

The reason often given is safety. The security that your boat will not leave the dock unexpectedly, your lift bag will not separate from your recovered outboard engine en route to the surface and your dinghy will be tied just as you left it the previous night. Interestingly enough, knots can also be used as a "gauge" of boating knowledge and skills.

Webster defines knots as "the intertwining of a flexible material, often rope, to form a knob which fastens or binds". A stroll along any dock will show you that the majority of mariners adhere to the next definition, that is "the creation of a resulting lump". This can most often be seen when boaters belay or wrap a mooring line onto a dockside horn cleat. A well-executed wrap holds securely and will actually tighten itself when increased tension is applied to the line. It uses a minimal amount of line thereby enabling other mooring lines to be wrapped on top as needed, and it can be removed quickly when departing. A cleat wrap done in a seaman-like fashion has the appearance of a clove hitch over the cleat. Conversely, a poorly wrapped line looks like a macrame craft project. Sometimes it's impossible to even see the cleat onto which the line is tied. Excessive turns on the cleat, which most often alternate, add no more holding power to the knot and will actually slip over time. The use of ALL the line on the cleat simply clutters the dock and takes crew a l-o-n-g time to unravel when leaving. Multiple lines on cleats are difficult to clear and often require that every line be removed before any sort of order is possible. In this case, more is definitely not better. While all lines are freed, currents or wind may start moving the vessel away from the dock or into nearby pilings or dinghies. Having lines properly tied can lessen your frequency of unpleasant close encounters dockside. In addition to lowering your stress and probably your voice, your crew will appreciate the clear-cut choices on which lines to untie for you and when. Neat tidy lines also speak volumes about your boating skill and care given to your vessel. Your mother was right ... first impressions do count.

While we're on the topic ... why are lines on decks and on the docks coiled into those cute little mats? Is this just another obsessive-compulsive boating behaviour? No, thankfully. Those coils of line are another carry-over from the great sailing vessels of the past. Large quantities of line were capable of being stowed on deck at the ready but the coils could be easily walked upon without tripping the crew or disturbing the lines. The same holds true today for mooring lines, anchor lines or descent lines.

Of course, other knots are beneficial to both divers and boaters. After becoming proficient at cleat wraps, try clove hitches, round turns with two half hitches, gasket coils, reef knots, and that old favourite, the bow line. If the illustrated diagrams in your manual or knot book are difficult to follow, just ask one of your kids or the guy next to you at the marina whose boat you always admire. They'll enjoy showing you, and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you've created a great "lump".