Want to get on the fast track to feeling like an active sailor? When you begin learning the most crucial knots used onboard a yacht, even beginners will begin to feel like they are a valuable part of the crew! Learning how to tie proper knots is a crucial skill for all beginning sailors. Knots are used on a yacht for very specific purposes and learning to tie them correctly is only part of the skill. You must also understand how and when they are used. Select the correct knot for the job, then practice tying it efficiently and effectively until you have the confidence to get the job done even during unfavorable conditions at sea.
Knot tying has been around since the beginning of mankind. But it is sailors who turned it into an art form with many practical and decorative uses. There are hundreds of knots, but we will focus on the ones that are most often used on yachts that all beginning sailors should learn and master. These are the essential knots that you’ll learn how to tie in the RYA Competent Crew course.
The bowline is arguably the best-known and most-used knot onboard on yacht. The bowline forms a secure loop and, if properly tied, will not jam. It’s simple to tie and untie. It can easily and sturdily attach a line to any object. You can use a bowline to form a fixed loop at the end of a line creating a strong and reliable hold.
The clove hitch is a simple, all-purpose hitch but should not be trusted in critical applications—it can slip if the post rotates or if constant pressure is not maintained. It’s easy to tie and untie and is a useful binding knot.
The rolling hitch is an easy and secure way to fasten a line to a post. It holds firmly in the direction of the standing line. It is derived from the clove hitch, but is significantly more secure. It is often used to secure the wishbone boom to the mast. It’s reliable, effective, and easy to tie. It grips itself, but only in one direction.
A cleat hitch is a knot that is used every time to moor your yacht to secure the line to the cleat on a pier or dock. It will safely secure your yacht and is difficult to come untied accidentally, if tied properly.
When tying mooring lines to rings or for tying a dinghy ashore, the round turn and two half hitch is the perfect knot. Unlike a bowline, it can be released under tension. It is strong, dependable, and never jams. It is also a knot that will support heavy loads.
Also known as a square knot, the reef knot can be used for tying the ends of two lines of the same diameter together. It can also be used to tie the foot of the sail that has been reefed. This knot should never be used to tie two lines together that are different sizes—it is unsafe and the lines can pull apart. Make sure that the standing line and the free end exit the knot together.
To join two lines of unequal diameter to make a longer line, use the sheet bend and double sheet bends. It is a suitable knot for most non-critical situations. Be sure that the free ends of both lines of the sheet bend are on the same side as the finished knot. The sheet bend is sometimes called a Weaver’s Knot when it is tied using yarn or twine.
Used as a stopper knot on the end of a line, the figure of eight is used on halyards to prevent the line from disappearing inside the mast by accident. It can also be used to prevent the end of a line from fraying temporarily.
All of these knots are taught in the RYA Competent Crew course and these simple step-by-step instructions can be used as a cheat sheet for practicing. Proper knot tying will make you a valuable member of any sailing crew.
If you are a visual learner, check out these awesome YouTube videos to help you.
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The best way to learn to sail is to take an RYA course with highly-skilled instructors in a gorgeous place like Mallorca—where the weather is perfect and the sailing conditions are ideal for beginners. However, you can supplement that practical hands-on training with a few sailing books targeted toward beginners that will provide additional insight and information that you can use as you continue your sailing adventures or when you want to keep learning, but maybe the weather is not ideal for sailing.
Every sail is not created equally. Some smaller yachts have only one sail, which makes sail selection a breeze. However, larger sailboats have several sails with dozens of different sail configurations. When learning to sail, it’s important to understand the different types of sails and how they are used. For example, if you want to go downwind faster, use a spinnaker. If you are headed upwind, you may want a code zero. In other words, different conditions require different types of sails with different characteristics.
Rigging and sails are closely related, and all are part of a yacht’s overall sail plan. There are dozens of types of sails and literally hundreds of various configurations. A sail rig is the way that the sails are attached to the mast. It is the setup or configuration of the sailboat and consists of the sail and mast hardware. It can get confusing. For example, the shape of sails depends on the rigging, so they overlap a bit. In this article, we will explore the most commonly-used modern sail rigs.
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