I always thought the Gordian Knot was complicated...

[Greenheart]

I have one of those plastic bobbles on the end of my main halyard. It's much too big to go through the eyelet at the head of the sail...

...so, when I wanted to hoist my main for the first time today, I took a moment to think how best to tie the halyard on...

...then I made a short loop, threaded it through the eyelet, and pushed the bobble through the emerging loop. Tension on the halyard locked it tight.

Then I hoisted the sail, till SWMBO arrived to pick me up, and without difficulty, I was able to slacken the rope, so it was as it appears in the photo...

...but between us, we spent 15 minutes trying & failing, casually at first, then comically, and finally dementedly, to undo this amazingly simple knot:

View attachment 31412

I had to cut it free in the end.

So, my question is, what on earth did I do? Or more particularly, why did a knot which was tied effortlessly, defy all our sober attempts to free it?

 

[alahol2]

I have one of those plastic bobbles on the end of my main halyard. It's much too big to go through the eyelet at the head of the sail...

...so, when I wanted to hoist my main for the first time today, I took a moment to think how best to tie the halyard on...

...then I made a short loop, threaded it through the eyelet, and pushed the bobble through the emerging loop. Tension on the halyard locked it tight.

Then I hoisted the sail, till SWMBO arrived to pick me up, and without difficulty, I was able to slacken the rope, so it was as it appears in the photo...

...but between us, we spent 15 minutes trying & failing, casually at first, then comically, and finally dementedly, to undo this amazingly simple knot:

View attachment 31412

I had to cut it free in the end.

So, my question is, what on earth did I do? Or more particularly, why did a knot which was tied effortlessly, defy all our sober attempts to free it?

You have sort of 'capsized' the knot through the hole. If you pull the two strands emerging from the hole towards you, you will pull the 'standing part' through the hole and allow you to release the bobble through the loop. Does that make any kind of sense?

 

[Greenheart]

If you pull the strands emerging from the hole towards you, you will pull the 'standing part' through the hole and allow you to release the bobble through the loop. Does that make sense?

It sounds very authoritative, and I really want to believe it, except that I was enduringly confounded by the damned thing today, and I still can't see the way out!

 

[paulm299]

As Alahol2 says . Pull the loop to the left until you can put it Under the bobble and the loop will pass through the eye .

 

[alahol2]

It sounds very authoritative, and I really want to believe it, except that I was enduringly confounded by the damned thing today, and I still can't see the way out!

I just tied it through the handle of my cocoa mug. Just pull hard on the bobble and you'll pull the standing part through the hole. Once you've done that all will be revealed.

 

[Tranona]

Make the loop through the cringle, take the tail over the top of the headboard push the bobble through the loop and pull tight. To release push the fall of the halyard down to open up the loop. Method described in this months PBO as it happens. Doddle once you have mastered it. If you lose the bobble then use the halyard Knot as described in the Selden rigging handbook which I personally prefer - not that you have to take that as proof it is better!

 

[Greenheart]

Eureka! Did it, thank you. By the way, I'd been busily writing other posts...I haven't been stuck continuously on this blasted knot since midnight!

Funny how it did seem so intractable in the afternoon, but then a long unhurried look at the photo just now, showed the way.