Icicle hitch

[Neil]

I'm sure that many old salts here have this in their back pocket, but...

My 7-year old daughter gave me the job of tying a beaded braid into her hair this evening. My first thought was a rolling hitch, but with shiny slippery hair, I felt there might have been a better alternative. While perusing knots, I came across the icicle hitch as a more secure 'slip-and-grip' knot. While it was probably a bit overboard for my daughters hair I thought I would practice it. Apart from tying a parallel rope to another, it would also be used to tie a parallel rope to a pole or spar. With a waste length of dowel to hand I found it much much more secure than a rolling hitch (even with the non-tucked second turn variation for poles). The rolling hitch had to pulled extremely tight to avoid slippage, even on the fairly rough wood. The Icicle Hitch, on the other hand, can be tied on smooth stainless and even a tapering spar (hence the name)

However, what sort of circumstances require tying a parallel rope to a pole or spar????

 

[prv]

I have a feeling the icicle hitch is actually a relatively recent invention, so perhaps not one old salts would have.

I use rolling hitches all the time, but thinking it over I realise they're mostly tied around lines, and you're asking about spars. The only one that comes immediately to mind is that I tie a rolling hitch in a short lanyard around the handle end of my boathook, then the other end to the shroud, when using it to pole out the staysail. The boathook wants to move inboard, the rolling hitch pulls along its length and keeps it pushing outwards.

Pete

 

[alahol2]

The only one that comes immediately to mind is that I tie a rolling hitch in a short lanyard around the handle end of my boathook, then the other end to the shroud, when using it to pole out the staysail. The boathook wants to move inboard, the rolling hitch pulls along its length and keeps it pushing outwards.

Pete

Snap. Although mines a genoa thet gets poled out.

 

[agurney]

... However, what sort of circumstances require tying a parallel rope to a pole or spar????

Flying a Burgee? I haven't used one for ages, but when I did I used a couple of clove hitches, but a couple of knots like that would do the trick.

If you only want to use one knot it would be perfect for towing a narwhal.

 

[prv]

If you only want to use one knot it would be perfect for towing a narwhal.

That is certainly quote of the week, possibly of the month

Pete

 

[Neil]

If you only want to use one knot it would be perfect for towing a narwhal.

Excellent!

It struck me that it was a really good knot that was looking for an application.

 

[johnalison]

I have to admit that I had to look up the icicle hitch and look forward to trying it, if only I can remember how to tie it.

Back in the '50s the Island Cruising Club used to to sail 13ft dinghies with a gunter rig and the only way to attach the halyard was with a rolling-hitch, so we soon learned the right way to do this.

 

[Bajansailor]

Re rolling hitches, I have found that if you wrap a couple (or a few even) more turns around before 'locking it' (or even using two locking hitches) this helps enormously if you are tying the rope to a slippery spar.
But I shall go and ask Google about Icicle Hitches now..........

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I have a feeling the icicle hitch is actually a relatively recent invention, so perhaps not one old salts would have.

Invented in 1990.

 

[Neil]

Invented in 1990.

I'm quite surprised! I had always felt that every knot that had ever existed was invented in the days of Nelson, if not earlier. I'm guessing that it was designed to cope with modern material ropes, stainless steel rigging and smooth aluminium poles and spars. If I'd invented it, I'd have called it the Neil Hitch!

After some more googling, I did see it used to suspend a person from a tapered marlin spike - quite impressive.

 

[geoid96]

A really useful knot for some applications, but major limitation is need to pass a loop over the end of the spar. That makes it difficult to use to tie a line to the mast or rigging.

 

[lenseman]

A really useful knot for some applications, but major limitation is need to pass a loop over the end of the spar. That makes it difficult to use to tie a line to the mast or rigging.

Silly sod, it is a knot to use when the temperature is well below zero and only for tying to icicles!

 

[geoid96]

by all accounts it's going to be quite a useful knot on the boat this winter then!

 

[Neil]

A really useful knot for some applications, but major limitation is need to pass a loop over the end of the spar. That makes it difficult to use to tie a line to the mast or rigging.

Yeah, that's the standard way, but the method that I've been practicing puts the free end over the rope or spar, back round and underneath and through the loop, so no need to pass a loop over the end of a spar. It can be used anywhere instead of a rolling hitch, though soft ropes are easier if under a bit of tension. Stainless rigging won't bend of course (or spars)