Rolling Hitch..... Which is right....?

[alanabnala]

Not (knot /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) having had cause to know this knot before taking up sailing, I have taken the trouble to learn it. But……. There seem to be three schools of thought about how this is done. Which is right? If you look in the oracle, which is never wrong.... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif, Wikipedia, you will see what I mean. Two ways of tying it both called a rolling hitch & another way of tying it called a Magnus hitch.

This has probably been discussed before, but I am intrigued as to which is the “correct” way?

 

[Danny Jo]

Wikipedia's rolling hitch #1734 is the one my father taught me as a rolling hitch. But I had a bit of a falling out with my RYA day skipper instructor some years back, because he insisted it was #1735. (Edit - my memory of the Ashley's entries is clearly flawed, but I'm sure I've seen #1735 in the RYA book of knots,). As I remember it, Ashley points out that #1734 and #1735 are essentially the same knot, because you can convert one to the other by rearranging the loops without passing an end through.

I find #1734 much easier to tie. (I could not convince myself that it was any more or less effective than #1735.) Used in anger to deal with a riding turn from hell, #1734 (the one on the left in Wikipedia) works fine.

 

[jamesjermain]

The one on the left in the Wikipidia picture is the one I recognise. The middle one I've never seen before and the one on the right is definitely wrong

 

[snooks]

Here's a link

No. 1 all the way for me /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Malcb]

And here's a better link of a Rolling Hitch

 

[John_Clarke]

#1 is what we were taught in the scouts and I have used without problems for years. #2 is what climbers use. Climbers Knots I discovered this when reassessing the safety of my mast climbing technique. Climbers are very aware of the reliability of the knots they use and test them in labs as well as the feedback from failures in practice. I have a great deal of respect for their knowledge of knots in slippery synthetic rope.

 

[starboard]

The one on the left of the photo of three is the correct one........the load should be applied from the side of the 2 turns, this way the poe will grip, if you apply th load the other way it will slip!!.....used it many time to rig an anchor bridle on a 32 ton Arrun lifeboat....holds no problem even in a gale of wind!!

 

[Kilter]

another

 

[GlennG]

Number 1 for me. I often tie it with more than two turns; 3 or 4 if the rope's very slippery.

IMHO it's one of the most useful safety knots to know. As Freestyle said, it's so useful for riding turns. That or cutting the genoa free!

 

[dt4134]

I've been taught both No.1 & No.2 as a Rolling Hitch. As Wikipedia says, No.2 should grip better on a rougher surface such as another rope, at least in theory.

I've found both to work, except on stainless steel (that was a test and it slipped as expected).

When asked to tie one in an RYA exam, I used No.1 and it was accepted.

 

[VicS]

I notice that Grog shows version 1 when made on a pole but version 2 when made on another rope.

version 1 is the one I have always used.

 

[Mal113]

I always thought a rolling hitch was a man with two wifes!!!

 

[alanabnala]

That will do for me then......!

 

[alanabnala]

I hadn't noticed that, I will look again...

 

[johnalison]

Wikipedia 1735 is correct because the middle turn overrides the turn to the right and converts a force pulling to the right into a force compressing the right-hand coil against the attachment-object/spar and stops it from sliding.

 

[Kilter]

That's the one I use

 

[stevebrassett]

Number 2 for me.

After that, I'll think about knots. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SmileyGiley]

Make sure the second turn "tucks" between the first turn and the standing part; that is what gives this version extra grip when made around another rope

Yup.

I once made one of these round the pick up for a pick up line on a tailbuoy out back of a seismic ship. We'd just picked up with heavy weather threateneing, had a big tangle & were all crewm crackered. All that was left was the tailbuoy made fast by mine own fair hand. The boss asked me if it was well fast, & I reached out to touch. At that moment the skipper decided we'd finished & floored it for beers in Hull. As I removed my hand the (very stretchy polyprop) came under monster tension & the knot exploded the rope underneath...

My hand was about 2 inches away, I felt it touch my skin and then whistle across the deck at head height.

I can't begin to think how lucky we were, myself especially.

Older, and hopefully much wiser, these days

Phew.

 

[Seagreen]

1735 looks like the one. The way I've always done it is the second turn compresses the first so it locks. If done round another rope, the held rope should be forced to kink under the knot to act as a stop.

 

[Solwaycruiser]

Both number 1 & 2 correct for me. Taught number 1 origonally but number 2 is just a later development of the same knot that has proved more efffective for reasons stated in earlier replies. Number 3 a different knot.