which knot to take load but undo?

[afterpegassus]

One of the beauties of a bowline is that you can undo it even after subject to a big load.

You can undo any knot after it has been loaded of course, but some not without difficulty and the bowline comes firmly into that category.

 

[prv]

You can undo any knot after it has been loaded of course, but some not without difficulty and the bowline comes firmly into that category.

Eh?

It's not the absolute easiest to undo (carrick bend seems like a good choice there) but it's up there among them. I can't remember the last time I struggled to undo a bowline, and some of them have been very old (and soaked, and heavily loaded).

You just "break its back", then feed more into the loop to expand it, then it comes apart.

Pete

 

[rustybarge]

This new knot was totally unknown until recently, 5 star rating.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yckxG32Zcw

 

[Steve Clayton]

Bank robber knots - very useful for slipping a ring/bollard/cleat from onboard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZMUsPvOKsc

 

[prv]

Bank robber knots - very useful for slipping a ring/bollard/cleat from onboard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZMUsPvOKsc

I don't like that one - the sheepshank-like bits mean it will need to be kept under load or it'll fall apart.

I'd rather use a highwayman's hitch. Though I admit hers probably holds more load - the highwayman's will capsize if pulled too hard. How hard is too hard depends on the diameter of the line.

Pete

 

[Steve Clayton]

I don't like that one - the sheepshank-like bits mean it will need to be kept under load or it'll fall apart.

I'd rather use a highwayman's hitch. Though I admit hers probably holds more load - the highwayman's will capsize if pulled too hard. How hard is too hard depends on the diameter of the line.

Pete

That's the one I was thinking of but couldn't recall the name. You make the "loose" end long enough to pass onto the boat; and one tug and it's off (so to speak)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m50vmv28ngI

 

[prv]

You make the "loose" end long enough to pass onto the boat; and one tug and it's off (so to speak)

Indeed. I tend to use it for dinghy painters. Not for securely tying up, of course, but while working with it - for example I'm sitting in the dinghy while other people climb in. When we're ready to go I can untie and pull in the slack very easily.

Pete

 

[Davegriff]

Being brought up proper in the dark ages, we were always taught never to use a 'knot' but rather a 'bend' to join two pieces of string. Anyway, don't see how one of these would be any good on a boat...........

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=knot

 

[tim_ber]

It's been an education

I have loved learning so new knots (bends) there.

Thank you.

And Hoorah for youtube.

 

[prv]

I have loved learning so new knots (bends) there.

Ah, but some of them weren't bends, some of them were hitches

(A bend joins two lines, a hitch fastens a line to something else. Don't mention the Fisherman's Bend )

Pete

 

[SHUG]

Am I correct that the double fisherman's bend retains 90% of the strength of the rope?
See: http://www.animatedknots.com/doublefishermans/index.php

 

[alan_d]

Am I correct that the double fisherman's bend retains 90% of the strength of the rope?
See: http://www.animatedknots.com/doublefishermans/index.php

That's the Fisherman's Knot. The Fisherman's Bend, aka the Anchor Bend (which is in fact a hitch) is different.

 

[estarzinger]

Am I correct that the double fisherman's bend retains 90% of the strength of the rope?
See: http://www.animatedknots.com/doublefishermans/index.php

No, its not that high. Only splices get that high.

What % of full line strength is left after a knot depends A LOT on the type of line. High stretch line (like nylon) will have more strength left, and low stretch line (like spectra or kevlar) will have less strength left.

The climbing community has done a bunch of testing on the double fisherman. Its about 80% in nylon line, and about 50% in spectra line.

There is an article here on one of the tests done. You can do a little math to get the % strength - one chart shows the line strength of different types of line tested, and another shows the strength of a loop with the fishermen's knot (and some others). The only trick is you need to take 2x the line strength as the denominator, as the loops have two strands of the line, with the load split between them.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Been reading '50 shades' have we?

I haven't read the books, but following the gossip at work, I understand that plastic tie wraps and masking tape are more in demand.

You can undo any knot after it has been loaded of course, but some not without difficulty and the bowline comes firmly into that category.

Like others, I beg to differ. I would argue that the bowline is one of the EASIEST knots to undo when its been loaded up. However its one of the hardest (if not impossible) knots to undo when it still under load if that's what you meant?

 

[afterpegassus]

obviously my experiences are different from JM and PRV, but they are extensive and I stand by them; and despite what may have been intended, I do not need instructions on how to undo them.
It is because I use them several times daily, and am aware that they can be difficult to undo, that I suggested to the OP to tuck the last part as a bight to facilitate undoing after loading.

 

[ffiill]

Round turn and two half hitches?

You could need a knife to undoe that one once loaded!

 

[john_morris_uk]

You could need a knife to undoe that one once loaded!

Really? The round turn and two half hitches is usually proclaimed as having the characteristic of being relatively easy to undo when under load.

Are we talking about the same knot? The round turn takes most of the load, with the clove hitch round the standing part holding the load bearing round turn in place. Unless the line is very slippery, you can usually undo the hitches while keeping the load bearing round turn snugged up on whatever the knot is made off round.

 

[Davegriff]

You could need a knife to undoe that one once loaded!

Have you maybe confused half-hitch with a cow-hitch?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Have you maybe confused half-hitch with a cow-hitch?

I wondered whether he'd confused it with a fishermans bend. When you really load up one of those knots you can only get it undone by cutting it with a knife!

As you are probably aware, its similar to a round trun and two half hitches, but the first half hitch goes through and under the round turn. The second half hitch is added as normal.

http://www.2020site.org/knots/fishermensbend.html

 

[pagoda]

Really? The round turn and two half hitches is usually proclaimed as having the characteristic of being relatively easy to undo when under load.

Are we talking about the same knot? The round turn takes most of the load, with the clove hitch round the standing part holding the load bearing round turn in place. Unless the line is very slippery, you can usually undo the hitches while keeping the load bearing round turn snugged up on whatever the knot is made off round.

+1 for the second comments.
I quite regularly use RT2HH for attaching to overnight moorings (along with an additional slip loop beside it, spreading the load 3 ways)
The 2 hitches are easy to free, and a bit of friction on the loop allows you some control before pulling it all free.
Bowlines are great, but a pain to undo if UNDER load.
Un-doing lines under load is not a great idea anyway. It' s probably safer to add a slipped line to allow you to unload the knotted one easily. Then Slip off under control.?

Graeme