Page 91 - The Ashley Book of Knots

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS

The Well Digger

503. The ROLLING HITCH (~I 734) is made fast to a drilling cable

to support the drill, whenever it is necessary to overhaul the drum

end of the cable.

504. A WELL-PIPE HITCH is used to lower a pipe or hoist one.

505. A sling is wound around a well pipe in a way similar to the

last, and the bights are clapped together and hooked to the block.

S03 A MARINER'S SPLICE (see pages 441 and 442) is indicated when a

Manila cable breaks.

The Whaleman

506. The hitches. Years ago, when hemp and flax whale line were
505"

used, a SEIZED CLOVE HITCH was made fast to a harpoon shank. The

name hitches is a survival from that time, but in recent years the

"hitches" consist of a ROUND TURN AND EYE SPLICE.

507. A DOUBLE BECKET HITCH is always employed in bending the

line to the EYE SPLICE in the harpoon warp.

S06

T be TV hipper

508. A DOUBLE OVERHAND K..."I0T (#; 16) tied in a cat-o'-nine-tails

is termed a BLOOD KNOT; it may be double, treble, or even fourfold

and is designed to add to the discomforts of whipping. I have never

seen an actual BLOOD KNOT. Five old nautical cats, two of them in

museums and the remainder in my own collection (see the frontis-

5"10 pieces), bear no knots. I have examined a more modern cat that was

used in the old jail at Newcastle, Delaware, and another in the Dela-

ware workhouse, and both of these were devoid of knots. A number

of museums have bag lanyards erroneously labeled "cats," and some

of these have knotted ends. It is not difficult to tell the latter apart, as

bag lanyards have an even number of legs and a becket to hang up

by, while cats have an odd number of tails, generally nine, and the

handles are finished off with KNOB KNOTS instead of eyes.

The British Mariner's Vocabulary (1801) says of cat-o'-nine-tails:

"Nine cords about half a yard long fixed upon a piece of thick rope

for a handle, having three knots on each at small intervals, nearest

one end." According to the same authority a "Thieves' Cat" was
512

heavier and the knots harder.

• •

509. A NINE-STRAND SINNET KNOT is described ('11:]57) in the

chapter on MULTI-STRAND LANYARD KNOTS.

510. A THREE-STRAND MATI'HEW WALKER KNOT is described

among MULTI-STRAND STOPPER KNOTS as ~682.

, ...
--"- 511. A MANROPE KNOT (*847) is described among the MULl'I-

STRAND BUTTONS.

"'- t ,

, • ) •
" The Yachtsman

"

512. The HALF BOWKNOT or DRAWKNOT: Most sailor's knots have

been adopted by the yachtsman. This particular knot, however, is
Sl3

peculiar to small pleasure craft; it is used in reefing, furling, and se-

.. , -
curing sail covers.

513. The TOPSAIL HAL YARD BEND (* 1679) is said to be a British

yachtsman's knot. See also page 341.