Page 87 - Knots You Need to Know Easy-to-Follow Guide to the 30 Most Useful Knots

The Adaptable Hitch

The most convenient and versatile way to tie a rope to any object,
whether a spar, rail, bollard, or shroud, is the hitch. Hitches are of two
main types: those that effectively resist a pull parallel to the object and

those that resist a perpendicular strain. Both come into daily use aboard
ship for suspending weights, docking, or cleating. The basic conformation
in all hitches is the single hitch, which is not a true knot in itself but a
building block or security turn in other knots.

Two half hitches form the best quick-tying knot for suspending a weight
perpendicularly from a rail. To tie it, take a round turn (1), bring the end in
front of the standing part and through the loop in a half hitch (2). Then
make a second half hitch (3); draw tight (4).