Page 37 - The New Encyclopedia of Knots

C

Cable: any large rope or chain.

Cable-laid: rope that comprises three hawser-laid ropes, each of three strands, twisted together left-
handed to form a large nine-stranded rope.

Capsize: the loss or distortion of the characteristic layout of a knot, owing to tugging or overloading.

figure 20.1

Carabiner or karabiner: a metal snap lock used by climbers as an attachment for ropes.

Carrick bend: although it is very useful, being strong, secure, and also readily undone, the carrick
bend is not a well-known knot. In many ways it is similar to the reef knot, even to the extent that a
minor error will result in a granny knot. It is a useful means of joining two ends, particularly of large

ropes or ropes of slightly different sizes and materials, and even when soaking wet, it will not jam.
This makes it ideal for towing lines or anchor cables, but climbers may find that it is too bulky to pass
freely through a karabiner. In order to minimise this problem, the tails should be seized to their

respective standing parts, as otherwise they can project at awkward angles.

Take a bight in one rope, and pass its end across beneath its standing part. Then pass the end of the
other rope through this bight and then over the standing part and underneath the tail of the first rope
(figure 20.1). Next bring it out between the first bight and its own standing part to form a second bight
(figure 20.2), and pull the tails tight: in this way, you have woven it alternately over and under each

successive part.