Page 274 - The Ashley Book of Knots

BENDS

rove through the bight of this, hitched in the same manner and

seized to the standing part." Most of the "Seamanships" still con-

tinue to copy this description verbatim.

1457. Roding (Hamburi, 1798) gives a bend similar to the last I~S4 1455

except that round turns are taken by each hawser through the other.

1458. The TEMPORARY BEND given by Steel in 1794 consists of

three throat seizings and two round seizings (for seizings see Chapter

40). The seizings bear the whole burden and if they fret away, the

bend will part. When in use, seizings should be examined frequently.

t 4- 56
1459. The REEVING-LINE BEND, which is pictured by Roding in

1795, is so named because it passes easily through hawse pipes and

fair-leaders. The Two HALF HITCHES relieve the load on the seizings.

Admiral Alston (Seil111anship, London, 1860) says this "is about the

best." Mechanically the knot is the exact duplicate of the WHATNOT

(~ 1406) and the GRASS KNOT (ill! 1490).

1460. Esparteiro, in his Dicionario de Marinharia (Lisboa, 1936), 145"1 '4-58

gives the same bend as the last but with two additional hitches.

1461. DOUBLE and TRIPLE SHEET BENDS are often employed when

shifting hawsers and cables, in getting them through hawse pipes,

and in passing them to shore. The knot will be more secure if the

loop in the end of the hawser is seized in, or better still, eye spliced.

Its purpose is to secure a small rope to a much larger one.

14)~

1462. The RACKING BEND does not require seizing as each tum of

racking is hove on as it is laid, and the hawser parts draw snugly

together. The end may be half hitched or stopped.

1463. The HEAVING-LINE BEND, given by bhrvall, is used to attach

a heaving line to the eye of a hawser.

1464. A SINGLE STOPPER is passed as illustrated. Two turns are 1~60

taken, the standing part is passed and the tail dogged with the lay

of the larger rope, which may be either hawser, cable or standing

rigging. In this way a tail block is secured to a shroud or stay.

1465. The ROLLING HITCH was formerly called MAGNUS HITCH

and MAGNER'S HITCH. If the latter is correct, Mr. Magner is the

only rival that Matthew Walker has. Of the latter, it has been said

that he is "the only man to have a knot named for him." The

ROLLING HITCH is the best-known knot for bending a small rope to

a larger taut one, and it is one of the most frequently used knots on

shipboard.