Page 418 - The Ashley Book of Knots

TRICKS AND PUZZLES

2546. To cunvert an ordinary NOOSE into a CLOVE HITCH. This

may be used successfully either as a puzzle or a trick. Arrange the '~'\ ,~,,~\
\ \\ \\'
I , '\ .
NOOSE carefully as pictured before going ahead with the trick. It ".. ~ \ \1

•
must be tied very loosely so that the bight may be pulled out suf-

\
ficiently to pass around the post. As it is pulled out it is given a half

twist to the left before being dropped over the post. To make it lie

fair this bight should be dropped below the turn that is already

around the post.

2547. A CLOVE HITCH from two round turns. Nothing could be

simpler than this, but it is rather surprising when the hitch appears.

The turns are not twisted sidewise in the same plane; the right one

comes forward and up, the left one goes backward and up. When

the two meet the knot is formed.

2548. A series of hitches formed over the left hand. Flexible

clothesline is recommended for this trick. Loops are twirled with

the right hand and caught on the left hand, which is darted forward

to intercept them. With a little practice the process can be ex- 2541

ceedingly rapid. If two hitches only are made the result is a CLOVE

HITCH.

2549. To convert Two HALF HITCHES into a BOWLINE. Captain

Charles W. Smith always told a story while tying this knot. The

story is employed as patter and with the last word the knot is com-

pleted. I have heard the same story told by other sailors without

any considerable variation, and it is apparently old and a part of

the folklore of the sea. This is Captain Smith's story as nearly in

his own words as I can recall them:

"A bum caught a line that was tossed to shore from a ship, and ZS48

made fast with two half hitches. 'Not that way, you damn ninny!' "

(Ninny was Captain Smith's ultimate cuss word.) "'Put a bowline

in that there blankety-blank line and be damn quick about it,' bawls

the mate from deck.

"'Bowline it is, sir!' says the bum, and he puts the end down

through and hauls her taut, and damned if it wa'n't a bowline!" Of

course this procedure makes a LEFT-HAND BOWLINE which is not so

secure as the BOWLINE proper. After the Two HALF HITCHES have

been loosely tied the end is laid up parallel with its own part and

the two are together hauled down through the loop of the original

Two HALF HITCHES. In this way a new loop is formed and the first

one is removed by pulling on the standing part.

2550. The following is a somewhat more cumbersome method

that sometimes goes with the same story. But this one retains the

original loop made by the first Two HALF HITCHES. Like the former,

it makes a LEFT-HAND BOWLINE when the rather elaborate con-

glomerate of the second diagram is capsized into its final form. It

was first shown to me by John B. Cornell, of Cuttyhunk.