Page 578 - The Ashley Book of Knots

DECORATIVE MARLINGSPIKE SEAMANSHIP (APPLIED KNOTS)

3602. RINGBOLT HITCHI:\G. Whenever a ship laid to anchor, before

the days of chain cables, her hemp cable was made fast b means

of stoppers to two rows of ringbolts that were fastened a ong the

deck. The chafing gear on these rings was termed "RING BOLT HITCH-

ING." Another old name for it was "platted rings." Nowadays it is

sometimes called "hog backing," which is, I believe, a literal trans-

lation of the Swedish name. A picturesque needlework term,

"cockscombing," has recently been applied. In the old days ringbolts

were sometimes grafted over, but on slovenly craft they were merely

served over.

RINGBOLT HITCHING is also put on the eyes of chest beckets and

hammock clews, and occasionally it is seen on the clews of light sails,

on the eyes of block straps and ditty bag lanyards. Single hitching

is the simplest form. The circumference of the outside of the ring

being greater than the inside, service did not fill up the spaces and

was very apt to "work" and chafe. So hitches were added which

filled up the interstices of the outer edge and held all firm. 360 ~

3603. DOUBLE HITCHING is used on a heavy ring-that is, one in

which the wire is large in proportion to the diameter.

3604. Kackling or keckling is probably the commonest of the

knotted forms. It consists of a series of alternate left and right hitches.

3605. RINGBOLT HITCHING, per se, is made with three strands which

are led in regular rotation; each time a strand is worked, the lead is

reversed and a SINGLE HITCH taken around the ring. The ends should

be seized when starting the hitching. When completed, a skillful

workman will take a needle and, withdrawing a strand from one end, 1605'

will lay in a strand from the opposite end, so that the ends are scat-

tered as in a LONG SPLICE.

3606. FIVE-STRAND RINGBOLT HITCHING is worked in exactly the

same manner and resembles FIVE-STRAND FLAT SINNET. Keep all

strands snug at all times. If the material is slippery the ring may be

shellacked and covered while "tacky," or it may be parceled first

with adhesive tape.

3607. The semblance of FRENCH SINNET may be applied to RING-

BOLT HITCHlNG. Having noted that the previous forms resemble FLAT

or ENGLISH SINNET, it was a simple matter to evolve this.

3608. Two-PLY HITCHING is made with two strands which are

both knotted to the right as pictured, and then they are reversed and

both knotted to the left, and so on, alternately.

3609. TWO-STRAND RINGBOLT HITCHING superficially resembles

~ 3605, but the two strands have separate cycles: one is always

hitched to the right and the other always to the left.

3610. ZIGZAG HITCHING may be made with any number of strands,

but three, four or five are ample. All are hitched in regular order,

first to the left as pictured and then to the right, and so continued

Illternately.

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