Page 63 - Cliff Jacobson - Knots for the Outdoors
P. 63
surgeon’s knot (with quick-release loop) to tie the slick nylon waist ties of their life jackets.
FIGURE 36. TAUT-LINE (ROLLING) HITCH
Sailors use the rolling hitch whenever they want to attach a rope to a spar. The knot is much
more secure than a clove hitch, especially when the load is parallel to the spar.
The hitch can be applied to a tight rope that’s secured around a tree or tent stake (at
bottom), in which case it is called the “taut-line hitch.” Boy Scouts prefer the taut-line
hitch for anchoring their tent guylines. The hitch slides freely yet jams under load.
The original (rolling) hitch is a fine knot for its intended purpose. However, it is less
versatile and much inferior to the more powerful power cinch (trucker’s knot) explained on
page 35.
