Page 44 - The Knot Bible

HITCHES

Ground-line hitch
KNOT SCORE
There’s not a lot of difference between a ground-line hitch (also known as Strength
the spar hitch) and a clove hitch – except that the ground-line hitch is Security
much more secure. Like the clove hitch, it suffers from being easily Diffi culty Tying
Diffi culty Untying
dislodged if the standing part is jerked excessively. It is however a better
Usefulness
knot for most purposes, including tying fenders to a guard rail.

1 Place the line over the mooring 2 Take a turn around the mooring 3 Pass the working end diagonally
point – typically a wire or large line point, in the same way you would over the standing part, and around
or possibly the neck of a bag. for a clove hitch. the mooring point.

KNOT KNOW-HOW 4 Pass the working end
over itself and tuck it
The ground-line hitch was the knot of under the original turn.
choice of the cod fi shermen, who used Tighten the knot. The
it to fi x the ganging lines – the lines addition of a drawloop
that held the hooks – to the trawl. The at this stage turns it
hooks themselves were attached to the into a slip knot.
ganging lines at a later stage, when the
trawl was ready to be baited. The knot is
also thought to have been used by the
US Cavalry to tether their horses to a
line at night.

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