Page 14 - Eric C. Fry - Knots and Ropework

4 Figures of eight knots are made at given centres, usually about
three feet apart, for the full length of the lifelines, which hang
from the lifeboat davits to the waterline. obviously to facilitate
Continuous climbing down.
The job of forming each knot separately and hauling through,
Figures of perhaps sixty feet or more of standing part, each time may well
be imagined and the illustrations show the method of forming this
Eight series of knots in one movement.
The distance between each knot is governed by the length of the
lower bights shown in Fig 4. For the purpose of photography, only
three emerging knots are shown, but the principle holds good and
any number of knots may be made, dependent on the length of
the rope.
See Knot 3 for the formation of the initial figure of eight knot.