Page 63 - Adlard Coles "The Knot Bible"

Lighterman’s hitch

Cleats are for sissies! Or that’s certainly what generations of working boat KNOT SCORE
sailors seemed to think. They were quite content with a single samson Strength
post or a couple of bitts, and they devised some crafty knots to attach a Security
line to them. Nowadays, cleats are ubiquitous, but the old knots still have Diffi culty Tying
their uses – not least for attaching a mooring line to the occasional canon Diffi culty Untying
Usefulness
buried in the quayside for that purpose.

It’s easy to forget that cleats on The drawback with all these is There is something very appealing,
a yacht are a relatively recent that there is little or no room for however, about a knot that can
innovation. For centuries, vessels adjustment. Which is when you simply be dropped into place with
relied on ‘bitts’, or posts sunk into need a decent mooring knot. no fussy hitches, which gets stronger
the deck, to attach mooring and tow Most of the hitches mentioned so as more force is exerted, and yet
lines. Even now, most docks are far can’t be tied or untied while which can be undone (or just eased)

fitted with single bollards, rather there is tension on the standing part with a few flicks. Such a knot is the
than the convenient cleats found in – ruling them out as mooring knots. lighterman’s hitch (also known as
many marinas. A notable exception is the clove the tugboat hitch).
Most commercial ships have loops hitch, which can start off as a single You can see the attraction for
spliced into their mooring lines turn around a bollard and then be working men, such as lightermen
which can be dropped over a bollard, transformed into a knot. Its and tug crews, who had to make fast
while many larger yachts employ disadvantage is that it’s liable to jam and unfasten mooring lines all day
chains running through an eye at once a lot of tension is applied to it. long. The only real drawback is that
the end of their mooring lines. For A round turn and two half hitches the lighterman’s hitch will slip when
smaller yachts, a bowline (page 112) can also be tied under stress, and tied with light or slippery lines. In
will usually suffi ce. will work well in most instances. which case, get some heftier rope!

1 Take a turn around the post 2 Take another turn, then take a 3 Pass the bight over the top of the
or bollard. bight out of the working end and post or bollard.
pass it under the standing part.

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