Below are the 5 most important sailing knots you need to know or learn.  If you are not comfortable with knots, ask your home Ship Skipper or another Sea Scout for assistance. 

If you are new to sailing, don’t get yourself tied up in knots (see what we did there!).  Just focus on the 5 knots below.  Do the best you can and ask for assistance from other Sea Scouts.  We will also practice these knots on the Cruise.  Knowing how to tie these 5 knots is really all you need to be a valuable member of the crew.

Term:  A ‘line’ is what sailors call a rope.  Landlubbers still call them ropes. (ha!)

• Bowline – perhaps the single most important knot you will ever use. It puts a strong loop in the end of a line.  It can be used for almost anything with a little creativity.
• Cleat Hitch – how we tie boats to the dock using a cleat.
• Clove Hitch – how we tie a boat to the dock using a piling.
• Figure Eight – used to tie a ‘stopper’ in the end of a line.
• Two Half Hitches – also used to tie a boat at the dock, or a fender to the boat.