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Hitches are used to secure a line to some other type of object. There are hundreds of them. Although they are all easily understood some are simple while others are rather complex. They are usually easily released. Some of them have very specific uses on a sailboat.

There are seemingly innumerable bends. A bend is a knot used to tie two lines together. I’ve studied many of them, tied about a half dozen, and find that, on a sailboat there is no more useful knot than a sheet bend. I tie both the simple and double varieties of a sheet bend. AvoidContinue reading “Sailors Knots: Bends”

Stopper knots are placed near the free end of a line. Their main purpose is to prevent the free end of a line from running through a block or clutch. They act as a brake of sorts to save the day if the wind catches a sail and, when you least expect it, an unsecuredContinue reading “Sailors Knots: Stopper Knots”

I’ve learned a lot about knots, hitches, and other ways of fastening ropes to different objects on a sailboat over the past few years. I had a few recent experiences that helped me understand that I had forgotten a few important aspects of knot tying. I was prompted to refresh my memory of critical knotsContinue reading “Sailors Knots: Introduction”

This superb book is an encyclopedia of all sorts of knots. Approximately 3900 knots are illustrated. Some history is provided. Illustrations are good and quite helpful. More then half of the knots seem to be related to marine situations. The author, born in the 1800s in a whaling community, spent over 40 years associated withContinue reading “Book Recommendation”

Hang around sailboats long enough, and pay attention to what you’re seeing, and you’re sure to take notice of a few rather curious things that have been crafted by human hands. Knots are one thing. Splices and whipping are yet another! Whipping is a wrap of a thread, usually waxed, at the end of aContinue reading “Whipping the end of Lines”

Sailing this summer has been rather interesting. I’ve not been dissuaded by the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, I’m convinced sailing on the Bay might just be the safest place to be! The main limitation to sailing this year has been the wildfire smoke that has had us enshrouded for the better part of the pastContinue reading “Sailing the SF Bay Summer 2020”

This cruising guide is essential to those venturing out the Golden Gate and sailing or motoring southward along the coast of California. I first learned of the guide while researching sailing around Point Conception…the “cape Horn of the Pacific.”

Heavy weather means different things to different people. I suppose a more appropriate title for this entry might be sailing in rough seas. The lucky boats are the ones that are not in the wrong spot when a giant wave climbs toward the heavens, then succumbs to gravity and descends like a horseman from hellContinue reading “Sailing Heavy Weather”

The last couple of times sailing Skiron I noted that the self-tacking jib wouldn’t fully cross over following a tack. I found that releasing the sheet a little would fill the sail with wind and the sail would ultimately cross over. One afternoon, for some reason or other, I decided to look at the hardwareContinue reading “Systems of measurement on a sailboat: imperial versus metric.”