Kevin B (RPS Coach) Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 I've become interested in knots used in kayaking. So far, I've become familiar with the bowline (traditional, double, eskimo and water), daisy chain, trucker's hitch, hangman's, and a few others. Now I have two questions. First, are there any other "must" know knots for kayaking out there? Two, I'm going to ME next weekend with boats. What would be the best way to secure the bows/sterns of the boats for the long drive? I have two hooks on the front of the car as well as tie down points on the back as well. I don't have anything like the ratching tie downs that Thule offers with their J-rack system so I'll have to use rope. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 Kevin,I would advise against using tie-downs on the nose and stern. Two good tie-downs to the roof rack system ought to be enough to secure your boat(s) to the car, (at least its always been enough for me) and tie-downs in the front and back, I have been told, can result in differential stress on your hull . e.g. if your vehicle does a big jounce , when it hits a pothole or bump (but that would never happen on roads in Maine, would it?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsprag1 Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 >Kevin, >I would advise against using tie-downs on the nose and >stern. Two good tie-downs to the roof rack system ought to >be enough to secure your boat(s) to the car, (at least its >always been enough for me) and tie-downs in the front and >back, I have been told, can result in differential >stress on your hull . e.g. if your vehicle does a big >jounce , when it hits a pothole or bump (but that would >never happen on roads in Maine, would it?) Potholes!!!!??? On Maine roads? say it ain't so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccarlson Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 I'll defer the question on knots to those who know of what they speak ;-) Re. bow and stern lines, I do recommend that you use them. Racks can fail and the few minutes it takes to put the additional lines on is cheap insurance. I leave mine a bit loose so that there is no tension on the boat at all but, should the boat try to move, it will be restrained. Now, I really don't know the name of the knot I use. But, it's two half-hitches with an extra half hitch tied inside the bight. This enables the tension on the line to be adjusted. Perhaps a more knot-knowledgeable paddler can chime in here?Have a great trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 >> Now, I really don't know the name of the knot I use. But, >it's two half-hitches with an extra half hitch tied inside >the bight. Sounds like a tautline or rolling hitch.Boy Scout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djlewis Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 The highwayman's hitch and various variants and equivalents. I looked into this a bit a few months ago, and here are the results of my research... http://www.nspn.org/htdocs/dcforum/DCForumID3/6164.html Oh yes, what's it for? It's a quick-release knot to attach a short tow to a deck line or to a biner. The idea is that if your short tow line attaches to your boat with a biner, you have no accessible quick release. The highwayman's hitch and equivalents do that -- they hold well but release with a quick pull on a loose end. Obviously, there are other uses, but that's the main one for kayaking. --David. PS: That thread started with Scott posting on an animated knot resource online, and Jed's response with his own version of the highwayman's hitch. Here is that... http://www.nspn.org/htdocs/dcforum/DCForumID3/6148.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick stoehrer Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 what a t'off knot is, carl? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsprag1 Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 I always called that a slip knot but what do I know--bty as far as knots go don't forget the sheetbend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccarlson Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 That's the one I use ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djlewis Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 > Now, I really don't know the name of the knot I use. But, >it's two half-hitches with an extra half hitch tied inside >the bight. This enables the tension on the line to be >adjusted. Perhaps a more knot-knowledgeable paddler can >chime in here? That's probably a tautline hitch, aka a tent hitch, aka other things... a great knot to know. http://www.iland.net/~jbritton/tautlinehitch.htm None of these diagrams shows this, but it helps to overlap the two half-hitch turns -- grabs a little tighter. --David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin B (RPS Coach) Posted June 9, 2006 Author Share Posted June 9, 2006 Would this work for a knot on a short tow with a quick release from a biner?Start out as you would for a bowline knot, but instead of having the working end go over have it go under the non-working end as you wrap around the biner. If you don't, it could jam on release. Then using the working end, pass a bight through the loop just created. Next create a bight with the non-working end and pass it through the first bight created. Finally, create one more bight with the working end and pass it through the second bight. Tighten by holding onto the biner and the non working end. Sorry no pics available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 >Would this work for a knot on a short tow with a quick >release from a biner? >Yes, if you are referring to the highwayman's hitch. Very good knot to know and easy to tie. It could be tied directly to the deckline with a single hard tied biner on the other end, but depending on how you have decklines outfitted that might limit you to one side to tow from. You could also tie it to both biners of a short tow so you would have a quick release at both ends meaning you could use either biner to clip into the towed boat. Of course that also means you have two chances for a gremlin to untie the knot when you don't want that to happen.Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin B (RPS Coach) Posted June 9, 2006 Author Share Posted June 9, 2006 It could be the hitch you named. I was just playing around with the rope and most likely just reinvented something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Hall Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 In deference to the safety of others on the roads, bow and stern lines are insurance against not only the failure of your straps, but of failure of your rack system too. Lines that aren't overly snug could save a human life without endangering the shape of your boat unnecessarily.-Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 This is a handy little book, the ACA Guide to Knots for Paddlers: http://tinyurl.com/orw65 --b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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