In the world of sailing there is literally a knot for every occasion. If you learn to tie the following sailing knots you should be able to handle almost every situation.

The bowline, round turn & two half hitches, the clove hitch, reef knot, figure eight stopper knot and the sheet bend are essential knots any new sailor needs to learn.

Take your time, don't get frustrated and keep practicing. You should be able to tie a bowline, clove hitch and a round turn & two half hitches in under 20 seconds (per knot). A figure eight stopper knot, the reef knot and the sheet bend should be tied under 15 seconds (per knot). When you need a knot you usually need it - right now!

The figure eight stopper knot is tied at an end of a line and the knot stops the line from slipping through a fitting like a padeye or block. You should always have a figure eight stopper knot at the end of your sheets and halyards plus at the end of any other lines that you may have trouble retrieving should they run out.

The bowline knot is one of the most used knots in sailing. The bowline knot creates a loop at the end of a rope which is strong yet easy to untie. The loop created by the bowline can be cleated to a boat or dock or the loop can be thrown over or tied around a docking post.

There is a little story that goes along with the bowline knot to help you learn how to tie it: Make a hole using the rope - the rabbit (tail end of the rope) comes up out of it's hole - runs around the tree (long end of the rope) - and then runs back down into its hole.

The round turn & two half hitches is another very useful and often used knot. The round turn two half hitches is a great knot to secure a boat to a dock ring, post or tieing fenders onto stanchions. (for definitions see: Sailing Terms)

When tieing a round turn two half hitches knot, make sure you wrap your half hitches in the same direction.

The clove hitch is a fast temporary knot for tying a line off to a spar (post). The clove hitch requires constant tension on the line in order to secure the knot. The rocking motion on a bow line secured to a dock post soon causes a clove hitch to untie. Use the clove hitch in limited circumstances.

The reef knot or square knot is a strong and reliable knot, easy to tie but it can be difficult to untie. It is an excellent knot for tying two ends of the same line together - as you would do when reefing a sail. It can also be used to tie together two lines of equal or near equal thickness.

The sheet bend knot is used to tie two lines of equal or unequal thickness together. The sheet bend knot can be tied anywhere into another line and therefore it can be used to lengthen or shorten the overall length of a line. Always make your bend (U shaped loop) in the thicker of the two lines.

Double Sheet Bend

The double sheet bend knot shares all the features of a Sheet Bend except that it is a more secure knot. Accordingly, it is the preferred knot of the two.