Knot Too Shabby

For years, The Ashley Book of Knots has been the standard work on knots and rope work, a thick tome that contains literally hundreds of knots from the obscure to the down right practical. It’s a fun book to have, to use it to learn all the brilliant ways mariners have secured their working boats throughout the ages. Thankfully, today’s boater can get away by learning just a few, so we whittled the list down to three that will come in handy almost anytime you head out. Fisherman’s Hitch A fisherman’s is ideal for securing a rope to a shackle, anchor ring, or other such thing, and is the perfect solution for attaching an anchor rode to an anchor. When done correctly, it is very secure. Although it can be made even more so by whipping the working end to the standing part of the rope once completed. Unlike many knots, the fisherman’s hitch will pull itself up very tightly, and can be almost impossible to untie if any strain has been placed upon it. Start by passing the working end around the ring twice, from back to front, to form a round turn. 2. Pass the working end down and behind the standing...