Tying the 6 Knots That Matter (and Why You’ll Forget Them at the Worst Moment)

 

Tying the 6 Knots That Matter (and Why You’ll Forget Them at the Worst Moment)

If you're new to sailing, you'll quickly find out that knots matter. Not the stress-induced ones in your stomach before a race, but actual knots made with rope (or, in sailing terms, lines — because nothing is ever simple in sailing).

Now, there are hundreds of knots in the sailing world. Some are ancient, some are decorative, and some are so fiddly they seem designed solely to impress landlubbers at the pub. But really, when you're on a dinghy on the Thames, you only need five.

Here are the essential five knots every river sailor needs — and a few stories of how I learned them... usually the hard way.

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1. Figure of Eight Knot

The “knot to stop things falling off” knot.

You use this at the end of your ropes — sorry, lines — to stop them sliding through pulleys and vanishing overboard forever. I once forgot to tie one on the end of the mainsheet. The boom swung out, the rope disappeared, and we had to sail the rest of the race using hand signals and mild panic.

💡 Tip: It looks like a number 8. Practice tying it in your sleep.

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2. Clove Hitch

For tying things to poles. Like fenders. Or your dignity.

This knot is great for tying a rope around a post. It's also the knot most likely to come undone when you need it most — unless you do it properly. I once tried to secure the Whaly camera boat to the pontoon using a clove hitch in a rush. The Whaly decided to go sightseeing on its own. Lesson learned.

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3. Bowline

“The rabbit comes out of the hole, goes round the tree…”
And if you're like me, the rabbit gets confused and takes up knitting.

This is the king of knots. It makes a loop that won't slip. It’s how you attach the jib sheets to the sail, and how you look impressive to instructors (assuming you get it right before they walk away).

It’s also the knot most of us can’t remember when we need it. Especially under pressure. Like when the mainsail halyard snaps and you need to rig a new one now.

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4. Reef Knot (Square Knot)

Left over right, right over left. Or was it the other way around?

This is for tying two ends of the same rope together — say, to reef the sail. But tie it wrong and you get the infamous “granny knot”, which looks the same but definitely isn’t.

It’s a neat, tidy knot — perfect for when you want to look like you know what you’re doing, even if you’ve just capsized for the third time.

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5. Round Turn and Two Half Hitches

Because one hitch is never enough.

This is your go-to knot for tying the boat to a cleat, post, or ring. It holds under tension, doesn’t jam, and is easy to undo even when wet. You’ll use this every time you tie up at the dock — and you'll really wish you'd tied it correctly if your boat floats away during lunch.

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6. Sheet Bend

(And the Double Sheet Bend, for when you really don’t trust your rope.)

This one’s for tying two different ropes together, especially if they’re different thicknesses. It's less commonly used in day-to-day sailing, but very useful if you need to extend a painter or improvise a tow.

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Final Thoughts:

Knots in sailing are like passwords:

• Everyone says you need lots.

• You only use a few.

• And when you need one in a hurry, you forget it.

That’s why we’ve putting together a video demo for each of these knots — so you can see them, practise them, and remember them before you’re halfway down the Thames dragging a rope and muttering under your breath. We have also another video on splcing a rope out soon.

🎥 Watch the knot tutorials here
(Featuring close-ups, slow-mo, and mild sailor frustration.)

And remember: a good sailor doesn’t just tie knots — they untie them with confidence too.