Some Essential Boating Knots

There’s no better way to spend a sunny day than out on the water, but boating requires a few skills that you might not have picked up from everyday life. One of those skills is knot-tying, and there are some very specific knots especially that you’ll need to boat safely. We here at Nisswa Marine want to help you stay safe and have fun, so we’ve put together some info on a few of the knots you’ll need to tie. To learn more, or to see the boats and boating accessories we have for sale, contact our store in Nisswa, Minnesota, today!

Useful Terms

Before we start, you’ll need to know some knot-tying terms, like:

• The tail/working end: the part of the rope that is free and loose.
• The standing line: the long part of the rope that either ends in a coil or in the object the knot will be securing.
• Fixed knots: knots that remain still and don’t adjust or move.
• A bend: a knot that connects two ropes or lines.
• A hitch: something that anchors the boat to help you secure the rope to a piling, cleat, or stanchion.
• Bight: a loop made in the rope or line.

Figure-Eight Knot

This is a simple boating knot to tie and undo. It’s sturdy, but less so than a simple overhand knot. To tie this:

• Bring the rope over itself to make a loop.
• Draw the loop under the standing line and then through the initial loop, forming what looks like a figure-eight pattern.

Bowline Knot

This is great for fastening a mooring line, or in an emergency to help someone who’s fallen overboard. To tie it:

• Make a loop.
• Move the tail of the rop through the loop.
• Move the tail of the rope under and over the standing part on the other side of the loop.
• Pull the tail back through the loop.

This is a bit difficult to visualize, so use the teaching trick: “the rabbit (the tail of the rope) comes out of the hole (the loop), goes round the back of the tree (the standing line) and jumps back in the hole.”

Mooring Hitch

This is a temporary knot great for mooring your boat. It looks a bit like a lopsided pretzel. Simply pull the free end and it unties itself. To tie it:

• Wrap the rope around a post.
• Make a loop with the tail.
• Position the tail so it exits the loop from the inside.
• Grab the standing line and pull a section through the loop to make a second loop.
• Grab the tail and put it partway through the new loop.
• Tighten the knot by pulling on the standing line.

We hope this guide helps you find your sea legs! Contact us at Nisswa Marine to learn more, or to see our inventory. We proudly serve the people of Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minnesota—let us serve you today!