4 Boating Knots You Need to Know & How to Tie Them

Published: Thursday, July 1, 2021
By: Dan Armitage

This summer Independence Day anchors the busiest boating weekend of the year on the Great Lakes, and the on-water action, especially on weekends, doesn’t abate until Labor Day. In many ports, boaters will gather to watch fireworks displays from the water and overwhelm the available slips. Docks at popular waterfront destinations can be crowded on the weekends, and rafting parties can spontaneously spring up just about anywhere—day or night.

All call for the proper use of fenders, devices that cushion the impact between your boat and other objects.

When rafting-off with other boats, whether at an over-crowded dock or on open water, use the largest-diameter ball fenders you have access to. You might not have a choice of the size and shape of the boat you will raft against, and in this situation, bigger is better. Boats tied together will rock differently and have varying freeboard and hull flare. Large-diameter ball fenders are the preferred choice because they are wide enough to keep rub rails of boats with varying shape, freeboard, and flare from knocking together.

When tied off directly to a dock, pier, or bulkhead, traditional shaped fenders, plank fenders, or the ball design can be used. At least two fenders should be used, with one being placed at the widest point of the hull and one near the stern, but you can’t have too many fenders between your boat and the point of contact.

What is important is that the fenders be tied off correctly. Cleats and deck-mounted specialty fittings are best for hanging fenders; most offer a low profile that won’t permit much leverage on the deck or the fasteners securing them. Rail stanchions are a second choice, but hanging fenders to horizontal rails is risky, as they aren’t designed to handle the stresses that fenders can leverage when conditions call for them to perform.

When tying up to a dock with exposed pilings, horizontal fender placement may be called for, with attachment points at both ends of the fender so that it is suspended “sideways.” Traditional cylindrical fenders can be used with lines attached to molded eyes at each end, but those designed for horizontal use allowing a line to be passed through the fender are preferred. You can also purchase or fashion a fender board, which combines a pair of oblong fenders backed with wooden boards. The fenders placed on the boat side cushion the hull while the side with the boards is better suited for dealing with the dock.

4 Knots You Should Know & How to Tie Them

No matter your choice of fenders, there are a few knots you should know which work well for securing them as well as other lines aboard: the cleat hitch, the bowline, clove hitch, and the reef hitch or square knot.

The Cleat Hitch

A cleat hitch is used when securing to a deck- or dock-mounted cleat, and is the proper way to secure a line aboard the boat when the line does not have a spliced loop on the end. To tie a cleat hitch:

1. Take the line to the ear of the cleat farthest from its opposite end, and take one wrap around the base of the cleat.
2. Then make a figure eight across the top of the opposite ear.
3. Finish with a simple half hitch turned under so the line is coming away from the cleat in the opposite direction from which it came in.

The Bowline

A bowline is a versatile knot that can be used to form a temporary loop in a line, which can then be put over a piling or cleat. It can also be used to attach a line to an eye and is useful because it won’t slip or jam, making it easy to untie. To tie a bowline:

1. Make an overhand loop that looks like the number 6, and then bring the end back up through the hole in the 6. Adjust the length of the line for the size of the loop you want to make.
2. Wrap the end of the line around the back of the standing line.
3. Pass the end back down through the hole in the 6 in the opposite direction and give it a pull to snug the knot tight.

The Clove Hitch

The clove hitch is used to tie a line around a piling for temporary docking. It’s simple to tie and remove because it won’t jam. To remove when ready, you just push on the tag end while pulling the last loop until it’s free. To tie a clove hitch:

1. Wrap the line around a piling or pole, and bring the end back around and over the standing line.
2. Pass the line around the piling or pole again on the opposite side.
3. Slip the end under the line as shown and it’s done. If you plan on staying tied up for any length of time, add a couple half hitches with the tag end around the standing line.

The Reef Knot / Square Knot

Also known as a square knot, the reef knot is the best for tying together two pieces of line of similar or different diameters. Done right, it’s one of the simplest knots to tie and release; done wrong and you have a granny knot that is weak and hard to untie. You’ll know when you have produced a proper square knot when it appears “square.” To do so:

1. Wrap the two pieces of line together left over right.
2. With the ends of the two lines in your hands wrap the right over left.
3. Pull the two standing lines tight and it’s done. To untie, just hold both standing and tag lines in opposite hands and push them toward each other to loosen.

Packing the proper fenders and learning these four knots will prepare you to fend off other craft and properly secure your own this boating season.

About the Author

Dan Armitage is a popular Great Lakes-based outdoor writer and host of the Buckeye Sportsman show (buckeyesportsman.com), syndicated weekly on 30 radio stations across Ohio. Dan is a certified Passport to Fishing instructor and leads kids fishing programs at Midwest boat and sport shows, and is a licensed Captain with a Master rating from the US Coast Guard.

A version of this article appeared in the Summer Issue (July/August) 2021 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.

tags: Boating 101, safety

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