I have been thinking about this one for a while.

Most of us were probably taught to form the hole and tree and then the rabbit comes out of the hole goes around the tree and back down the hole, pull it tight and you have the bowline.

I suspect for most of us tying the knot has become fairly automatic and we have ended up with an "inside" bowline.

Depending on which way the rabbit goes around the tree you end up with the tail inside or outside the bight (loop) of the knot.

My thinking is that an "outside" bowline is a cleaner knot for when the bight is around say a bar to which load is to be applied.

Off to You Tube we go and I found this gem.



Here is another excellent vid showing 4 ways to tie a bowline and two ways to tie a sheet bend.



This vid clearly shows the shortcomings of the bowline and the advantages of the anglers knot. I am going to be using this one.

This one is really cool. Five knots in one.

Never thought much about it. The main use I had for bowlines was for tying off sheets to headsails and I did both tail in tail out depending on whether I was using right or left hand . How easy is the anglers knot to undo on the foredeck when it's been under load in the wet for a few hours , at night.
Currently all my sheets ,as came with the boat, have shackles on the ends and I hate it.

That anglers knot would have to pull tight over time would be impossible to untie.

BB, having shackles on your head sheets is very dangerous for anyone near them if the sail is flapping . If one is struck on the temple by them he would probably drop on the spot. Knots are bad enough but shackles can be deadly.

I have been experimenting with the angler's knot this morning and it is as easy to undo as the bowline after similar loading.

The acid test is trying it out on the briney.

Yes I know and what's worse is that would be me as I only sail solo these days

Bowline for me as you can tie it single handed, which is handy and could save your life, or prevent you spilling your beer!

I have seen shackles attaching sheets to sails on large racing yachts. I thought it a dumb idea but it isn't uncommon.

Soft shackles with a bone would be good I think

Soft shackles with a bone would be good I think

I switched to dyneema soft shackle on jib several years ago. Best thing ever. No metal to hit crew or mast. Quicker and easier than bowlines. Puts up with flapping etc no worries.

Mine are non bone type

Using a bowline on the genoa, using a snap shackle on the outside sheet and on the preventer makes life easier but the danger of flap-hit on the head exists. (Photo)
The halyard knot or fisherman's knot if pulled tight and wet needs a marlin spike and a fair bit of wrangling with it to undo, most times.
In emergency, if possible, better to cut the line at the shackle and re-tie it. Would not use it for clews but is excellent on the snap shackles.
Halyard knot retains its 75% of the line's braking strength while bowline only 55%.

Like your jib sheeting setup SirG.

Yep, it is a classic cruising set up when the pole is not practical like when approaching busy Circular Quay single handed.
The wind was 5-7 knots and with this set up l was still doing 3-4 knots all the way.

What's that black line that you have running from the outer end of your boom, forward inside your shrouds?

A boom preventer.
The line is clipped to the boom bail by a snap shackle.
From the boom end - RUNNING OUTSIDE OF THE SHROUDS - to a turning block on the fore deck and back to the halyard winches on both sides of the mast. Stops accidental gybes and the flapping of the boom while running in disturbed waters.

Select to expand quote

sirgallivant said..
Yep, it is a classic cruising set up when the pole is not practical like when approaching busy Circular Quay single handed.
The wind was 5-7 knots and with this set up l was still doing 3-4 knots all the way.

Can you fill me in a bit more on this please SirG.

Is that an extra sheet running through a block at the end of the boom to the jib clew? Back through a spinnaker block?? Or is it a fixed line from the clew to the end of the boom & adjusted with the line running down to the toe rail?
Does the rope attached to the extra sheet run through a block on the toe rail back to??

It's gotta have advantages over a pole in a lot of circumstances.

Yep. That is the idea. To do away with the pole and going to the fore deck. On the Harbour the traffic is huge and single handed sailing could be dicey for the fast changing circumstances.
This set up is removed in seconds if tacking or gybing is necessary. It works well in winds from 120? to 240? and up to 15-18 knots when sheet tension becomes too high for comfortable operation.
I use the same set up with my huge reacher in lower winds up to 12-15 knots outside.
With the genoa in use the main could be scandalised if blanketed by the wind too much while running square.

I am running a normal genoa sheet, white sheet unused on the pic. When in use, run to the front cockpit winch.

The green spinnaker sheet with a snap shackle clipped to the loop of the genoa sheet at the clew, run back via the barber hauler, the thin sheet to the toe rail and is clipped to the boom bail and run back to the spinnaker winch.

The preventer is clipped to the boom bail by a snap shackle and lead via a turning block on the fore deck back to the halyard winch.
The whole web is dropped by un clipping the sheet from the boom bail. The preventer taken off the winch does not stop the boom being tacked. Un clip that later.











I hope, this helps.

Select to expand quote

sirgallivant said..

I hope, this helps.

Sure did - thanks for that.

I'll get straight onto it. I think I'll use a couple of blocks on the barber hauler to get a bit more purchase though.

Most of my sailing is single handed & this will come in very handy.

Select to expand quote

Lazzz said..

sirgallivant said..

I hope, this helps.

Sure did - thanks for that.

I'll get straight onto it. I think I'll use a couple of blocks on the barber hauler to get a bit more purchase though.

Most of my sailing is single handed & this will come in very handy.

Try lashing a low friction ring to the top block to help the sheet rum :)

Select to expand quote

rumblefish said..

Lazzz said..

sirgallivant said..

I hope, this helps.

Sure did - thanks for that.

I'll get straight onto it. I think I'll use a couple of blocks on the barber hauler to get a bit more purchase though.

Most of my sailing is single handed & this will come in very handy.

Try lashing a low friction ring to the top block to help the sheet rum :)

Will do - this was a pic I got off the interwebby :)

Always up for a new idea.
Thanks.
Here is a pic of the Angler's knot on a gennaker line.



That's a $5 snap shackle from China.
www.banggood.com/316-Stainless-Steel-Quick-Release-Boat-Anchor-Chain-Eye-Shackle-Swivel-Snap-Hook-p-1242278.html?rmmds=detail-bottom-alsobought&cur_warehouse=CN

Gary