KNOTTING AND SPLICING. A knot, is a loop or combination of loops and turns joining different parts of a rope or parts of two or more ropes. A splice is a more intimate junction of parts than a knot, the lay of the rope being opened, and the ends tucked in so that the size and character of the rope at the place where the splice is made is not greatly changed. Knots are of many kinds and have many uses, but their employment elsewhere is insignificant compared with that on hoard ship, where they have ob tained their full development. They owe their importance to the frictional resistance of the rope. which prevents the parts of the rope from slipping and thus untying the knot.
Knots may be divided into two principal types, those which are lied without separating the strands of a rope and those made by opening out the strands. The first type may be divided into: (a) made with two ends of the same or of dif ferent ropes knotted together: (b) made with the end of a rope passed around or knotted about some object; (e) knots made with the end of a mope knotted about itself; (d) seizings, in which a small rope is tied around a larger one. The second type of knots is divided into: (a) knots made in the lay of the rope by separating the strands; and (b) splices, in which two parts of a rope, or the ends of a rope, or of two ropes, are joined.
The simplest knot is the overhand ( Fig. 1) ; its use is chiefly to hold temporarily the end of a rope from slipping away from the man who in tends to knot it permanently at the proper time; overhand knots are also tied in the ends of ropes to prevent their slipping through a Week or sheave, i.e. unreeving. In its ordinary use it therefore belongs to class b of the first group, but it may be made in the ends of a rope passed about a spar, placing it. in classes a and e simul taneously. By making a second overhand knot on top of the first we get the square or reef knot (Fig. 2), the commonest and most useful knot known. It differs from the granny knot ( Fig. 3) in the manner of making the second overhand knot on top of the first. The square knot holds firmly, and is quite easily untied, as it does not crush down when subjected to strain. The granny knot does not hold nearly so well, almost invari ably slipping a little and frequently pulling apart ; and when it does hold the parts jam to gether so tightly that it is untied with great dif ficulty. The sheet or heeled bend (Fig. 4) is first cousin to a square knot; instead of slipping one end through the bight of the other rope is pushed across underneath its own bends. Carrick bends (Figs. 5 and 6) are not much used, but are oc casionally employed in bending two hawsers to gether. The blaekwall (Fig. 8) is used to attach quickly a rope to a hook: the double black wall (Fig. 11) is more secure if the rope is stiff or large in proportion to the hook and there fore liable to slip.
The butr/ine (Fig. 12) is a very useful knot.
It serves to form a loop in the end of a rope which will not slip or draw down, and yet which can be instantly untied; this latter property is due to the fact that it will not jam tightly and the parts are free to be separated the instant the strain is removed. The running bowline (Fig. 13a) is simply a bowline so made that its loop ineloses the rope on rehich it is made. A bowline on a bight (Fig. I:31)) is made, as its name indi cates, on the bight or loop of a rope. In making it the first part of the operation is the same as tying a bowline; but instead of carrying time bight around the parts on which the knot is made the loop is opened out and slipped over it s own parts. The eatspaio (Fig. 9) is used to shorten up the loop of a rope for the purpose of hooking a tackle to it. When neither end of a rope eau be reached, and it is desirable to shorten it. be tween two points, the sheepshank (Fig. 17) is used. The figure-of-eight knot is rarely used ex cept for ornamental work. The midshipman's hitch (Fig. IS) is also rarely used. The marling spike hitch (Fig. 19) is very common, and is used in passing seizings and the like. It is an easy way to attach temporarily the ends of a rope to a heaver or marlingspike for pulling; on it; the spike or heaver may he quickly with drawn when the pull is finished.
The studdingsail (pronounced sta'n's'1) tack bend (Fig. 7) is used to bend the tack to the sail and for other purposes as a slipping hitch; the studdingsail halliard bend (Fig. 20) is used to head the halliards to the studdingsail yard and to bend other ropes to spars. The fisherman's bend (Fig. 21) and the magnas hitch (Fig. 16) have a great variety of uses. The timber-hitch (Fig. 14b) is used in hoisting timber and similar articles; the timber and half-hitch (Fig. 15) is used for hoisting or towing heavy timbers. The two half-hitches form a convenient slipping hitch. The clove-hitch (Fig. 14c) is one of the most useful knots known, and is used more than any other knot except the square knot. The inside and outside clinches (Figs. Itla and 101)) are used when the end of a rope is to be made fast to a heavy object, and yet leave the rope clear to work through a pulley or sheave close up to the object; clinches were much used in bending hawsers and cables to anchors.
Seizings are used to tie two parts of a rope to gether or to secure a rope to another object. The common forms are shown in the sketches ( Figs. 2:3a, 23b, and 23c), but there are modifications of these forms too numerous to mention. The turk's head (Fig. 24) is a variety of seizing put around a single part of rope; it is used on foot ropes to keep them from slipping through the eyes of the stirrups.
Wall knots, wall and crown. man rope knots, and all the other knots of class a of the second type are used to form a solid and more or less ornamental knot in a rope to prevent its slip ping through a block, hole, or eye.