Sailing without a Hitch

[Chris Waite]

At the beginning of last month

Ian (momist) told a tale in the "This may be obvious but..." topic, of being rendered cleatless in extremis.  It worried me at the time and I note just yesterday, that Ray (the nesting one), has mentioned the lack of entries on the forum of late.  I think Ray, that people get to the point of being 'Wintered-out' at this stage.  Ten more minutes March sunshine and I am likely to be found outside, surreptitiously stroking the boat under its cover.

Anyway, I'm putting two and two together to offer an armchair solution to Ian's predicament.  If you have run out of cleats and things are looking grim, there is a very useful knot called a 'Rolling Hitch'.

This allows you to tie a rope to a pole of any sort so that it will not slide in the direction of tension - marked in the pictures below by a black arrow; in your case the halyard leading down from the masthead.  This has applied throughout history, though what it would make of modern materials such as Kevlar on carbon-fibre I am not so inclined to bet; anyway -



Take a 'turn' round the mast in your case Ian; in the direction of tension -



Then a second one -



Then finally, a half hitch at the other end of the knot -



Once pulled tight, this can be slid (down the mast) the opposite way to the arrow, until you have the required tension (in the halyard in your case), where it will resist all natural attempts to slack off.

Then you have both hands free to hold onto the tiller and your sandwich, still leaving your teeth free to partake of that comestible, or in your situation perhaps leave the food 'til later and grapple with the sheet....

Now I am well aware that this is very easy to type sitting in a warm, calm kitchen, but kneeling astride the centreboard-case, facing the mast, is as good a place as any to be in a bucking dinghy.

And might save your bacon; there's that

Damned sandwich, again

Chris W

[Nesting Ray.]

Sorry Chris, to awaken you from your winter hibernation, it has been quiet on here though. I have sorted out the cleat situation by screwing 2 horned cleats, one forward and one aftward on the lower section of the  mast, for halyard and downhaul. The rolling hitch you so graphically describe reminds me of my past life as a wagon driverist, we used a very similar knot to lash pipes and poles to the trailer beds to discourage them from hitting you between the shoulder blades on emergency stops. They are a very useful knot.
I am hoping to start a RYA course this weekend, weather permitting, do you think l should mention the sandwich eating manoeuvres at the his early stage?  Regards. The nesting one.

[momist]

Thank you Chris.  That is a well thought through and well illustrated post for the rolling hitch.  

I was already very familiar with this knot at the time, and use it fairly frequently.  Indeed I had another option in that the halyard could reach the hole for the starboard rowlock, and I might have managed to poke the end down there and make all secure in that fashion.  My major concern with both of those options at the time was that damned offshore wind which, while likely not in the right scale, certainly felt like a full gale in a dinghy of a smidgen less than eight feet.  All I really wanted was to make some progress toward the shore before I was blown out of the small bay I had never had any intention of leaving, and the time taken to make fast could have cost me a fair distance downwind.

All worked out in the end, the boat was rolled over in the surf and some cosmetic damage occurred, but I managed to beach the rig (it pulls out fairly easily) and then carry alternately the hull and the rig safely over the rocks to above the strand line.   I was left with a couple of miles to walk, in order to collect the car and roof-rack, and also had a fairly steep climb over rocks and gorse to unite the boat and the car, on the road which follows the bay around.  I remember the pain of both the sore feet from a long walk in wet sailing pumps, and also the deep scratches from the gorse bushes and jumbled sharp rocks used to prevent storms eroding the road.  I must have looked a sorry sight to the occasional passing car, but no-one stopped for me.

I have learned a very severe lesson from the experience, and although it makes me rather timid where the expanse of water downwind poses a threat, I still venture onto salt water when I can and love playing with the waves when opportunity strikes.  Let's hope for a suitable summer!

Ian

[mike160304]

I have used the Rolling Hitch a lot, though never in the kind of emergency you describe. I always thought of it as a Clove Hitch doubled with a jamming turn on the side from which the pull comes.

While looking for a secure knot to secure a new 4mm prestretched polyester halyard to a bamboo yard, I went through a lot of knots and they all slipped along the yard - modern rope is unlike 19th century hemp.

Then I found the Constrictor, which is a Clove Hitch on steroids. On the yard, I also took the loose ends from the Constrictor round the back and added 2 Half Hitches. It does not matter from which side the pull comes.

I don't know why it took me half a century to find the Constrictor. It should be in the first Knots lesson. Just rub it on and don't ride your bicycle for a week.

Mike

[Chris Waite]

"Hibernating" Ray?

PigsMight!  They might just at that....

I'd take a few flying pigs now, as a swap for the entrails of an enthralling Winter, struggling Pyrrhically through the undergrowth of perennial trivia,

Nursing a pocketful of torn and tattered dreams

Of going sailing one fine day

Chris

(A load of mushy cobblers of course; but a restful few months, it hasn't been.)