(Fig. 48), which is the wrong way, just to show you the difference. Left over and under, left over and under, and the result is as shown. The point to remember is that the ends must be put over alternately, and not the same one twice. If you look at the figures you will see that in the opposite one. true knot the standing part come together through the FIG. 48. GRANNY. If you want to quickly bend a rope to a spar, a timber hitch (Fig. 49) is an excellent one, and jams very tight. Two half FIG. 49. TIMBER HITCH. hitches are use ful for the same to a ring; for tying clew lines to hammocks, and many FIG. 50. Two HALF HITCHES. such purposes. It is clearly shown in Fig. 50. To make fast a rope to the hook of a block, or any hook for a temporary pull, FIG. 51. BLACKWALL HITCH. use a Blackwall hitch (Fig. 51), which is clearly explained by the engraving. To bend a rope to the shackle of an anchor use a Magner's hitch (Fig. 52), which is made by passing the rope twice round the ring, over the outer side of the standing part, under the ring FIG. 52. MAGNER'S HITCH. on the side opposite to the standing part and up through the bight alongside the standing part. A more secure way of bending a rope to an anchor shackle or to a mooring ring is the fisherman's bend, in which you pass the end twice through the ring or shackle, over the standing part, through the bights of both the turns round the ring, and finish off with a half hitch standing part with a piece of spun yarn. To quickly make a mooring-rope fast to a post, make two bights in the rope, as in FIG. 54. MOORING HITCH. Fig. 54, and slip both over the post, when they will jam tight. The last hitch, however, will not do where it may be neces sary to cast it off quickly, and a little more time must be consumed in making a bowline knot (Fig. 55), which retains the form of a loop without jamming or slipping, and can easily be lifted or jerked off a post. First make a small loop or round turn FIG. 55. BOWLINE KNOT. in the standing part, then a bight; pass the end through the loop from the upper side, over the standing part and through the FIG. 56. TOPSAIL HALYARD BEND bent on to the yard in two ways. half hitches above it, the turn on three turns, and back over loop from the under side, and jam. This is a knot well worth a little trouble in learning. The last knot can be made into a running noose by drawing the standing part through it. Topsail halyards may be One is to take two turns two and under the third. FIG. 57. TOPSAIL HALYARD BEND No. 2. This can only be thoroughly understood by consulting Fig. 57. A topsail sheet, or the sheet of a lug sail, may be bent to the cringle by putting the end through the eye, and two turns round the cringle, when join (Fig, 58). To bend two ropes together, for the purpose of lengthening them, a common bend will do. Make a bight with the end of one rope; pass the end of the other through the bight from beneath, round both parts, with FIG. 58. SHEET BEND. the end under its own standing part, and jam (Fig. 59). FIG. 59. COMMON BEND. To make a flag halyard fast round a shroud or any small rope fast to a larger standing one, a clove hitch (Fig. 60) is useful, and is best explained by the figure. The method of joining two ropes together neatly and strongly is by splicing (Fig. 61), and this, though easily done, is difficult either to describe or illustrate. Unlay the strands of each end for a few inches and place the ends together, so that each strand of an end FIG. 60. CLOVE HITCH. K fits between two strands of the other end. Each loose strand has then to be forced under the next turn but one of the strand in front of it, and drawn tight. When you have drawn each end twice through the alternate strands of the opposing rope, and cut off, then hammer it round with a mallet or hammer, and your splice is formed and will be as strong as the rest of the rope. A marlinspike, which is the sailor's counterpart of a lady's stiletto, is useful for raising the strands and making a way for the ends to pass through, but any round-pointed instrument will do on a pinch. а FIG. 62. GROMMET STROP. An eye at the end of a rope may be made by turning it back and splicing the end into the standing part. The strops around blocks may be made in three ways. The first is a grommet strop (Fig. 62), and is made by taking a piece of cord, bending one end round to a circle a little larger than the size required, and twisting the other round and round it until you have one circle of threefold |