Your bend of choice?
In order to dock stern to as shown in this pic above (Med mooring), we required two lines that were 90+ feet long to secure to the mooring off our bow. Like many on the dock, we did not have lines of that length so we had to join a couple of dock lines together. If you were in our shoes, what knot (bend) would you have used to accomplish that?
Which knot did I use? This one.
Beautiful Port Louis Marina.
Our friends’ office: LTD Sailing.
I would have used the AC/DC bend myself: Make the Zeppelin bend while listening to “Shook me all night long”.
🙂
Yep, the Zeppelin knot bend also called the Rosendahl Bend) is my go-to for this purpose too. It’s very secure, won’t untie itself underwater (bowlines) or when unloaded (sheet bend) like some poor alternatives will, and it is relatively easy to crack when unloaded.
You can Skipper my boat any day, Sir!
I’ve heard that bowlines can come untied, but I really wonder about that.
I’ve tied many thousands, climbing and sailing. If they worked loose, someone would be dead or I would have flogged a head sail. I know many climbers and they have never had a knot fail. Of course, knots are sometimes hastily tied, improperly tied, or left with short tails (climbers always leave long tails) and that is a separate matter. I don’t climb with anyone I see leave a short tail. Additionally, A climber will nearly always secure a vital knot by locking the end to the standing part with a double overhand. I believe the failure rate under those circumstances is exactly zero, whether underwater or not (I’m assuming the failure mode is creep aided by lubrication and cyclical loading, but the overhand will stop the creep).
I have had zeppelin bends jam, though they are generally very good. And as a results of testing over the spring and summer me and my co-testers have only found only one knot that could be untied every time after being loaded to near failure; the bowline. All others jam.
But it is the dissimilar line problem that is the greatest concern to me.
Zeppelin Bends can usually be broken apart much like a loaded Bowline. As for the bowline coming untied, I think it is most likely to occur in the water when unloaded.
Dude, you can never go wrong with Zeppelin, never.
It’s a good knot to be able to tie on demand.
Zeplin, if the lines are of similar size, but leave reasonable tails to allow for creep in some types of rope.
Bowlines if the ropes are of dissimilar thicknesses. Wrap the thinner rope twice round the thicker one as you do them. You MUST leave good length tails. Unfortunately this uses up more rope so the overall length is not as long as the zeplin and you are more likely to need a third piece of rope.
Mike
Always leave a “long enough” tail, on any knot.
square. simple is good.
If by square you mean a reef not you should really reconsider that!
I am still new an inexperienced but would the double fishermans knot be totally inappropriate as well?
Sure it could. The trick with that knot, or the zeppelin, or any good bend, is that you can tie it quickly without thinking.