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Water Ways Ray Pendleton |
Ala Wai boaters in
need of knot-tying bookWhile checking out the Ala Wai marina the other day, along with noting the dismal state of the state's docks, I was also struck by how few boats were properly tied up -- or in knot-tying terms, belayed and made fast.
Considering that making a dock line fast around a cleat is one of the simplest of hitches, it was amazing to see how many ways boat owners had found to do it wrong.
It's the kind of observation that makes you wonder if many boaters today have even heard of marlingspike seamanship. In past years it was requisite knowledge for any sailor, but perhaps I'm just showing my age.
Nevertheless, the same observation also brought to mind a rewarding and practical gift anyone could give a recreational boater this Christmas: a how-to book on knot tying.
And the beauty of it is that these books are available in a wide range of styles and prices.
For one in the lower price range, there is a paperback out called "A Handbook of Knots and Knot Tying" by Geoffrey Budworth that is offered for under $15. It would make a great stocking-stuffer.
For those more inclined to electronic information, rather than books, there is a CD-ROM available for about $25 called "Knot Tying: The Basic Knots," and it even includes a length of rope to use for practice.
Still, if you're looking for the definitive text on knots, and money is no object, there is only one book to buy: "The Ashley Book of Knots."
It sells on Amazon.com for something over $50, but it has been in print for nearly 60 years, so you might want to check out a used-book store for a better price. My copy once sold new for $16.95.
This outstanding book was written by Clifford W. Ashley (1881-1947) over an 11-year period, and after 40 years of "looking for, trying out, and thinking up new knots." Anything it misses about tying knots probably isn't worth knowing.
What makes this book so special is that its author not only gives explicit directions on how to tie more than 3,900 knots, but he gives their individual histories and explains how and why they are used.
Ashley was also a prominent marine artist, so his knot-tying descriptions are thoroughly illustrated and there are sketches showing how various knots can be employed for a variety of tasks.
As it says on the book's cover, "Every practical knot -- what it looks like, who uses it, where it comes from and how to tie it."
The best knots (including those that secure mooring lines to dock cleats) will be those that are the easiest to remember, as well as the easiest to tie and untie, Ashley wrote.
And, he added, "A knot is never nearly right; it is either exactly right or it is hopelessly wrong, one or the other; there is nothing in between."
What would the owners of those poorly tied up boats I noticed in the Ala Wai make of that?
To tie up their boats, they just need to take a simple turn on the cleat, cover it with a few s-turns to "belay" the line and then "make it fast" with a single hitch. It's that simple.
But, if those directions aren't clear, maybe someone will give them "The Ashley Book of Knots."
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Ray Pendleton is a free-lance writer based in Honolulu.
His column runs Saturdays in the Star-Bulletin.
He can be reached by e-mail at raypendleton@mac.com.