Crash Restraint

Note that since this past week was optional, none of this will be on the test -- but that doesn't mean you shouldn't practice it if you want to remember it!

Whippings

The first whipping we learned was the common whipping; wikipedia illustrates this well; they do it in the opposite direction as we did, but I don't see as it makes much difference since the end result is symmetrical. I find it easier to go up, but going down might be easier if you don't have the loose end taped/tied off.

Next was the sailmaker's whipping. Instructions for this from The Ashley Book of Knots page 547 were on your handout. There is a slightly different way of doing it without a needle, shown here, or you can do it without a needle by finishing it with a loop in the same way as a common whipping, as I demonstrated. Ashley also describes as #3448 the ingenious but confusing way that we did last.

Stopper Knots

We covered how to tie a wall knot in the end of your rope; done three times, this makes a fairly secure and attractive finish, without any twine or special tools. Done 2 or 3 times with 1/2 or 1/3 of each lay each time, leaving the rest in the center, makes a more compact, if difficult-to-tie, variation.

Philip suggested the thistle knot, which we didn't demonstrate, but is probably the most popular of the many more-complex stopper knots available. He suggests these instructions; there is also a tutorial on Jack Elfrink's website, which has all sorts of other useful information as well.

Buying and Dying

The website where I get more of my hemp than anywhere else is Rawganique; they have been supplying consistently good quality rope for a number of years now (although the odiferousness varies considerably from season to season).

I get my dyes, and follow the instructions from, Dharma Trading Company. Make sure you get the right dyes for hemp or for nylon; they are not interchangeable, nor are the dying processes!

Random Knots

We covered the following knots, that are handy for canoes and whatnot:

• Double half-hitch
  
• Taut line hitch
  
• Trucker's hitch
  
• Bowline
  
• Slipped overhand
  
• Daisy chain
  
• Sheet bend
  

I also demonstrated a variation of the Sheet Bend for joining the ends of one doubled rope to the bight of a new doubled rope; you tie the sheet bend normally, except treating the two ends as a single rope, and treating the inherent bight of the new rope as the bight you'd normally start the knot by forming.