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Naming Ropes and Knots
Experts distinguish between knots, hitches, and bends. If you are trying to learn what we have presented here then you may be perfectly happy to call them all knots. However, here is the difference:
- Hitch: Attaches a rope to something, e.g., Hitching Post, dock pole, mooring buoy, anchor, or cleat.
- Bend: Joins two ropes or fishing lines, e.g., Sheet Bend, Figure 8 Bend, or Fisherman's Bend,
Similarly, there are many names for rope which, particularly in boating, climbing, and fishing, depend on their use, e.g.
Boating
- Anchor Rode
- The line or chain attached to your anchor.
- Bow line
- The rope attached to the bow of your boat. Used for docking or towing.
- Buntline
- A rope used to furl (wrap up) a square sail up to the yard arm
- Downhaul
- A rope used to tighten the front (luff) of a sail
- Halyard
- A rope used to pull up a sail
- Hawser
- A larger diameter rope used for towing large vessels & barges
- Lanyard
- Short length of thin rope, e.g. attached to a knife or whistel
- Outhaul
- Rope used to stretch a sail tight along the boom
- Painter
- The Bow Line on a small boat such as a dinghy
- Ratline
- Ropes stretched between adjacent shrouds to act as steps for the crew to climb
- Sheet
- Rope attached at the back lower corner of a sail to trim the sail for the wind direction
- Spring Lines
- Dock lines - usually used as a pair - one from the bow back to the dock and the other from the stern forward to the dock. This arrangement prevents the boat moving fore and aft.
- Topping lift
- A rope from the mast to the back of the boom - principally used to take the weight of the boom when the sail is down.
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Climbing
- Cordelette
- Accessory cord - a long loop attached to several anchor points
- Double Rope
- A technique employing two smaller ropes when leading a climb
- Dynamic Rope
- Rope that is slightly elastic and therefore reduces the impact of a fall. Compare with Static Rope.
- Fixed Rope
- A rope secured to an fixed point. Used in Abseiling (German) or Raapelling (US English).
- Single Rope (technique)
- Technique employing a single rope iwhich is attached at one or both ends
- Static Rope
- A non-elastic climbing rope - compare with dynamic rope.
- Top Rope
- The use of a fixed anchor point above. This implies easy access to the top.
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Fishing
- Backing Line
- Nylon or dacron line tied between the fly line and the reel to provide additional length if required to play the fish.
- Braided Line
- A fishing line made up of multiple strands - providing better abrasion resistance with no memory so coils are less of a problem
- Dropper Line
- Multiple short lines attached along the length of a fishing line to allow multiple catches with one cast.
- Floating Line
- Fishing line whish is lighter than water and floats on the surface,
- Leader
- Short length of heavy line or wire between the main fishing line and the lure. Prevents sharp-toothed fish damaging the main line
- Monofilament
- Nylon line available in different strengths and colors. It is almost invisible to the fish. However, it absorbs water which loosens knots and has a memory so that it tends to come off the reel in coils
- Sinking Line
- Heavier than water and useful when fishing in still waters.
- Tippet
- The piece of line between the leader and the fly.
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When sailing, quite often, the one word that won't be used is "Rope !".
If you spend much time boating, climbing or fishing you will learn these useful names and use them. Until then call it rope or line but learn to handle it and become familiar with the Essential knots.
Disclaimer: Any activity that involves ropes is potentially hazardous. Lives may be at risk - possibly your own. Considerable attention and effort have been made to ensure that these descriptions are accurate. However, many critical factors cannot be controlled, including: the choice of materials; the age, size, and condition of ropes; and the accuracy with which these descriptions have been followed. No responsibility is accepted for incidents arising from the use of this material.
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