Tag Archives: marlinespike seamanship

Marking Your Halyards

Posted on June 8, 2012 by captnmike

Many people put adjusting marks on  their halyards or other control lines to help with sail trim by making it quick and easy to repeat settings they have found to work with  given conditions in the past.    A big black … Continue reading →

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How to tie a Bowline with your left hand – Updated

Posted on February 29, 2012 by captnmike

Tying a Bowline is an essential boating skill  but one that seems to stump many boaters, then when you add being left handed to the mix things can get really confusing so I made this guide to help left handed … Continue reading →

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Improved Fender Whip–Part 1

Posted on November 3, 2011 by captnmike

This is an improved Fender Whip that holds knots much better than a standard Fender Whip and is much easier to handle than standard double braid or three strand line.  I got this trick from the Chief on a Coast … Continue reading →

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Mike’s Quick Rope Whipping

Posted on October 26, 2011 by captnmike

This is the quick and secure whipping I use to whip the ends on double braid line.  I have not seen this in any book.  It has some of the elements of the classic quick temporary whipping but this method … Continue reading →

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Double Constrictor Knot

Posted on October 15, 2011 by captnmike

The Double Constrictor Knot is another very useful knot that should be in every boaters skill set and is quick and easy to tie.  This knot can be used for emergency repairs and quick whipping on the end of a … Continue reading →

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Constrictor Knot

Posted on October 15, 2011 by captnmike

The Constrictor Knot is a knot that should be in every boaters skill set.  This knot can be used for emergency repairs and quick whipping on the end of a line to keep the line from unraveling until a permanent … Continue reading →

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Coiling line using the Ballantine Coil on the Adventuress

Posted on October 3, 2011 by captnmike

On a recent evening sail with the Mountaineers Sailing Group aboard the Schooner Adventuress (Wikipedia, Adventuress Web Site) I saw the crew using the Ballantine Coil to coil the halyards when a sail is raised. With masts that rise over 100 … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Mountaineers Sailing, Sailing and Boating Skills | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Was This Your Fender Knot?

Posted on August 5, 2011 by captnmike

This Fender Knot was spotted recently at a Puget Sound Marina.  They are loosing massive style points here and while the knot will hold, I suspect that it might be difficult to untie.  See below for some options to restore … Continue reading →

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