 This training film is designed to teach the viewer how to tie knots, bends, and hitches. After each segment of instruction, there will be a three-second black period to give the instructor an opportunity to stop the film if desired, to ensure that the student has a complete knowledge of the individual teaching point before continuing on. In a knot, a line is usually bent or tied to itself. A bend ordinarily is that used to join two lines together. A hitch is a line tied to a ring around a spar or stanchion, or another line. It is up to the individual mariner to decide which is the best knot, bend, or hitch to use. The choice depends largely on the job the line has to do. The overhead knot is a basis for other knots. It is the most commonly used and is the simplest to make. An overhand knot is made by passing the end of a line over the standing part and through the loop. An overhand knot may be used to prevent the line from unlaying, to form a knob at the end of the line, or to serve as a basis of other knots. The overhand knot is also used to increase a person's grip on a line. The overhand knot reduces the strength of the line to 45% of its capacity. The next knot will be a square knot. To make a square knot, take the end of the line in your right hand and say to yourself, right line over left and left line over right. Pass the end over and under the part in your left hand. Then take the end that was in your left hand and this time say to yourself, left line over right line. Then pass it over and under the part in your left hand. Notice that in a square knot the end and the standing part of one line come out on the same side of the bite formed by the other line. The square knot is used for tying two lines of the same size together so they will not slip. It will not hold if the lines are wet or if the lines are of different sizes. It tightens under strain but can be untied by grasping the ends of the two bites and pulling the knot apart. The strength of a square knot is 45% of the line's capacity. The next knot is a figure eight knot. To tie a figure eight knot, form an under or overhand loop in the line. Pass the running end over the standing part, up the other side and through the loop. Tighten the knot by pulling on the running end and the standing part. Let's do it again. Form an under or overhand loop in the line. Pass the running end over the standing part, up the other side and through the loop. Tighten the knot by pulling on the running end and the standing part. A figure eight knot is used to prevent the line from unraving when roved through a block. The knot is easy to untie. A figure eight knot reduces the strength of the line 50%. The bowline knot. To tie a bowline, hold the standing part with your left hand and the running end with your right hand. Flip an overhand loop in the standing part. Hold the standing part and the loop with the thumb and fingers of your left hand. Using your right hand, pass the running end up through the loop and under and around the standing part and down again through the loop. Let's do it once more. Hold the standing part with your left hand and the running end with your right hand. Flip an overhand loop in the standing part and hold the standing part and the loop with the thumb and fingers of your left hand. Using your right hand, pass the running end up through the loop, around and under the standing part and down again through the loop. The bowline is used to tie a temporary eye in the end of a line. A bowline neither slips nor jams and unties easily. An example of a temporary use is that of tying a heaving line or messenger to a hauser and throwing it to a pier where line handlers can pull the hauser to the pier using the heaving line or messenger. The strength of the bowline is 60% of the line's capacity. A running bowline is used when you need an extra large eye. To tie a running bowline, put the running end under the standing part. Make an overhand loop in the bite. Take the bitter end over the standing part, up through the overhand loop, around and under the standing part and down through the loop, forming an eye around the standing part. Let's tie it once more. Put the running end under the standing part. Make an overhand loop in the bite. Take the bitter end over the standing part, up through the overhand loop, around and under the standing part and down through the loop. The next knot will be a half hitch. A half hitch is used to secure the line to the end of the line. A half hitch is used to secure the line to an object. Half hitches should not be used by themselves because they'll work out. To tie a half hitch, loop the line around the object from the top, making a round turn so that the strain will be on the line and not the hitches. Take the line over and under the standing part with the working end making two half hitches. Hitches should always run in the same direction to prevent twisting of the line. Never tie half hitches by themselves. They must be used in conjunction with another knot. Once more, loop the line around the object from the top making a round turn so that the strain will be on the line and not the hitches. Take the line over and under the standing part with the working end making two half hitches. Remember, hitches should always run in the same direction to prevent twisting of the line. And never tie half hitches by themselves. They must be used in conjunction with other knots. The timber hitch. A timber hitch is formed by passing the end around the spar and its own standing part, making a half hitch. Then wrap the working end around the same part of the line a minimum of three times. The timber hitch is used on logs, spars, planks, and other comparatively rough surfaced material. Let's see that again. Pass the end around the spar and its own standing part making a half hitch. Then wrap the working end around the same part of the line a minimum of three times. The timber hitch is used on logs, spars, planks, and other comparatively rough surfaced material. For safety reasons, the timber hitch should never be used on pipes or other metals when lifting vertically. It will slip when tied to metal. The strength of a timber hitch is 70% of the line's capacity. A rolling hitch. When making a rolling hitch, the working end is wrapped around the spar or line three times in the direction of pull, crossing the standing part on the top side each time. Then the end is hitched with two half hitches around the spar or line from the top on the opposite side of the three turns. Let's do it again. The working end is wrapped around the spar or line three times in the direction of pull, crossing the standing part on the top side each time. Then the end is hitched around the spar or line from the top with two half hitches on the opposite side of the three turns. The rolling hitch is very useful where a line is to be bent to a spar or to the standing part, not the end of another line. A clove hitch is used to fasten a line around a cylindrical object. To form a clove hitch, the end is passed around the spar, crossing the standing part. Then around the spar again, bringing the end through between the end part and the standing part under its own part. It is one of the most widely used knots. Let's do it again. The end is passed around the spar, crossing the standing part. Then around the spar again, bringing the end through between the end part and the standing part under its own part. A clove hitch has the strength of 55 to 60% of the line's capacity. This is a cat's paw. To tie a cat's paw in an endless sling, take a length of the sling with each hand and twist each length inward or outward a minimum of three times. Then put the loops on a hook. Let's tie this once more. Take a length of line in each hand and twist each length inward or outward a minimum of three times. Then put the loops on a hook. Mousing made from small stuff can be used to ensure that the knot will not jump off the hook when slackened. A cat's paw can be used for fastening an endless sling to a hook or to shorten a sling. A cat's paw is easily tied and untied. A single sheet or becket bend is used to tie two lines of unequal size together or to tie a line to an eye. To tie a single sheet or becket bend, take the end of the larger line lay it back parallel to the standing part forming a loop. Then take the smaller of the two lines, put the end up through the loop and pass it around the loop and back under itself. The single sheet or becket bend will draw tight but will loosen when the line is slackened. Let's tie it again to an already formed eye. Take the eye in your left hand. Take the smaller of the two lines, put the end up through the eye pass it around the eye and back under itself. Again the single sheet or becket bend will draw tight but will loosen when the line is slackened. It is stronger than the square knot with a strength of 55% of the line's capacity. A single sheet or becket bend is more easily untied than a square knot. A double sheet or becket bend is always used to tie the gantt line to a boson's chair. Notice in the double sheet or becket bend that the end of the smaller line goes under its standing part both times. If a greater holding power than the single sheet or becket bend is required, a double becket bend is used. It will not slip, it draws tight under heavy loads but will loosen when strain is taken off the line. This knot is more secure than the single sheet or becket bend when used in a spliced eye. The fisherman's bend. To tie the fisherman's bend take two turns through the eye. Tie a half hitch through the turns and another two half hitches around the standing part. Seize the running end to the standing part. Let's do that again. Take two turns through the eye. Tie a half hitch through the turns and another two half hitches around the standing part. Seize the running end to the standing part. The fisherman's bend is used to tie a line to a becket or to an eye such as tying a messenger to the eye in a mooring line. It is also used for securing a line to a buoy or a hauser to the ring or a shackle of an anchor. The fisherman's bend has a strength of 76% of the line's capacity. This knot is a double-carat bend. A double-carat bend is made by first crossing the end of one line over the standing part forming a loop. Pass the end of the other line across the loop. Then working from right to left, bring the bitter end under the standing part. Then over and under each part to form the knot. Let's do it again. Cross the end of one line over the standing part forming a loop. Then pass the end of the other line across the loop. Working from right to left, bring the bitter end under the standing part. Then over and under each part to form the knot. Then seize the ends. The double-carat bend with both ends coming out on different sides is a secure knot. It is used for tying together two hausers. It unties readily after a heavy strain for the simple reason it never draws tight providing the ends have been seized. However, it will draw tight if the ends are not seized. A good knot must be easy to tie. Easy to untie and serve a definite purpose. The basis for other knots is the overhand knot. It may be used to prevent the end of a line from unlaying or to form a knot at the end of a line or to be part of another knot. A square knot has similar uses. Two lines of equal sizes are tied with a square knot. A figure eight has similar uses. A bowline is used to tie a temporary eye in the end of a line. A cat's paw is used both to fasten an endless sling to a hook and to fasten the end of a line to a hook. It will not slip off and need not be kept taut to make it hold. A fisherman's bend is used to tie a line to a becket or to an eye in a mooring line. After this bend is tied, the running end of the line should be seized to the standing part. A half hitch is tied with the short end of the line and is used to back up other knots. Never tie half hitches by themselves. Instead, take a round turn before tying the hitches so that the strain will be on the line. A clove hitch is the best knot for tying a line to a ring, spar, or anything cylindrical. Two lines of unequal sizes are tied with a single sheet or becket bend. The double sheet or becket bend is always used to tie the gantt line to the Bosun's chair. Notice in the double sheet or becket bend that the end of the smaller line goes under the standing part twice to give greater holding power. Two hausers are tied together with a double karat bend. In tying knots, always follow the ancient mariners rule. Never tie a knot on which you are not willing to stake your life.