Often it is necessary to fasten a rope to a ring, and there are a variety of methods of doing this. Fig. 43, for instance, shows the end to be passed through the ring, and a bight put under the standing part; this is a ready way of temporarily fastening the painter of a boat to the ring of a pier; as in the stationer’s knot (Fig. 42, p. 41), a sharp pull at the end of the rope frees the painter at once. This is an excellent fastening for many purposes. The “boat knot” (Fig. 44) is another means of mooring a small boat. It is made in the same way as a marlinespike hitch (Fig. 40, p. 40), the only difference being that a thowl pin or other small piece of wood is put through the centre of the knot instead of a marlinespike. By withdrawing the pin the knot comes adrift of its own accord. Fig. 45 is another form of boat knot, called the “lark boat knot,” or “double boat knot.” This differs from the last knot, inasmuch as a bight, instead of a single end of rope, is put through the ring; a piece of wood is used to fasten it, as in the boat knot. It is rather the better knot of the two.

If, instead of the ends being brought down outside the bight after it has been passed through the ring, they are put through it, a “single lark’s head” (Fig. 46) is the result, and Fig. 47 shows the same knot “stoppered.” It may be made by passing a bight through the ring, and drawing the two parts of the rope through the bight; or where this is not practicable by reason of one end of the rope being fast, the end may be passed up through the ring behind the standing part, and down through the ring and bight again. Sometimes, instead of stoppering this knot with an overhand knot, as in Fig. 47, the end is seized to the standing part with twine.

A “lark knot” with crossed ends (Fig. 48) is made in the manner above described, except that the end comes over instead of through the bight. The ends are often stoppered as in the last knot.

If the standing part is taken in one hand and the end in the other, and drawn apart, it is nothing more than a “clove-hitch” or “builder’s knot” (Fig. 25, p. 31) under a different name.

In the “double lark’s head” (Fig. 49) a bight is first made, and the ends passed through it; the ends are then put through the ring and through the loop just made and hauled taut. Fig. 50 shows the “treble lark’s head,” which is not so difficult as it looks. First bring the bight of a rope up through the ring, take one of the ends, and pass it through the bight, and up through the ring, and then down through its own bight; do the same with the other part and the knot is formed.

In Fig. 51 is illustrated a “backhanded sailor’s knot,” made by passing an end through the ring round at the back of the standing part and through the ring again, and finishing with two half-hitches round the standing part. It may also be made with the end in the last turn put under the standing part and under its own part.

Fig. 52 is the “capstan knot.” To make this, cross the end of the rope after it is through the ring, bring it round the standing part, through the first bight and through its own bight, thus forming a sort of figure-of-eight knot.

Another “sailor’s knot,” composed of two half-hitches round the standing part of the rope, is shown by Fig. 53. This is one of the most useful and easily-made knots known, and is used as a mooring knot.

A “gunner’s knot” (Fig. 54) is simply a “carrick bend” (Fig. 34, p. 36), made with the two ends of a rope after it has been passed through two rings. Gunners themselves call this a “delay knot.”

The knot shown in Figs. 55 and 56 is called “manharness,” or the “artilleryman’s knot,” and is used when hauling guns over a difficult country, when horses cannot be employed. It is a valuable knot where heavy weights have to be drawn with ropes, as by its use a man can exert his strength to much greater advantage than by merely grasping the rope with his hands. To make it, form a half-hitch, turn it round, and lay it against the standing part. This is, in fact, a marlinespike hitch, and is represented in Fig. 40, p. 40. Now pass the right hand into the bight C, and going under A, as shown in Fig. 55, grasp the part B, and draw it through C until a loop of sufficient size is made. When using it, the head and one arm are passed through the loop illustrated in Fig. 56, which shows the knot finished. A little care is required in closing the knot, so that the turns may jam properly one against the other, or the knot will slip. When several men are employed, a bowline is generally made at the end of the rope, and as many loops as there are men to haul at equal distances along it.

It frequently happens that a rope is too long for its purpose, and as it is inadvisable and wasteful to cut it, some method of reducing its length has to be devised; hence have arisen what are termed “shortenings.”

The “loop” or “bend” shortening (Fig. 57) is the simplest of these. The rope is merely bent as much as is required, so as to form two bights, and the two parts seized together with small stuff. This is a simple and good method of shortening ropes.

The “chain knot” (Fig. 58) is another method of shortening ropes. In beginning it, make a running knot (Fig. 59), and draw a portion of the part A through the loop B; do this with the forefinger and thumb of the left hand. It will now form another loop, through which a fresh piece of A is to be passed. This process is to be repeated until all the slack of the rope is taken up. Finish it off by putting a piece of stick or a belaying-pin through the last loop, or by drawing the end itself up through the bight.

The “twist knot” (Fig. 60) is another shortening. Place the cord to be shortened as in Fig. 61, bring one of the outside parts over the middle strand, and the outer strand on the opposite side is brought over this, which is now the middle part. This is continued as long as required, the outside strand alternately being placed over the centre strand, as in an ordinary three-plait. Fig. 60 shows the plait completed, and the manner of finishing off the end. These shortenings are ornamental as well as useful. They may be used for thickening a piece of small cord, so as to give more substance where it has to be hauled upon, and thus prevent the hand being cut with the cord.

Fig. 62 is the “sheepshanks” or “dogshanks”—a common and old-fashioned method of shortening, applicable to any size of cordage. The twist and chain knots are not suitable for very stout rope. Two bights are formed in the rope, as in Fig. 61; a half-hitch is then made at each end, and slipped over the bights. This is made more secure if a seizing is put round the two parts, A, B (Fig. 62). It can also be secured when ends of rope are free by passing each end through the adjoining bight, as shown in Fig. 63.

Fig. 64 is a “knotted sheepshanks.” It differs from the last in that the ends are fastened rather differently. The two bights are made as before, and each end, after passing through the bight nearest to it, is put through the bight it has just made, thus forming an overhand knot at each end. In making Fig. 65, the parts of the rope are arranged as before. A marlinespike hitch (Fig. 40, p. 40) is made at each end and the bight put through it. The left side of Fig. 65 shows the knot made, and the bight in the act of being passed through it. It goes over the outside strand, under the centre one, and over the next. On the right side of the figure the loop is shown in its place, ready to be hauled taut.

The “boat-knot” shortening (Fig. 66) is another form of sheepshanks. The ends are secured by bringing a portion of the loose part of the rope through the bight at each end, and toggling it with a belaying-pin or piece of wood, as in the boat knot (Fig. 44, p. 44). It is loosened readily, and can be made when both ends are fast.

The “knot” shortening (Fig. 67) is a ready mode of taking up the slack of a rope, though it is not suitable for very stout ropes, and can be made only where one end of the rope is free. The rope is laid as at Fig. 68. The three parts are grasped with both hands near the bights, and an overhand knot is formed with the whole of the strands. It forms a good shortening for moderate-sized cordage, where the strain is not too heavy.

The “double chain knot” (Fig. 69) is perhaps the most ornamental knot of this group. A turn is first taken round the standing part, and the loose end is then passed through the loop thus formed at A. In doing this another loop B is made, through which the end is brought. The end is thus continually passed from one side to the other through the preceding loop until the knot is of the proper length. It may be finished, if desired, by making an overhand knot with the end over its own part, or merely passing it through the last loop, and hauling on it.