Learn 5 KNOTS for Sailing [Capable Cruising Guides]

Best tutorial ever. Clear and to the point. No blablablabla

After a 35 year business career i sometimes coach people and groups on public speaking, using clear storylines and interim summaries, with a lot of emphasis on tone of voice and animation to engage people. Boating is a hobby and im pretty hopeless. So i really enjoyed your teaching style on all levels, i find your delivery and content are excellent! Many thanks

I know maybe three different knots (overhand, slip knot, and square knot... probably some others I've done by accident. On a good day I can even tie my shoes). Never too old to learn, right? I really admire your no-BS teaching style, and your ability to use all four limbs simultaneously while coherently talking us through every step is the sign of a subject master!

I got a Whole Lotta Love for that Zeppelin knot.. I'ts new to me

Well, dang. As a guy who last tied any of these knots in Sea Scouts something like 45 years ago (save the reef/square knot), this is a gem of a find. Saved for later!

The bowline is the knot of all knots, I use that one 99% of the time at work. And I must agree with these 5 knots and once you've made them a 1000 times it's muscle memory and they'll never go wrong again. I do have to disagree with tying a dingy to a dingy dock, I prefer to use a chain with a good lock there. Great informative video!

The butterfly and 2 fishies knots are awesome!

Beautiful presentation of what can be a very confusing topic. I especially liked how she reviewed each knot. She kept it simple, straightforward, and easy to follow. Very nice job!!

Love the knots you did to your hair

Great explanations! Since I forget things easily, I use simple variations of the figure 8 knot for four of the five applications you mention in this video: as a stopper as you showed, as a loop anywhere in the line, and as a bend for ropes of a similar diameter.

That butterfly knot tie! 🤯 NICE ONE!!!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Thank you so much for these training videos! Ive watched this one about a dozen times and practicing as a beginner. Im learning and trying to master the little details that helps my sailing training

I learned a third way to tie a bowline and was taught to use it for when you never want it to come undone ie to tie your boat up to a mooring line. The Zepplin and the Alpine Butterfly knots were new to me. Very cool!

Alpine butterfly, and clove hitch are so fun to tie!!! So satisfying thank you, and incredibly useful cant wait to use them next time Im on the boat

Hello Emily and Clark--Great video! Thank you so much for producing such a nicely produced instructional. You asked us to suggest our favorites. One of my favorites is the rewoven figure 8. I am not sure if you are familiar with it, but probably so. I first learned it way back in 1983 in a climbing course with the Appalachian Mountain Club. You can tie it as a bend, securing 2 lines together or as a loop knot, for the dinghy astern. I trust it with my life, more than the bowline. With the modern line, a bowline can come out after a tug tug tug. The rewoven figure 8 will not come out, no matter what, even with modern stiff lines. I use it as my anchoring bend and as my anchoring loop as well. One of the advantages, other than ultimate security, is that you can tie it in the dark, completely blind, you need only to follow the path of the existing figure 8 like a snake. And it will come apart easily even after extreme loads. Kind regards, Ted PS You could make another great video with the entire synch-down system: A bowline on the hard terminus, the alpine butterfly knot as a loop-pulley and the trucker's hitch (non-slipped) as the ultimate bomb proof securement. That's what I teach my scouts.

Love the presentation of this. Concise, complete, and with really good context. That’s not typical of a video about knots. I know them all to some degree but learned a little something new about each knot especially the zeppelin. Now I’m inspired to practice them all again but with my eyes closed and with your tweaks. Thanks.

Very well done Emily! The Alpine Butterfly is very similar to a Trucker's Hitch, which are two of my favorite knots for leverage and purchase. Both are super handy. And the Zeppelin for me is like the Sheet Bend or Double Sheet Bend (if different diameters.) But the square knot that you demonstrated (or reef knot,) will work as well if you half hitch both ends. When I used to train horses, we would use the clove hitch with quick release loops like you did, but we would keep slipping additional qr loops through each other, and the last one would be straight through (not a loop) which keeps the horses from being able to untie the knot, but never tightens on itself. I had a horse who would untie a simple clove hitch in seconds, but with 2 or 3 quick release loops, and the last one straight through, in 25 years, she never untied it.

I really enjoy the practicality and substantive learning that Emily and Clark bring to the fore. An amazing amount of content that can be applied for many of life's challenges. Thanks for putting in all the hard work and gleaning your shared experiences

Perfect! I can tie 200 or so knots, so I know you really don't need that many - this hit on what's important in a concise and easy way. Perfect!

Another good knot to tie two lines together is a lovers knot that I love. Nice instructional. Thank you.