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[Towertalk] Knots

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [Towertalk] Knots
From: K7LXC@aol.com (K7LXC@aol.com)
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 14:15:36 EST
In a message dated 12/20/02 11:06:43 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
kb9cry@attbi.com writes:

> I concur with Jon, having 20 years of yacht racing under my belt; racing 
the 
>  same circuit as Jon does.  A bowline is actually very easy to tie; with 
>  practice one can even do it single handed (helps when you're in the 
foredeck 
>  position) and one can break (untie) it easily when it is wet.  These knots 
are 
>  under extremely high loads, a lot more than the average ham can induce, 
and 
> I too have never seen a bowline knot fail.  Its the only knot I use for 
hoisting 
>  or on loaded lines.  I am not a rock climber but will admit those folks 
need a 
>  strong knot also. 

    If you're stuck on a desert island and you can only take one knot with 
you, I'd recommend the bowline. 

    Yes, a figure-8 is easier to tie for a beginner but it's a physically 
bigger knot. My experience shows that many times when you're doing a lift 
you'll be an inch or so short so using a bigger figure-8 knot only 
exacerbates the problem. I use a bowline almost exclusively for the end of 
the haul rope. 

    I use half-hitches for securing lines and a clove hitch for grabbing 
round things like masts, booms, and tower members. That's it. 

    BTW a knot reduces the ultimate breaking strength of a rope by about 40%. 

Cheers,
Steve      K7LXC
TOWER TECH

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