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[Towertalk] Knots

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [Towertalk] Knots
From: n6tqs@arrl.net (n6tqs@arrl.net)
Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2002 20:08:04 -0500 (EST)
Check the book -Rappelling- by Martin.  Even Ashley shows a bowline
with a securing lashing on the running end.  It's commonly mentioned
in the arborist literature.  Keep in mind, for these people, a secure
knot is a safety-of-life issue.

I was wrong, though, about the relative strengths of the bowline and
figure-eight loop.  The figure-eight loop is rated at 88% and the
bowline is rated at 79% of line strength.

It's never too late to learn something new.

73, doug

   From: "Guy Olinger, K2AV" <k2av@contesting.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
   Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2002 19:51:14 -0500

   Bowline never came loose on me even once in my life. Never heard of
   such. Never read of such. Once tension is on them, takes a little
   doing to get them loose.

   Towertalk has the distinction of carrying the only mention of bowline
   self-loosening I've seen in my entire lifetime. Maybe it doesn't
   happen.

   73, Guy.

   ----- Original Message -----
   From: "Dale L Martin" <kg5u@hal-pc.org>
   To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
   Sent: Saturday, December 21, 2002 11:28 AM
   Subject: RE: [Towertalk] Knots


   >
   > To continue the sea stories subthread, I crewed on a Cal-40 racing
   in
   > Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico for about 15 years.  I don't
   recall a
   > bowline ever working itself loose on our boat.  I don't even
   remember anyone
   > checking before tacking.  When on a tack, the windward sheet (line)
   is slack
   > and tension is off that bowline knot at the genoa clew while the
   leeward
   > sheet has the strain.
   >
   > Out in the Gulf, there were opportunities for being on one tack for
   hours
   > and hours, even days (Galveston-Vera Cruz race).
   >
   > I think that if there was a concern about the bowline going loose
   and
   > possibly letting go, it wouldn't have been used or we would have
   done
   > something to preclude it.
   >
   > Maybe the conditions onboard weren't conducive to knot loosening.
   >
   > Under exactly what conditions will an unloaded bowline knot become
   loose?
   >
   > 73,
   > dale, kg5u
   >
   > >
   > > You're close.  The only problem with a bowline is that if it's
   under
   > > no load, it tends to loosen.  You can make it more secure in
   various
   > > ways.  I believe that it is one of the good knots that maintains
   more
   > > of the strength of the line.  OTOH, the figure-eight loop is
   easily
   > > tied, even in the middle of the line and seems to stay tight, but
   > > loses more of the inherent line strength, and perhaps as the
   obverse
   > > of the above, is hard to untie.  Many of us think a knot should be
   > > easily untied.
   > >

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