Looking through my ‘book ‘o knots‘ recently, I noticed the Prusik knot was included. The Prusik knot is one that I used only a few times back in my rock climbing days. That knot wasn’t the only one that brought back memories of rock climbing, though. More on that knot in a minute.

Among others, the figure eight loop, tape knot and double fisherman’s knot were a few more also used in rock climbing. I had very intimate knowledge of the figure eight loop knot since we literally used it every time we attached ourselves to the climbing line. We’d tie a figure eight loop on the rope end the climber is to be attached to and then hook that into two opposing carabiners attached to the climbing harness. It’s a strong knot that held me many many times.

figure-8-loop

Figure 8 Loop Knot

We also used the fisherman’s and double fisherman’s knots several times to lengthen our ropes. They’re very handy knots. Easy to tie and easy to teach to others.

carabiner

Locking Carabiner

Speaking of carabiners… I haven’t seen much about carabiners being used in boating. Maybe they are in use, but I just haven’t heard about it yet. It seems like they’d be a perfect fit for that type of environment, though. They’re extremely weather-resistant, have secure gates that are easy to operate even under conditions when hands are cold or wet. Carabiners are also very strong…working loads in the thousands of pounds! Are carabiners used in boating/nautical applications and I’m not aware of it? If not, why not?

prusik knot

Prusik Knot

Back to the Prusik knot for a moment. The reason this knot caught my attention is that I wondered if it might be useful in climbing the mast of a sailboat? It’s a great friction/ascention knot [also similar to a Bachmann knot] that is pretty easy to use. I’ve already heard about mast climbing devices, but aren’t they extremely expensive? Seems like this might be a safe alternative. Any thoughts?

Mike