Cow Hitch For the Jib Sheet.

[Gene Neill]

Those are great knives.

My wife bought me one of those for Christmas last year. As is typical for me, I almost immediately lost it.

Five months later, what do I see peeking out of the mud, right in the middle of one of my driveway ruts, but a little spot of yellow plastic! My Spyderco! It had been lying half-buried in the dirt, run over at least six hundred times by my Tundra and the wife's Jeep, based on how long it was lying there.

The plastic handle is now slightly discolored, but otherwise the knife is still 100% good as new. The mechanism is smooth as butter, and the edge will cut you if you look at it funny.

 

[jviss]

I prefer a non-folder. I have a Myerchin Offshore in a leather belt sheath, the first generation one. The steel is perfect for a knife, and it is honed to razor sharpness and holds an edge quite well. When working on lines I can cut even the largest lines in one shot by placing it on a small square of ply and striking the back of the knife with a hammer.

 

[thinwater]

Oh no... it's morphing into a knife thread!

I've used cow hitches, bowlines, toggles, carabiners (came with the boat--could not strike mast or stay and was high enough to clear my head), d-shackles (2:1 sheet), and soft shackles. Slightly different reasons each time and they all worked fine. I would go with the cow hitch if it did not need to come off, and either the bowline or soft shackles if it did. Can't use a bowline with Dyneema.

 

[jviss]

Oh no... it's morphing into a knife thread!

Sorry!

 

[jssailem]

I think my wife scared him off.

Another bit of evidence... Don’t get between a woman and her boat.

 

[BobbyFunn]

I prefer a non-folder.

Are there still rules that restrict folding knives for offshore work?

Its spooky wondering if the blade is going to collapse on my knuckles while putting it to work. I know...i need a better knife.

 

[Jackdaw]

Oh no... it's morphing into a knife thread!

I've used cow hitches, bowlines, toggles, carabiners (came with the boat--could not strike mast or stay and was high enough to clear my head), d-shackles (2:1 sheet), and soft shackles. Slightly different reasons each time and they all worked fine. I would go with the cow hitch if it did not need to come off, and either the bowline or soft shackles if it did. Can't use a bowline with Dyneema.

Agree with all of this, and for the last point as well, but not for the reasons most people think. You CAN tie a bowline in dyneema, and if you pull and set it correctly it will hold. The problem is that placed under a big load, the know will constrict and get SO TIGHT that it simply cannot be undone. You have to cut it. With a good knife! ;^)

 

[jviss]

Are there still rules that restrict folding knives for offshore work?

I don't know.

 

[BobbyFunn]

The stuff is hard to cut, even with a good knife. All of BlueJs lines are dyneema cored, so everyone on board carries one of these.

View attachment 153236

I googled syderco h1 and got a bunch of designs. Is this a particular model? They look kinda pricey, but, the yellow ones appear to be marine quality. Blunt tip is probably best.

 

[thinwater]

Agree with all of this, and for the last point as well, but not for the reasons most people think. You CAN tie a bowline in dyneema, and if you pull and set it correctly it will hold. The problem is that placed under a big load, the know will constrict and get SO TIGHT that it simply cannot be undone. You have to cut it. With a good knife! ;^)

I and others have pulled bowlines and other knots in Amsteel under high load. They will nearly all creep out at about 15-30% BS when the rope is new, were as the same knot in polyester or nylon will always break first. Used Dyneema holds better. Braid-on-braid is probably better. A long string of half hitches holds. I've even had a bowline hold in Amsteel until it broke in in use at a chafe and UV damage point (about 10-15% BS). Knots also weaken Dyneema more than other fibers. IMO, because of these factors, a splice is much better in Dyneema. In fact, a splice is probably simpler to un-do; I've done this after very high loading.

 

[BobbyFunn]

You CAN tie a bowline in dyneema, and if you pull and set it correctly it will hold.

If you are using something with no core its super easy to put an eye in it, though not in a hurried siuation. Do the knots hold better if there is a braided cover?

 

[thinwater]

Are there still rules that restrict folding knives for offshore work?

Were there ever? Please give detail. Someone might infer the below means fixed blade, but it does not. I'v always kept one in the cockpit and at the mast. If nothing else, the one at the mast saves a lot of walking, over the years!

4.25 Cockpit Knife
**
4.25.1 A strong, sharp knife, sheathed and securely restrained shall be provided readily accessible from the deck or a cockpit.

 

[BobbyFunn]

A long string of half hitches holds.

It kinda permanat but what about a uni knot in amsteel for when it has to hold until a splice is made. I have some left over. Ill try that out.

 

[Jackdaw]

I and others have pulled bowlines and other knots in Amsteel under high load. They will nearly all creep out at about 15-30% BS when the rope is new, were as the same knot in polyester or nylon will always break first. Used Dyneema holds better. Braid-on-braid is probably better. A long string of half hitches holds. I've even had a bowline hold in Amsteel until it broke in in use at a chafe and UV damage point (about 10-15% BS). Knots also weaken Dyneema more than other fibers. IMO, because of these factors, a splice is much better in Dyneema. In fact, a splice is probably simpler to un-do; I've done this after very high loading.

Interesting. They do creep, and that was the reason for my comment about setting to allow for the creep. Washing the line also helps as it reduces the 'slipperyness'. On your other point I totally agree, I can splice an eye loop in dyneema almost as fast as I can tie a bowline. If you have a free end its the way to go.