TO MAKE A BOWLINE KNOT. Bowline Knot Take the end of the rope in your right hand, and the standing part in your left; lay the end over the standing part; then with your left hand turn the bight of the standing part from you, and over the end part, by a peculiar turn of the wrists, which comes only by practice, forming what is called a gooseneck on the standing part; then lead the end, which is already enclosed in the goose-neck, under and around the standing part, and down through the same goose-neck; and haul the parts taut. TO MAKE TWO HALF-HITCHES. Pass the end of the rope around the standing part, and up through the bight (this is one half-hitch); pass the end again around the standing part, and up through its own bight, which makes the second half hitch, and completes the knot. (See diagram.) Then, Two half Hitches. Clove if this knot is used to bend on a hawser to an anchor, it is customary to stop the end of the rope down upon the standing part by means of a ropeyarn, so as to prevent all chance of its coming apart whilst chafing about at the bottom of the sea. A clove hitch is this same knot made around a spar or other article, instead of on its own standing part. (See diagram.) TO MAKE A SQUARE OR REEF KNOT. First make a common overhand knot around a spar, or any thing that may suit; then make exactly the same knot again, taking care to cross the ends so that they will each come out on the same side of the bight as they did in the first knot, If on either side of what may be called the right or left side of the knot, as seen in the cut, the ends do not come out in the same relative place as in the first knot, it is called a granny knot," and will not hold. And one who makes a "granny" becomes the laughing-stock of all on board, and is at once pronounced a "land-lubber," if he cannot make this simple and useful knot correctly. So be advised, and learn it at once. THE ANCHOR AND GEAR. Square or Nothing on board the yacht, after the sails and ropes, should receive such attention as the "ground tackle," as it is called. On the anchor and its ap purtenances rests the safety, often, of all on board; and yet there is nothing so often neglected, or left carelessly out of order, or the cable in a snarl, as the anchoring gear in a small yacht. Every yacht over twenty-five feet in length should be fitted with three anchors, or, at the very least, two. If three in STOCK RING number, two of them should be nearly of the same size, and one quite small and handy, which is called the "kedge-anchor." We will suppose that the yacht is fitted with three, and, if so, their uses will be as hereinafter described. In the olden times hemp cables were wholly used, even for vessels of large size and menof-war; but in these latter days they have been replaced by iron cables in large ships, and by manila hawsers in small yachts. To be sure there are some advantages in favor of a chain-cable for even small yachts; but as a rule the pliable, soft but strong manila rope is the favorite. Small iron cables are, for some reason or other, distrusted; and they are also heavy to get back again, even if of small size, when the yacht is anchored in many fathoms of water. They are useful when the yacht is likely to lie at anchor in a sea-way for a long time, for then they would not chafe; whilst a manila cable might become seriously injured. Some use a few fathoms of iron chain, and then manila above that, so as to keep the end near the anchor from fraying on rocky bottoms. It is to be remembered, then, in a long piece of chain cable, that the one imperfect link, or one that is weak in any way, determines the utmost strength of the cable. In other words, the strain necessary to part the weakest link makes the stronger ones useless. Perhaps it is the fear of this weakness lurking in some unknown link that deters yachtsmen, as a class, from using chain-cables, and makes them prefer the clean, handsome manila rope, that they know is just as strong at one part as another throughout its entire length. Wire cables have commenced to be talked of, made in the same shape as wire rigging, only more pliable; and these, perhaps, will, in time, come into use, as they are of uniform strength, and take up less room than the cumbersome manila rope cables. If the anchors are stowed below deck, always get them up, and bent on to their respective cables, long before the time when it becomes necessary to use them. One never knows, near a coast-line, when an anchor may be needed. Always have good long cables, and not nasty little pieces of short rope: on this depends often the safety of all concerned. Every thing else being equal, the length of the cables is what will determine, in a gale of wind, whether the yacht goes on shore a wreck, or gallantly and safely weathers the storm. TO ANCHOR IN A GALE OF WIND. If caught in a gale of wind on a lee-shore, and with no chance of escape, the sea being too heavy to "claw off" to windward, and no harbor to leeward, the only safety is to anchor; and always do this before it is too late, and before the yacht has been driven too near the shore or breakers to lie quietly. Procrastination at such a time is often highly dangerous; and a yacht may go ashore because she is anchored in a line of heavy breakers, when just outside she would lie almost with ease. It will be found, also, that it always takes longer to get an anchor down than was estimated, and whilst it is being done the yacht sets heavily in towards the shore with each sea: therefore anchor early. When every thing is ready, bring the yacht to the wind, and let the sails shake in the wind's |