Chapter 3 · Lesson 3Practical demonstration · about 4 minutes
The clove hitch: quick and temporary
Learn a fast attachment for the right temporary jobs, and why it needs watching when the pull changes.
Video coming soon
The clove hitch: quick and temporary
In the video
- Where it earns its keep
- Make the two turns work together
- Watch changing load
From the captain
Before you start
The clove hitch is quick, tidy and very handy. It is also a little too easy to trust simply because it took three seconds to tie.
By the end of this lesson
Tie a temporary attachment and recognise its need for monitoring and the correct securing method.
See it
See it for yourself
The clove hitch round a rail
Round the rail, up across the first turn, round again and trap the working end beneath the crossing. Seen from your side: the side where the second turn crosses over the first.
4/4Dress it neatly and pull both parts to check the form.Two turns, with the working end trapped beneath the crossing section.
Illustration only · Ryan's filmed demonstration and the vessel's method govern
What to look for
Inspect the finished form
Check the two turns and crossing against the demonstrated form, with the tail visible.
Choose the job as carefully as the knot
Changing pull and repeated movement can let a clove hitch creep. Do not treat temporary convenience as permanent security.
The lesson
The lesson
- 01
Where it earns its keep
Use a clove hitch where the vessel permits a quick, temporary attachment to a post or rail. Fender lines are a common example, but local load, movement and the vessel's normal method still matter.
- 02
Make the two turns work together
Whether dropped over a post or tied around a rail, the finished hitch has two turns with the working end trapped beneath the crossing section. Dress it neatly and pull both parts to check the form.
- 03
Watch changing load
A clove hitch can creep or work loose as the direction and load change. If the job is not temporary or cannot be monitored, use the securing method specified onboard.
Where it goes wrong
A fender is left on a clove hitch through repeated movement. The hitch works loose and the fender drops below the contact point. The knot was quick; the follow-up was missing.
A clove hitch left to itself
Why a quick, temporary attachment needs watching when the pull keeps changing.
5/5The knot was quick; the follow-up was missing. If the job is not temporary or cannot be monitored, use the securing method specified onboard.
Schematic · not to scale · the hitch is shown as two turns, not a tying diagram · use the securing method specified onboard
Your call
What would you do?
Pick one, then read the feedback on all three.
The situation
A fender is to remain through repeated movement without anyone monitoring its attachment.
Take it aboard
Tie and inspect: Clove hitch
Do this during your induction or first weeks, with the person responsible for your work.
Unloaded practice
Use a short training line at a stable bench. Ask an experienced crew member to check the finished form before practising independently.
- 01Tie the hitch around a training rail.
- 02Dress and inspect the two turns.
- 03Compare tying around the middle with placing a form over the end of a post.
- 04Explain how changing pull affects the decision.
What a useful result looks like
- Check the two turns and crossing against the demonstrated form, with the tail visible.
- You can name one unsuitable use and untie the unloaded example without rushing.
Stop: Training line only. No person, vessel, lifting system or live load attached. A knot exercise does not establish load capacity or operating authority.
Deckhand Foundation · Job card
Clove hitch: inspect and choose
From the lesson: The clove hitch: quick and temporary
- Task and required holding or release behaviour understood.
- Line and attachment suitable under the vessel's method.
- Check the two turns and crossing against the demonstrated form, with the tail visible.
- Tail and finished form checked against the demonstrated method.
- Use limitations explained.
Use / limitation
Inspection feedback
Next repetition
Your vessel's procedures and senior crew come first. Nothing on this card is stored.
Quick check
Four decisions, then move on
This check confirms the principle. Your vessel's own induction still comes first.