Author Topic: What is this stopper knot?  (Read 1969 times)

Guajalote

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What is this stopper knot?
« on: November 28, 2021, 07:24:47 PM »
Hi, new to the forum. I like knots, but am by no means an expert. Just a dingy sailor and backpacker who keeps a rope at his work desk when I need a little sanity!

What is this knot? https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ksGnavk571A

I sail a laser dinghy, and was messing around with what I know of a water bowline and a figure eight. I wanted a stopper knot for my main sheet that wouldn't come untied when wet and dragged through the water behind me, or tangled up and kicked about my feet in a puddle of water.  I tested this "Water Figure 8" versus a regular figure eight, and the stopper knot at this link: https://www.sailmagazine.com/diy/seven-essential-knots-for-sailors. My test was to repeatedly push both ends (sorry, I'm sure there's a technical term) leaving the knot toward each other and see how many times before the knot started to come undone. Figure eight was less than ten times, the stopper knot about 15. The "Water Figure Eight" as I'm calling it never came undone after a minute of this test. Another test is handing it to my 9 month old and see if it's still tied after an hour.  ;D

Any suggestions of whether it is an appropriate knot for my application? It's pretty easy to untie when you want it, which is nice.

Thanks!




Dan_Lehman

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Re: What is this stopper knot?
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2021, 02:15:07 AM »
It's mighty close to what I call a "collared clove hitch",
with the tail's path being slightly different (and, as my
name implies, the one is a hitch not a stopper).

Hey, sounds as though you might've answered your
question with your testing.  Note that the knot shown
in that place you cite is an Anchor Bend tied around
... nothing; I've seen that used qua stopper in various
commercial-fishing gear, and loaded from either end
(and in some venetian blinds, where it might be the
sometimes result of aiming to tie a strangle knot).

Did you consider trying Ashley's stopper?  ("Oysterman's
S."
was his mistaken name)  That one should be hauled
tight upon forming its overhand structure,
AND THEN tightened around the tail --point being that
loading the knot will only work to loosen the overhand
part ( or to pull through), so it's incumbent upon setting
to prevent that.


Thanks,
--dl*
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Guajalote

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Re: What is this stopper knot?
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2021, 04:40:30 PM »
Thanks! I have not considered the Ashley's Stopper. Tied it a few times last night and it seems real nice. That is probably the end of my search for a good stopper, right there! Also, thanks for the emphasis on hauling tight before tightening around the tail - made a big difference in my untie tests.

Patrick

Dan_Lehman

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Re: What is this stopper knot?
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2021, 12:46:03 AM »
Quote
I have not considered the Ashley's Stopper.
Tied it a few times last night and it seems real nice.
That is probably the end of my search for a good stopper, right there!
Also, thanks for the emphasis on hauling tight before tightening around the tail
 --made a big difference in my untie tests.
Also, in some cases where slipping (finishing w/tucked bight
not single strand tail) is acceptable, the doubled parts in that
will make for a surer/larger *toggle* of the knot.
(One can see a *recipe* for forming stoppers in this :
tie some noose hitch, and noose its own tail.)

AND, tie the OH (overhand) part with all crossings
of it with itself reversed, and you'll get a like knot
but not a noose --so it cannot pull out; the SPart
goes around one side, and it can be set by pulling
on both ends (opposed to each other, or separately
in opposition to one's holding the knot stopper-wise).


Now, let's all keep in mind this bit of oft'-parroted rubbish:
>> "A knot is never 'nearly right';
>>  it is either exactly right or it is hopelessly wrong,
>>  one or the other; there is nothing in between ..."

You have in hand some not "exactly ..." stoppers!


--dl*
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« Last Edit: December 02, 2021, 12:48:48 AM by Dan_Lehman »

Dennis Pence

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Re: What is this stopper knot?
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2021, 06:27:09 PM »
In addition to the Anchor Bend [ABoK #1840, 1841] with no object inside as Dan has suggested, I also find that Ashley's "Alternate Anchor Bend" [ABoK #1843] makes a nice stopper knot with no object inside.  Further when I am tying a Zeppelin Bend with ropes of different sizes, I often tie #1843 with the smaller rope instead of some kind of Double Overhand Knot.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2021, 06:48:53 PM by Dennis Pence »

Dan_Lehman

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Re: What is this stopper knot?
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2021, 11:22:23 PM »
AND, tie the OH (overhand) part with all crossings
of it with itself reversed, and you'll get a like knot
but not a noose --so it cannot pull out; the SPart
goes around one side, and it can be set by pulling
on both ends (opposed to each other, or separately
in opposition to one's holding the knot stopper-wise).
Ah, I see (1) that this knot is symmetric --I wasn't sure
as I held it in hand (after all, the loading isn't!)--,
and (2) is Ashley's #551 (which doesn't make symmetry perspicuous),
and might take some special dressing to achieve nicest result!?


--dl*
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