Making a Cleat Hitch

Simple steps for making a cleat hitch.

[nevillecottee]

To belay or knot belay that is the question. There are two schools of thought about that.
1: Experienced yachtsmen and professional seamen who make fast with figure eights.
2: Small boat operators and day sailors who make fast with knots.
When someone from group 2 sees a jam up, caused by heavy loads or snatching, resulting in a dangerous situation, he will join group 1.
This information is for group 2: A figure eight underneath the knot will reduce the possibility of a jam up. Another figure eight underneath the knot will further reduce that risk. Figure eights above the knot are useless because if the knot is needed (if stressed) it will jam. So, why finish with a knot if sufficient figure eights will do the job without any risk of a jam up? See “coastguard boating education”.
Small boat operators get away with doing lots of things wrong. Proving, in their minds, that they are right. The recent suggestions, from those boating schools that have copped criticism, that different methods should be used for different boats, makes no sense.
I’m a licensed yacht master and a licensed offshore sailing instructor. I’ve seen jam ups on anchor rodes and dock lines, but never on pontoons in sheltered bays. Of course, you wouldn’t know that one was jammed until someone tries to undo it, and most boats that are permanently moored at marinas are rarely used.
If the rope is a bit large for the cleat, the method demonstrated is probably the safest way to belay onto it. Just keep a knife handy.
It’s common knowledge that many YouTubers copy from each other, often without much practical experience. I’ve raced and cruised dozens of yachts and the only place I’ve seen sheets and halyards made fast with knots is on YouTube videos. So, when you start seeing weekend sailors doing that, you’ll know why.
A well presented video titled “How to tie the perfect granny knot” might also be praised and copied by novices and eventually used in some way by small boat operators.