There are hundreds of kinds on knots that can be used on sailboats but you can do almost anything by learning six basic ones.

Reef Knot (Square Knot) - The reef knot is useful for Sail ties when reefing or furling the Sail. To tie this knot follow the steps in the illustrations from left to right.

Round Turn and 2 Half Hitches - This knot can be used almost any time you want to tie something to something else. It is often used to tie fenders to a stanchion or lifeline. Although it won't keep a line from slipping on a spar it stay tied even when jiggled. To tie this knot follow the steps in the illustrations from left to right.

Bowline - The bowline, called the king of knots, is used to tie an eye onto the end on a line. It is used for attaching the jib sheets to the jib. A correctiy made bowline is very secure, yet easy to untie. To tie this knot follow the steps in the illustrations from left to right.

Figure Eight - This knot is useftil as a stopper knot. Stoppers or put on the end of sheets to keep them from running through the fairleads. To tie this knot follow the steps in the illustrations from left to right.

Clove Hitch - The clove hitch is good for tying lines around solid objects. One use is in tying the tiller up to the main sheet. It may come undone if jiggled. To tie this knot follow the steps in the illustrations from left to right.

Sheet Bend - The sheet bend is used to tie two lines together, end to end. It is meant to be used when the lines are about the same size. If lines are very different or are slippery a double sheet bend is recommended. To tie this knot follow the steps in the illustrations from left to right.

Cleat Hitch - The cleat hitch is the way a line is secured to a deck cleat. To tie this knot follow the steps in the illustrations from left to right.