Tying the Week Together - Knots Night at Ely SC
Published 09:07 on 22 Feb 2025
Last night, Ely Sailing Club hosted a 'Knots & Nibbles' skills booster night. We roped in the fun, and it was great to see people unwinding at the club. And with the slightly warmer evenings (5 weeks until sailing is back!), the club felt very welcoming and alive; helped by the bubble of chatter as people came for a good evening out.
Dave and Yvonne kindly offered to teach us some knots, and we started with a reminder of some key knots that we're sure we knew at some time: the ever-reliable round turn and two half hitches, as well as bowlines (behind your back anyone?), clove hitches, reef knots and more. Some of us did get in a tangle but we got there in the end. There were certainly a lot of different ways to tie a bowline going on -- is that the rabbit or the tree? Where's the rabbit gone?!
We did not make it much of the way through the Big Book of Knots though showing just how many ways there really are to tie your boat up. Remember - your knot isn't wrong, it's probably just not the one you meant to tie!
There were some sweet and savoury treats to be had and after some sugar and spice, we had a side of splice. Tim showed us some needle splicing for making secure rope loops; it was a bit fiddly for sure but certainly a cool skill for the boat maintenance minded.
And then the main event of the night. Dave and Yvonne boldy taught us how to make what we are reliably informed is a 4 strand sennit keyring. Everyone got to pick their colours and no two were identical in colour or outcome... you could call them artisan even... They were a bit fiddlier than maybe some of thought, but we pulled through and once we got the knack, we were into the rhythm, and everyone had a very sailoresque keyring to take away with them. All lots of fun.
We tied the night together with drinks and good conversations of all things knots and nautical at the bar.
Keep an eye out for more social events at the club - suggestions always welcomed.
Last updated 09:10 on 22 February 2025