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Photo by AMagill

We all know the basics of knots. They rely on friction to cinch against themselves or an object, they reduce the breaking strength of a line and a good one is easy to remove but what about randomly created knots? Doug Smith, a physics professor at the University of California set to find out. The New York Times tells us:

Working with his research assistant Dorian Raymer, he took some string — about the thickness of a computer-mouse cord — and dropped it into a small square plastic box. They spun the box around for 10 seconds, then opened it up. Sure enough, they found “this really monster, complex knot,” Smith says. Then they repeated the experiment a dizzying 3,415 more times, using strings of different lengths and boxes of larger sizes, to see whether there were any rules that governed how badly the string knotted.In the end, one law emerged: The longer the string, the more likely it is to form a knot. String that was 1.5 feet or shorter never got tangled up. But “as the string gets longer, the probability of a knot forming goes up and up,” Smith says, at least to 18 feet. Flexibility matters, too. The more pliable the string, the more likely it is to knot spontaneously.

Trying to figure out how to tie a knot? Try Grog’s Animated Knots.

Via Makezine

From waking up and tying your shoelaces to riding a bosun’s chair, learning how to handle line aboard ship is a steep curve.  One of the most difficult tasks for apprentice seamen to master is mooring ops and we are here to let all new sailors know there will be few moments less embarrassing then totally missing the mark with a heaving line. So pay attention. The American Merchant Seaman’s Manual tells us:

In heaving, the right arm should be held straight, and the line in the left hand allowed to run out freely. Frequently the problem in not getting a long heave is that the coil in the left hand is not arranged clearly for running. Prewetting the line is done to improve distance and handling. To become proficient in heaving, you must  practice  frequently.  Every  Seaman  should  practice making casts. A poor cast is always a reflection on the ability  of  the  Seaman.

The ultimate embarrassment (for both the ship and yourself) would be making a mistake in full view of the Captain, Pilot, Mates, Crew and the grammatically challenged longshoreman gang waiting to tie up your ship. To prevent this many Bosuns hold basic line handling contests while the vessel is at sea. Here’s an example, watch one minute into the video for an excellent example.

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While the technique you develop to heave line is important it all starts with a good Monkey’s Fist. This is not the easiest knot to learn but it’s important. To learn the technique be sure to watch the video below then visit the Monkey’s Fist page of our favorite resource Animated Knots by Grog.

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