![]() Sheeting a Sail: Avoid a Half Hitch for the sheet controlling a sail – rapid release may be critically important in preventing a disaster, e.g., a capsize. ![]() Second, the ability to quickly release either end is essential. First, a towline should always be monitored. Towing: Never add a Half Hitch on either end of a towline.Large Vessels: The uniform practice on large vessels is to never add a final Half Hitch.No Locking Hitch? Several skippers have written to emphasize various situations when a Locking Half Hitch must be avoided: However, Cleat Hitch describes the purpose well – the rope is hitched to a cleat – and there are other “Hitches” that are sometimes used without a final Half Hitch, e.g., Tensionless Hitch and The Lighterman’s, or Tugboat, Hitch. Name: Some contributor’s protest that the name “Hitch” is wrongly applied because there is no final Half Hitch. Now if a towline briefly becomes slack, the initial turn can separate away from the cleat and then clamp down on top of the second turn making it impossible to release the rope while there is load on the towline. Jamming is a risk if the initial turn continues around and under the first horn a second time (making a complete round turn). This is because the Figure 8 Turns lift the rope up against the horns and out of the way of the first turn. No Round Turn: After passing the rope around two horns of the cleat, always cross over and make figure 8 turns afterwards. Starting round the wrong horn increases the risk of a Cleat Hitch jamming. See also using a cleat hitch for Securing a Halyard.įirst Horn: Initially the rope must be led round the most distant horn of the cleat followed by a turn in the same direction round the other horn. It is deceptively simple and an unwary skipper who invites visitors to cleat a mooring line may be astonished and dismayed by the unsatisfactory results. Uses: The Cleat Hitch secures a rope to a cleat.
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