Free ropework workbench
Tie the knots you will actually use
A competent sailor needs a small set of reliable knots. Step through each one, then check which knot fits the job.
Ropework
Essential sailing knots
Learn the small set of knots used constantly on a yacht: stopper, loop, hitch, reef and bend.
Knot
Step 1 of 4
Make a loop
Form a single open loop with the working end. Keep holding the standing part.
- 1Form an open loop with the working end
Make a loop, take the end around the standing part, then tuck through so the finished knot looks like an 8.
Do not: It is not a joining knot and it is not a loop for a load.
Direct answer
Learn a bowline for a fixed loop, a figure-of-eight as a stopper, a cleat hitch to make fast, a round turn and two half hitches for a ring, a reef knot for two ends of the same rope, a clove hitch for a quick fender, and a sheet bend to join two ropes.
- Best for
- Day Skipper ropework
- Includes
- Seven essential yacht knots
- Format
- Free step-by-step diagrams
Sources and factual review
Reviewed 13 August 2026. The knot set matches the Day Skipper ropework module: bowline, figure-of-eight, cleat hitch, round turn and two half hitches, reef knot, clove hitch and sheet bend.