20 Essential Boating Knots (with video links)
Click any knot to open YouTube tutorials for that specific knot.
- Bowline
- Cleat Hitch
- Clove Hitch
- Round Turn and Two Half Hitches
- Two Half Hitches
- Figure Eight Knot
- Reef (Square) Knot
- Sheet Bend
- Double Sheet Bend
- Rolling Hitch
- Anchor Bend (Fisherman’s Bend)
- Timber Hitch
- Taut-Line Hitch
- Alpine Butterfly Knot
- Prusik Knot
- Trucker’s Hitch
- Constrictor Knot
- Icicle Hitch
- Monkey’s Fist (Heaving Line)
- Double Overhand Stopper
Which knots matter most on a cruising boat?
You do not need to master every decorative knot before cruising. You do need a small set that works under pressure, in rain, with cold hands, and when someone is watching from the fuel dock. For most Great Loop and coastal cruising, start with the cleat hitch, bowline, round turn and two half hitches, clove hitch, figure eight stopper, and sheet bend.
Practice with the same line sizes you use aboard. A knot that looks easy with soft practice cord can behave differently with stiff dockline, wet three-strand, or a line that has already been loaded around a piling.
Where each knot earns its keep
- Cleat hitch: everyday dock cleats, fuel docks, and temporary stops.
- Bowline: fixed loop for a piling, tow point, or emergency use when it must untie later.
- Round turn and two half hitches: secure around a ring, rail, or post when load direction may change.
- Figure eight: stopper for sheets, small control lines, and anything that should not run through a block.
- Sheet bend: joining two lines, especially when diameters differ.
Practice knots in real dock situations
Knot knowledge becomes useful only when the crew can tie the right knot quickly on the actual boat. Practice at a cleat, rail, piling, and ring. Practice with gloves, wet line, and awkward angles, because fuel docks and lock walls rarely feel like a clean classroom demonstration.
- Learn one clean cleat hitch before learning decorative variations.
- Practice untying knots after they have been loaded.
- Keep docklines organized so the right line is available before the approach.
- Teach every regular crew member the same names and commands.
Publication notes
Written and maintained by TheCenterOf editors. Last reviewed: 2026-07-06. This page is planning guidance for boating and Great Loop readers. It is not a substitute for current charts, notices, marina confirmation, weather forecasts, official rules, professional advice, or onboard judgment.
Corrections, broken links, and first-hand route updates are welcome through the contact and corrections page.