Tying and using a Bowline was covered in great detail last month. Now that you have the most important knot mastered, it is time to add the second most important of six knots boaters need to know.
Round Turn and Two Half Hitches
When one end of any rope, line or cord is already secured with a bowline or eye splice, and you want to hold an object in place with no slack in the rope, use a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches to tie to something either vertical or horizontal like a post or a rail.
The Round Turn and Two Half Hitches is made up of two parts:
Round Turn – A round turn is really two turns that should take the initial strain, while you complete the knot.
Some knot books show one turn while others show two. We prefer using two turns to reduce the chance of slipping and reducing the strain on the two half hitches. For more weight or strain, use more round turns.
Two Half Hitches – The Half Hitches lock the round turn in place.
Please note that the diagram shows the two half hitches tied loosely. In real use, the two half hitches should be snugged up tight.
Tying a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches in a classroom is not the same as tying one on the boat. What’s the difference? The boat moves and you have the “One hand for you and one hand for the job” boating rule to follow. The hand for you is used to hold on and steady yourself. This leaves one hand for tying the knot—not 2 hands like in the classroom.
Main Use:
To tie a rope to a post, rail or ring when the other end already has a load like a boat or a fender attached via either an eye splice or a bowline. Not for extreme heavy loads.
The Round Turn and Two Half Hitches is the most common knot for hanging fenders on a boat.
See "Examples of Use" below for more ways to use a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches. Just for fun, see if you can come up with another dozen or so uses.
In the video and pictures, I have used a white rope with the end sprayed black. The two round turns are in the white section and the two half hitches are in the black section.
How to Tie to a Post
Standing on the dock facing the boat and tying the fender to the stanchion post: (this is the easiest place to tie the knot)
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Start with the rope pulled tight, so that the fender is at the height you want.
Pass the end of the rope around the post.
Pass around the post a second time and return to the standing (long) section of rope. This is your Round Turn. Pull tight against the fender to secure it in place.
Pass the loose end over the standing or tight section. Then under and up through the loop (circle) just created.
Pull the end snug, so the knot is secure—that’s your first half hitch.
Repeat over,
under, up and through and that’s your second half hitch.
Pull tight and you have a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches.
How to Tie to a Rail
Standing on the dock facing the boat and tying the fender to the railing: (this is also an easy place to tie the knot)
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Start with the rope pulled tight, so that the fender is at the height you want.
Pass the end of the rope over the rail.
Pass around the rail.
Pass around the rail a second time and return to the standing (long) section of rope. This is your Round Turn. Pull tight against the fender to secure it in place.
Pass the loose end over the standing or tight section.
Then under and back through the loop (circle) just created.
Pull the end snug, so the knot is secure—that’s your first half hitch.
Repeat over, under, up and through and that’s your second half hitch.
Pull tight and you have a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches.
How to Tie to a Post
Bent over on the foredeck hanging on to the rail and tying the fender to the stanchion post: (this is trickier but it is real life with a moving boat)
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Start with the rope pulled tight, so that the fender is at the height you want. (ALWAYS HANG ON TO THE BOAT WITH ONE HAND - in this case my arm is wrapped around the bow rail to steady me. When tying the knot, hang on to the Round Turn portion at the post to steady yourself and hold the knot from slipping at the same time. I didn't do this for the pictures, because you wouldn't see the knot through my hand.)
Pass the end of the rope around the post.
Pass around the post a second time and return to the standing (long) section of rope. This is your Round Turn. Pull tight against the fender to secure it in place.
Pass the loose end over the standing or tight section. Then under and up through the loop (circle) just created.
Pull the end snug, so the knot is secure—that’s your first half hitch.
Repeat over,
under, up and through and that’s your second half hitch.
Pull tight and you have a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches.
How to Tie to a Rail
Bent over on the foredeck hanging on to the rail and tying the fender to the bow rail: (this is trickier but it is real life with a moving boat)
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Start with the rope pulled tight, so that the fender is at the height you want. Hang on to the bow rail and the Round Turns with your left hand as I am doing.
Pass the end of the rope over the rail.
Pass around the rail a second time and return to the standing (long) section of rope. This is your Round Turn. Pull tight against the fender to secure it in place.
Pass the loose end over the standing or tight section.
Then under and back through the loop (circle) just created. Pull the end snug, so the knot is secure—that’s your first half hitch.
Repeat over, under, up and through and that’s your second half hitch.
Pull tight and you have a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches.
Brenda's poem to help you remember:
Holding onto the boat and hanging a fender too, Is really quite easy when you know what to do.
Position the rope on the rail at just the right height.
Steady yourself with one hand by holding them both tight.
Using your free hand is the best way to learn
Go around the rail twice to complete the Round Turn.
Then over, under, up and through; over, under, up and through
Makes Two Half Hitches to secure the knot for you.
Notes:
When dealing with excessive weight or force, use as many turns on the post as are necessary to control the strain. The friction of the rope from the extra turns will help to hold the weight or force for you, while tying the two half hitches.
The standing line (white) should be straight through the two half hitches.
Always tie the half hitches in the same 'direction'. If you start the first half hitch with the bitter end passing away from you above the rope, then do the same with the next (and the next).
Once you’ve learned to tie the Round Turn and Two Half Hitches, learn to tie it with one hand. This is most important because often times you need to tie the knot with one hand, while holding onto the bow rail with the other.
Don't use the Round Turn and Two Half Hitches in a tow rope (like for towing another boat or a dinghy) because the two half hitches will jam and be very difficult to untie. For extreme heavy loads, use a bowline.
Conditions
Any line that has some tension or weight on the first end can be secured with a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches on the other. This knot is fast and easy to tie and untie, when not too heavy a load is going to be applied.
Examples of Use
Tie Fender Lines to bow rails or rail stanchion posts. It is easy to raise or lower to the desired height and tie. Once the line is around the rail, transfer your steadying hand to hang on to the round turn and rail together. Your steadying hand then steadies you and holds the round turn from unraveling ensuring that you won’t drop the fender in the water while you add the two half hitches.
Tie your boat to a post/piling at the end of a dock, using a round turn and two half hitches.
Tie Dock Lines to dock cleats. Snug to desired tightness and tie a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches.
Tie a boat to a trailer.
Tie your boat to a bollard or any other vertical item like a tree or rock.
Tie your boat to the walking surface of a dock, where the boards are far enough apart to pass your rope through.
Tie your dinghy to a mooring line, that’s long and snug.
Tie a drop line to your wash bucket.
Tie a flag or pennant to a flag staff or pennant pole.
Wrap a parcel or bundle of cardboard. Start with a bowline in one end of the rope. Pass the line around the package, then back through the bowline. Pull tight and secure with a couple of half hitches. (There is a "Package Knot" but the bowline with a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches will do the job just fine.)
Tie down a load on a trailer or in the back of a pickup truck (leaves, logs, etc). Tie a bowline on one end of the rope around a hook or bar or whatever there is to tie too, pass the line over the cargo once or twice and secure the other end to the trailer with a round turn and two half hitches.
Make a temporary clothes line in the yard (from tree to tree) or on the boat (rail to rail) or any temporary location. Start with a bowline around the first tie point and then pull tight. Tie the other end of the rope around the other tree and secure the end with a round turn and two half hitches.
Tie chicken or turkey legs in preparation for roasting. Pass the end of a string around a leg twice and tie a bowline. Then, wrap the string around the two legs until they are in the position you want and secure with a couple of half hitches.
Tie down your gas tank in the dinghy with line. Start with a series of short lines tied with bowlines to the rings in the floor of the dinghy. Then, tie each line to the handle of the gas tank with a round turn and two half hitches. You end up with two or three short lines that will hold the can down and are easy to untie when you have to remove for filling. Just untie the round turn and two half hitches and leave the bowlines ready for retying when you return with a full tank of gas.
Hang a flag or pennant that has grummet holes in it. Tie a bowline through the grommet hole and tie the other end on a post, pennant pole, flag staff or whatever with a round turn and two half hitches.
Store bulky items like sleeping bags, blankets, comforters, carpets, etc. Roll them as tight as you can. Using several long shoe laces or other heavy cord, tie a bowline in one end of each line. Wrap the line around the item, pass the other end through the bowline loop, pull tight and secure with a couple of half hitches. Do this every foot or so and the item becomes a log that is easy to handle and retains it's shape so it is easy to stow in a bag or locker or stack on a bunk like firewood. Untying is simple.
Tie your trunk lid down when you have overflowed your trunk capacity. Tie a bowline around the release handle or one of the exposed holes on the inside of the lid. Tie the other end to the latch loop, or the trailer hitch or a tow ring or around the load if it's heavy lumber. Pull tight and secure with a round turn and two half hitches.
Variations
It is not uncommon to see one or more additional half hitches - either to make the knot more secure or to use up any excess line.
When using a long piece of rope and you don’t want to pull all the extra through, the half hitches can be tied double by folding or doubling the rope over on itself. This is called tying on the bight.
When tying to a post where you don’t want the knot to slip down the post, start by passing the rope around three times or more, then secure with two half hitches.
If you are expecting a storm, start with passing the end around the post or ring three or four times, so that the half hitches don’t get jammed too tight to untie.
When you want your half hitch several inches away from the post and not tight to it, tie your first half hitch around the standing line, passing around twice, then finish with a second or third half hitch tight against the first. This is actually called a Rolling Hitch.
For tying slippery nylon fish line to a hook, you can start with a couple of round turns through the hook eye then, before pulling the two half hitches tight, push the loose end back down through the half hitches. Now carefully pull everything tight.
Prepare Yourself and Your Crew
Keeping in mind that you will usually have only one hand to tie the knot, practice as though you are on a boat with one hand hanging on to something like a bow rail or hand hold and the other hand tying the knot—maybe leaning over or reaching out in the rain with your hair blowing in your eyes.
Practice tying this knot with your eyes closed with one hand until you can tie it in less than 5 seconds.
You want to be prepared to pass the test that will surely come one dark and stormy night out on the water. When it comes, you need to be prepared.
Practice the Bowline and the Round Turn and Two Half Hitches until you are very comfortable with them. You will be amazed at how many times you will be able to use combinations of these two knots around the boat as well as around the house, yard and job all year long.
Added Bonus
The added bonus will be that you and your crew can use the Round Turn and Two Half Hitches to tie your fenders on horizontal or vertical rails quickly and easily.
There will be no need to purchase eight or more of the fender hangers on the market. They look slick and easy at a Boat Show when demonstrated on a non-moving surface at waist height with two hands.
Securing one on a moving boat in rough seas with only one hand often results in a hanger breaking loose causing great difficulty for the First Mate. It can cause damage to the fiberglass when it is thrashing around on deck before it disappears overboard with your fender and line costing you a new fender, new line, a new hanger and a repair. They don’t work if you need to hang a fender in an awkward place like off the platform or side of the dock, on the dinghy, etc.
Using just your fender line and this knot will save you time, space, guarantee a secure fender and you don’t have any hangers to store and look after.
Knots are Free and Reliable.
Learn them once and use them forever, year round.
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