Midshipman's Hitch
(Fig 29)
Take two round turns inside the bight,
the same as a half hitch repeated; stop up the end or let another half
hitch be taken or held by hand. Used for hooking a tackle for a
temporary purpose.
Turk's Head
(Fig 30)
With fine line (very dry) make a clove hitch
round the rope; cross the bights twice, passing an end the reverse way
(up or down) each time; then keeping the whole spread flat, let each end follow its own part round and round till it is too tight
to receive any more. Used as an ornament variously on side rope and foot
ropes. It may also be made with three ends. two formed
by the same piece of line secured through the rope and one single piece.
Form with them a diamond knot; then each end crossed over its neighbor follows.
Spanish Windglass
(Fig 31)
An iron bar and two marling spikes are
taken; two parts of a seizing are twisted like a cat’s paw and passed round the bar, and hove round till sufficiently taut. It heaving
shrouds together to form an eye two round turns are taken with a strand
and the two ends hove upon. When a lever is placed between the parts of
a long lashing or frapping and hove round we have what is also called a
Spanish windlass.
Slings
(Fig 32)
This is simply the bight of a rope turned up over its own part; it is frequently made of chain, when a shackle (bow
up takes the place of the bight at s and another at y, connecting
the two ends with the part which goes round the mast head. Used to sling
lower yards. For boat’s yards it should be a grummet with a thimble
seized in at y. As the tendency of all yards is to cant forward with the
weight of the sail, the part marked by an arrow should be the fore-side
- easily illustrated by a round ruler and a piece of twine.