Ten Ways to Use Your Sailing Knife by Captain John Jamieson Ways to Use Your... · 4 Ten Ways to...

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Ten Ways to Use Your Sailing Knife by Captain John Jamieson www.skippertips.com

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Step aboard any boat--sail or power--and you enter a world different than any other on

the planet. Soon, you will be heeled over to one side or the other, with perhaps a bit of

rolling, pitching, heaving, yawing, and surging thrown in for good measure.

We who live on terra firma often find this unique environment takes some getting

used to. And indeed it does. Most of us are lashed ashore like Ulysses to the mast--with

obligations of family, business, finance and more. And once in a while, we escape to the

water for a day, or a weekend, or a week, or--if lucky or fortunate enough--for a lifetime.

I believe it's worth the extra effort to consider how to "fit" better into this

environment of water, wind, and waves. Perhaps a look to the past offers the best start

to equip ourselves with the best tools to increase sailing safety. So why is it that time

and again, the most ancient of seagoing tools will often be forgotten, or tucked away out

of site, or lashed somewhere where we are not?

Long before the personal flotation device, sailing harness, or EPIRB came along,

the sailor's rigging knife was as common to the sailor as food. Indeed, it has been "the"

essential safety tool for more than 2000 years--and this has not changed.

And yet--so often you see it missing from the belts, shorts, or trousers of the modern

sailor. Perhaps tucked away? But will this serve us in an instant in the event we find a

line or sheet wrapped tight around a leg or arm--ours or that of our sailing crew or

partner?

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Will it be ready to grab if we fall overboard in order to cut us away from a harness

that threatens to drown us. Or will it be there when we lean over the side--holding onto

the boat as it wallows in a beam swell as we attempt to saw through a line wrapped tight

onto a propeller or rudder?

These scenarios are not that unusual at sea. In the end I believe each sailor and

sailing skipper must decide what works best for him or her. And of course keep in mind

first and foremost that your sailing crew or partner will often follow your example.

This essential tool remains at my own side from the time I step aboard to the time

I step ashore. Here are ten reasons I carry and wear these tools. Enjoy this exclusive

report and thanks for taking the time to complete our sailing rope survey. Sail well this

sailing season and sail safe--wherever in the world you choose to sail or cruise!

Warmest Regards,

Captain John Jamieson

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Why Make Your Sailing Knife the #1 Sailing Gear?

You might think the personal flotation device rises to the top--but it's a distant #2 when it

comes to this one! This ultimate sailing tool can be used on any boat anywhere in the

world. Pack this vital piece of sailing gear with you before you go sailing.

Sail World carried a tragic story a short time ago about a young teenage girl. Her

sailing dinghy capsized. She had attached herself by a hiking harness to the boat.

When she capsized, the boat "turtled" (turned upside down) on top of her. She was

unable to untangle herself from the harness and drowned.

It's understandable that folks tend to shun knifes and similar equipment on their

belts. It's a bit weighty, adds bulk on a hot day, and many like to sail unencumbered.

But, I believe that you absolutely, positively must not board or sail a boat without a knife

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attached to you. I cannot emphasize this basic, often ignored rule of sailing seamanship

enough. Here are ten ways that your sailing knife will serve you aboard any boat.

1. Cut Common Fibers and Fabric.

Find a knife that keeps its edge razor sharp, even after repeated cuts. Realize

that you will need to make sharp, even cuts across sailing rope, webbing strips,

sailmaker's waxed twine, sailing rigging tape, just to name a few common items.

Most sailing knives will not be up to the task. They will start with a clean cut, but

then lose their edge. You will end up with jagged edges and uneven fibers. This can

shorten the life of rope or fabric. Choose a knife with a superior blade that holds its

edge to be rewarded with better cutting performance while sailing or cruising.

2. Shave Bitter Ends to Prolong Rope Life.

Three-strand spices top my list of one of those skills all sailors need to know.

After all, I believe the ideal line for anchoring and docking remains three strand nylon.

Sure, you can opt for the double braid variety, but it's tough and slow to splice and

requires a multitude of tools above and beyond the sailing knife.

After you complete the four to five tucks in the eye splice, those bitter ends will

stick out like branches on a tree. And, they can snag, fray and wear. Neaten them up

when you taper the bitter ends of each strand. Shave the ends down to a point and bury

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them beneath the strands. Hold them in place with a sailmaker's whipping for a

beautiful, seamanlike eye-splice you'll want to show off to your sailing buddies!

3. Chop Off a Jammed Sheet.

Slice through an impossible winch jam in just seconds. You can bet that if you

sail, you will get an occasional jammed Genoa of jib sheet. That's where you wrap the

sheet around a winch, haul in to trim it, and the outside wrap of the sheet buries itself

beneath the turns like a stubborn barnacle sticks to a boat bottom!

There are ways to relieve the tension and unwrap those turns. But in an

emergency, you may need to chop through the sheet to release the wind filled sail and

tack away from a dangerous shoal or another boat. Enter the razor sharp knife--

attached to your person at all times. In just a second or two, you can slice through the

sheet, tack, and clear out of harm's way.

4. Saw Through a Prop or Rudder-Wrapped Line.

What lurks just beneath the surface? These days our waterways are littered with

more garbage than ever before. And that includes line and netting which can wrap

around a propeller when you are under power and stop you cold in your tracks. Or it

could jam your rudder and make it impossible to steer.

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That could mean you need to hang over the side or even dive down to saw or

hack the ornery line away from your propeller, propeller shaft or rudder. Keep your

knife by your side to make this messy job quick and easy to remedy.

5. Slice Through a Harness to Save Your Life.

This single factor alone should make all sailors pause and consider the danger of

being on deck without a sailing knife worn on the belt or clipped to your person. Time

and again, racing and cruising stories have told of crew overboard being dragged

alongside or trapped beneath a boat in their sailing harness.

Without a means of cutting yourself free, chances of serious or fatal injury

increase tenfold. You absolutely, positively must have a way to free yourself. Carry a

lightweight knife attached by lanyard to a belt loop for peace-of-mind sailing.

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6. Splice Three-Strand Line with Ease.

Buy a knife with a marlinspike. You will find this tool ranks a close second to the

knife for usefulness in rope work--in particular when splicing. Three-strand line can be

tough on the fingers. And, you will need to pry those strands apart to tuck the strands

for an eye-splice. Use your knife's marlinspike to make this chore faster, easier, and

smooth as silk!

7. Remove Clothing from a Hypothermic Crew Member.

Imagine that one of your sailing crew or your sailing partner has fallen over the

side. Even in warmer climates, they could become hypothermic in just a short time. That

means they will lose precious body core heat. Once that happens they could enter into

"late stage" hypothermia. You must recover them, get them below for treatment.

First on the agenda will be to remove all wet clothing. And you do not want to pull

clothing off the body like you do when you undress. Even the slightest amount of

massage (by hands or peeling away wet clothing) could send the cold blood near the

skin surface back to the heart. And that could result in fatal injury! Instead, cut the

clothing away with a sharp knife. And that knife needs to be razor sharp. Just another

top reason to choose a sailing knife with a superior blade that does not dull after

multiple cuts.

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8. Tension a Whipping and Seizing.

Wrap the bitter ends of a whipping or seizing around your knife body or a

marlinspike. Pull hard to bury the turns beneath a whipping, or to tighten the twine of a

seizing around the throat of an eye splice. This makes a more secure, longer lasting

whipping or seizing, protects your fingers from blisters or cuts, and provides lots of

leverage to make rope work easier and more fun.

9. Trim a Damaged Sail for Repair.

Keep your knife blade sharp enough to cut through multiple layers of heavy sail

cloth. You will need to trim the area around the tear or hole so that it's free of frayed

strands of sailcloth material.

Slice off a wide, thick piece of 0.75 oz. spinnaker repair tape (sticky on one side)

for a temporary repair that works well in a jiffy. Rub the tape all around with the dull side

of your knife to make sure the tape adheres to the sail. In just seconds, you'll be ready

to hoist your sail and be on your way again!

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10. Remove Tape or Adhesive

Nothing seems to be as stubborn to remove as old tape or adhesive. You may

remember my recommendation to tape your navigation tracks and chart latitude and

longitude scales. We did this with hundreds of nautical charts in the US Coast Guard.

We used dull transparent tape that could be written on, similar to Scotch Magic

Tape©. This worked well to protect the chart and it prolonged the life of lat and long

scales after hundreds of "punctures" by dividers or plotting compass when navigating.

But removal proved another matter altogether. Until I discovered a super simple, fast

method to remove the tape quick 'n easy.

Use any heat source (lighter or burner) to heat up the dull part of the knife blade.

Rub the dull part of the blade just in front of the tape as you peel it away. Works like a

charm and makes a tough job just about effortless!

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Put This Duo of Integrated Knife Tools to Work!

I would not board a boat without a marlinspike included with my knife. It's one of

those tools you'll find comes into play time and again in a pinch (see more below).

Add a shackle-key and you have an even more versatile tool. Some shackle-keys

are installed on the knife as a separate fitting. But I believe a shackle-key cut into the

marlinspike can be even better (photo above). Here are a few ways to use a

marlinspike and shackle-key to make sailing tasks safer aboard your small sailboat...

Marlinspike: Spread fiber or wire rope strands for splicing.

Loosen shackle pins (insert into pin-hole and twist).

Slack rope frozen onto a cleat or winch.

Make whippings and seizings tighter than hand-tight.

Pry open paint, varnish, or thinner cans.

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Shackle- key: Loosen over-tight or corroded shackle pins.

Tighten shackle pins for more security.

Obtain leverage on a screwdriver end (to loosen stubborn screws).

These are just a few of the dozens of ways your sailing and rigging knife will

serve you aboard any boat worldwide. Pass along these ten sailing safety tips to your

sailing crew or partner. Stay safe and sail well on the waters of the world this season--

wherever in the world you choose to sail or cruise!

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About the Author

Captain John was a search and rescue small-craft

skipper, ship driver, navigator, and master training

specialist in the United States Coast Guard.

He later directed the Seamanship and Chart Navigation departments at the

acclaimed Chapman School of Seamanship in Florida. He taught on-the-

water techniques on a fleet of 14 sailing and power vessels.

He is the author of "Seamanship Secrets" published by International

Marine, McGraw-Hill, and has written 18 eBooks on sailing, navigation,

seamanship and boat handling. His sailing, seamanship and navigation

articles have been published by Blue Water Sailing, Sail World Cruising,

Mauri Pro Sailing, UK Halsey Sailmakers, Long Island Sail and Good Old

Boat magazine.

Click here to learn more about Captain John

and how he can help you become a better sailor!

You can also connect with Captain John on:

http://www.skippertips.com/public/department13.cfm

http://www.skippertips.com/public/department13.cfm

https://www.youtube.com/user/seasensical

https://www.facebook.com/CaptainJohnsSkipperTips

http://www.linkedin.com/in/captainjohn

Date post:	16-Apr-2018
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Ten Ways to Use Your Sailing Knife by Captain John Jamieson Ways to Use Your... · 4 Ten Ways to...

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