The Bowline (pronounced bow-lynn) is the classic knot for this purpose. Superstrong yet easy to untie. If you don't already know it I would suggest that you practice it until you get it down so that it will be second nature when it comes time to make a sail change in dicey conditions. I used to keep some line on the back of my toilet for this purpose, much to the dismay of my better half.

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...time to make a sail change in dicey conditions. I used to keep some line on the back of my toilet for this purpose, much to the dismay of my better half.

CB...
You can make sail changes from your toilet!?!?
Paul
Sorry, but I just couldn't resist!

 

Just watch Jaws over and over again...its the scene when they are on the Orca right before the Shark pops up and Martin is trying to tie that exact knot...

But on a serious note the bowline is the most common way and is useful in many more applications on a sailboat.

 

Try this site: Grog's Boating Knots Index

 

best knot is no knot; try a larks head

 

If the Lark's Head is the same one I know I would worry that when the sheets are slack they might come loose. The lark's head I know uses the tension on over turned loop that has a line through it with a stopper know in the end. When slack the loop can work loose.

 

I tie more bowlines than any other knot. On my ski boat I use them to tie the ski ropes on and they never fail. they are also easy to untie.

 

I find the concerns about lark's heads interesting. Joe, there is basically no way a lark's head can come undone, even if the loop completely loosens up. The only way is for the free ends of both sheets to be passed through the loop.

As for the strength of the knot, not sure what you mean by that. Knots do weaken the line they're tied in; maybe that's what you're referring to. If so, I don't know how much a lark's head reduces the strength of the line, but bowlines are one of the worst knots for strength. They reduce the breaking load to about 60% of the untied line's breaking load.

Anybody have data on lark's heads?

Edit: I just realized a lark's head can fail if only one of the free ends passes through the loop... which I suppose could happen if you only ever apply load to one of the free ends, or if the first time the sheet is loaded up, the lark's head hasn't really been made snug yet. Hm!

 

I find the concerns about lark's heads interesting. Joe, there is basically no way a lark's head can come undone, even if the loop completely loosens up.

The Lark's Head I know and use on Kites is this:
Making a Larks Head Knot

It works well with constant tension, but I still wonder what can happen during a tack through the wind when the line is slack and whipping about.

 

In my experience it is unusual for anyone to use anything other than a bowline for jib sheets. But I could be wrong. And if I ever wanted to do a quck sail change with no knot, as has been proposed, wouldn't I have to pull 50' of line (my boat is 41') through the clew, or am I missing something?

 

Big boat alternatives

I was just looking for an answer to this same question, I did not realize there was a current thread, I posted over at in this seamship thread

Considering the larks head when you have two seperate sheets, as I see it the problem is that the knot can lock for one way pull. But if you are putting a larks head in in the middle, you have uneven pull, and that worries me on a larger boat, the forces are so high, it seems like it might slip.

The bowline is tried and true, but the knots are hanging up in our tacks and with a small crew in a race, we can't stand that delay.

Anyway, since I already have two lines and I want to eliminate knots it looks like I need to splice an eye in the end. So far so good.

I also looked at the Attaching Jibsheets article.

Then the options are:

0) Bowline (tried and true)
1) larks head (possibly hard to undo)
2) Tylaska Spool Shackles
3) Tylaska J-Shackles
4) EquipLite Connectors (too expensive!)

Any thoughts on these? It seems like the spool shackles might be a good compromise. Has anyone used these for genoa sheets on a larger (40'+) boat?

 

I know conventional wisdom uses the bowline, an excellent knot, for jib sheets, and I do if I need to be able to untie the sheet and re-tie to the next jib. Otherwise, I prefer the buntline hitch. This knot is a bit less prone to snagging on the way past obstacles such as the stays, but has the fault of jamming under load, it will not shake out, but can be a problem to untie.

an example
Buntline Hitch

 

I will probably go with the bowline since I know the knot and others have had success with it. However, this site attaching ropes to grommets suggests a double-fishermen's knot.

 

I will probably go with the bowline since I know the knot and others have had success with it. However, this site attaching ropes to grommets suggests a double-fishermen's knot.

The first Jib sheet knot shown on your link is what I was referring to, You can work it so the it's centered instead of one side or the other and at the foot of the clew instead of the leech edge of the clew; but that doesn't really matter

 

Right. That's the one I've used before with one long continuous jib sheet. But what if there are two separate jib sheets, one for starboard and one for port? Then I think the best (or most popular) knot would be the bowline for each sheet.

 

you're right, sometimes ( aah, who am I kidding, all times ) I don't think pass my own boat setup.

 

I had the same concern re: a larks head slipping when loaded, but since it was mentioned here previously I noticed that the Tartan 40 I crew on is rigged that way. We've never had a problem even though the owner is loath to reef the 150 roller furling genny even when we're defintely overcanvassed.

I use bowlines on my boat currently, but I will seriously consider going with a larks head when I need to replace my genny sheets since you need a single long sheet to use a larks head. From what I've seen I think the larks head works fine for boats with roller furling that don't change sails ofter (or at all), but is probably is not the way to go if you frequently change headsails.

 

Actually, I use a lark's head on my current boat with hank-on headsails and it works fine, no problems changing sails. But I've got a pending deal on a bigger boat with roller furling for the headsail and two separate sheets, thus the question.

 

One point about using any type of shackle on the clew of a headsail—it just gives the sail something hard to beat you to death with...

 

It depends on the jib setup, if you use a furling jib most of the time, a continuous jib sheet, port to Stbd with a larks head at the center will be best, almost no weight flapping around.
If you do a lot of sail changes bowlines would be more convenient.
Avoid shackles, they can really hurt someone.

 

I've never known a racer (in any league) or a single sailing school to use or suggest anything besides bowlines for the jib/genny.

Anyone who wants to do it differently is welcome to, but not on my watch.

"but the knots are hanging up in our tacks" I think we've all had that happen. It means one or more of several things are wrong: Wrong size line (too heavy), wrong size loops (too large), or wrong timing on the tacks. Time it wrong, and the lines will always hang up. Change the timing and the line tension when the knots are flying past things--and they will hang instead of pass.

Working on the timing and line handling during the tack pretty much can always solve the hanging problem.

 

I should have pointed out, I haven't raced much, and neither have my wife or kids, I like the larks head because for the most part, I use the same 150 headsail on a furler, and it keeps the weight down at the clew. In the event something gets hung up on the foredeck, and the jib is flagging, there's less to get hit with.
respectfully, Joe.

 

I should have pointed out, I haven't raced much, and neither have my wife or kids, I like the larks head because for the most part, I use the same 150 headsail on a furler,

Same here, I don't race at all and I have a 130 on a furler

 

You miss the point. It doesn't matter if you race or not. Racers tack an awful lot, and missing any one tack is enough to knock you out of the race. The practices on a racing boat are often based on "must be 110% reliable" and that includes using bowlines on the headsails. Because they don't hang up, they don't slip off, and they can be easily released if they need to be.

Don't laugh too hard--all those things about bowlines for the headsail are true, once you get some practice and get them done right.

Oh, and bowlines hurt a whole lot less if they hit you in the face on a flogging sail, compared to all the wonderful buttons and toggles and snaps that can also be used to attach the sheets. They're simple and reliable, that's usually why something becomes a standard.

 

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not arguing about the validity of a bowline for a headsail, and I've been using them for many years, but this is simpler for my application, one continuous sheet attached like this

 

I had been told and read that there is a risk of slippage with this arrangement but i suppose the proof is in the pudding.

 

That's how I do it and have NEVER had an issue with it coming loose. If we blow a tack it's for some other reason...

 

only way to untie the larks head is to run 20+ feet of sheet through the clew.
Most lines will fail at the knot. If the larks head fails you have a flogging sail that will need to be doused, re-tied, and rehoisted. If one bowline fails (breaks at knot), just tack over, retie another sheet, and tack back. less down time assuming you're close hauled.

 

My Jib sheet is 100' long and if the larks head fails, it's because the sheet itself failed. It's just a different way of doing things. If I do a headsail change, the sheets go with the sail. It's a matter of personal preference.

 

if the larks head fails, it's because the sheet itself failed.

And if the sheet failed, the captain failed in his routine rigging inspections

 

My sheet is only 80 feet long, (sail is 350 square feet, 135 RF) and I have been using the Larks head for the last 5 racing seasons. It takes a good deal of effort at the end of the year to unlock the knot from the clew. I never had it slip at all, I have seen bowlines become undone during a races, I would say at least one every couple of seasons.

 

I've never seen a properly tied bowline untie itself, but seen plenty of "not quite bowlines" come open. To me a lark's head is just a half completed Prussik knot, which is a nice grabber but used intentionally because it is so easy to make the knot slip if you apply a little backpressure to it.

I guess that's what makes horseracing, "you pays your money, you takes your choices".