The marlinespike hitch is a temporary

knot A knot is an intentional complication in cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including hitches, bends, loop knots, and splices: a ''hitch'' fastens a rope to another object; a ' ...

used to attach a rod to a

rope A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similar ...

in order to form a

handle A handle is a part of, or attachment to, an object that allows it to be grasped and manipulated by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt with intuitively or by following tr ...

.Clifford W. Ashley, ''The Ashley Book of Knots'' (New York: Doubleday, 1944), 330. This allows more

tension Tension may refer to: Science * Psychological stress * Tension (physics), a force related to the stretching of an object (the opposite of compression) * Tension (geology), a stress which stretches rocks in two opposite directions * Voltage or el ...

than could be produced comfortably by gripping the rope with the hands alone. It is useful when tightening knots and for other purposes in ropework. As the name suggests, the type of rod traditionally used with this hitch is a marlinespike. The advantages of this hitch over others which might serve the purpose are its quickness of tying and ease of releasing. Topologically it is a form of the

noose A noose is a loop at the end of a rope in which the knot tightens under load and can be loosened without untying the knot. The knot can be used to secure a rope to a post, pole, or animal but only where the end is in a position that the loop can ...

, but in practice this hitch is not allowed to collapse into that shape. When it does capsize into a traditional noose, it can jam against the rod, making it much more difficult to release.Ashley, 303, 305. The hitch is frequently used by hammock campers to attach adjustable rope slings (" whoopie slings") to the webbing straps that are used to attach hammocks to trees. By passing the working end through the marlinespike hitch, this knot can be used as an alternative method of tying the

Bowline The bowline ( or ) is an ancient and simple knot used to form a fixed loop at the end of a rope. It has the virtues of being both easy to tie and untie; most notably, it is easy to untie after being subjected to a load. The bowline is sometimes ...

knot. Passing through in the opposite direction will give you the

Cowboy bowline The cowboy bowline or left-hand bowline, is a variation of the bowline loop knot. The cowboy bowline has the working end go around the standing part on the side closer to the loop and results with the working end outside the loop. In contrast, ...

(also known as the left-hand bowline, Dutch marine bowline or winter bowline).

Tying

Below is a basic method of tying. The knot can also be made by using the rod itself to form the loop, but the tying method does not affect the performance of the resulting hitch. Begin with an overhand loop, that is, a loop in which the working part passes over the standing part:
Fold the loop over the working part, towards the standing part such that the standing part is visible through the center of the loop:

In stiffer material the first two steps can be accomplished in a single motion by twisting the working part with the fingers until a loop forms and flops over the standing part. Use the rod to snag a

bight The word is derived from Old English ''byht'' (“bend, angle, corner; bay, bight”). In modern English, bight may refer to: * Bight (geography), recess of a coast, bay, or other curved feature * Bight (knot), a curved section, slack part, or loo ...

of the standing part through the loop, that is, pass the rod over the near side of the loop, under the standing part and then over the far side of the loop:
Before tensioning, excess slack can be removed by pulling ''simultaneously'' on both the working and standing parts:

In actual use the hitch should be loaded only from the standing side.

Undesirable capsized form

If the working end is loaded rather than the standing part, the knot will

capsize Capsizing or keeling over occurs when a boat or ship is rolled on its side or further by wave action, instability or wind force beyond the angle of positive static stability or it is upside down in the water. The act of recovering a vessel fro ...

into an overhand noose:

While this form may still hold when the standing part is subsequently loaded, it can jam badly against the rod. This is especially troublesome if the rod is not tapered.

References

{{Knots

Tying

Undesirable capsized form

See also

References