The transom knot is a simple

lashing knot A lashing is an arrangement of rope, wire, or webbing with linking device used to secure and fasten two or more items together in a somewhat rigid manner. Lashings are most commonly applied to timber poles, and are commonly associated with cargo, ...

used to secure two linear objects, such as

spars The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Women's Reserve, also known as the SPARS (SPARS was the acronym for "Semper Paratus—Always Ready"), was the women's branch of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. It was established by the United States ...

, at right angles to each other.

Relation to other knots

While often described in relation to the

constrictor knot The constrictor knot is one of the most effective binding knots.Clifford W. Ashley, ''The Ashley Book of Knots'' (New York: Doubleday, 1944), 224-225.Brion Toss, ''The Complete Rigger's Apprentice'' (Camden, Maine: International Marine, 1998), 1 ...

, the underlying structure of the transom knot is the

strangle knot The strangle knot is a simple binding knot. Similar to the constrictor knot, it also features an overhand knot under a riding turn. A visible difference is that the ends emerge at the outside edges, rather than between the turns as for a constr ...

. The introduction of a second, perpendicular spar into a loose strangle knot tied around another spar will illustrate this point. In relation to the upper spar, the crossings of the knot come to very closely resemble those of a constrictor knot. Perhaps because of this

Clifford Ashley Clifford Warren Ashley (December 18, 1881 – September 18, 1947) was an American artist, author, sailor, and knot expert. Life Ashley was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, son of Abiel Davis Ashley and Caroline Morse. He married Sarah Scudder ...

described the transom knot as both "a modification of" and "closely related to"Ashley, p. 215 the constrictor knot. Despite these descriptions the transom knot is consistently illustrated in ''

The Ashley Book of Knots ''The Ashley Book of Knots'' is an encyclopedia of knots written and illustrated by the American sailor and artist Clifford W. Ashley. First published in 1944, it was the culmination of over 11 years of work. The book contains 3,857 numbered en ...

'' as being based on a strangle knot.

Use

Suggested for binding

kite A kite is a tethered heavier than air flight, heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create Lift (force), lift and Drag (physics), drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. ...

sticks by Ashley,Ashley, p. 225 it is useful generally as a light-duty or temporary

square lashing A lashing is an arrangement of rope, wire, or webbing with linking device used to secure and fasten two or more items together in a somewhat rigid manner. Lashings are most commonly applied to timber poles, and are commonly associated with cargo, ...

. To reinforce, a second transom knot can be made on the opposite side and at a right-angle to the first.

References

{{Knots