BOAT HANDLING
The anchor
Your boat is equipped with an anchor attached to the boat
by a rope and ten metres of chain. On a canal it is forbidden
to use it but on a river, for example, in the event of a motor
breakdown, it can be very useful. Leave a good length of
chain on the bottom; it is the weight of the chain that will
stop your boat moving.
To recover your anchor easily, all you need to do is go
ahead slowly towards it while a crew member at the bow
hauls in the chain.
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Some useful knots
All marine knots have their uses, but at least three are
indispensable on the inland waterways.
A. The cleat knot: All you need to do is pass the cord in
a figure of eight around the cleat. The last loop can be
reversed to block the rope.
B. Round turn and two half hitches: the best knot for
mooring a boat and the easiest to untie.
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B.
C. The clove hitch: this knot is particularly useful if you
want to moor to a tree or a post. It is two reversed halfhitches. Its hold is extremely strong.
D. The bow line: this knot is used to make a loop in the end
of a rope without splicing. It is a useful knot but needs some
practise.
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