A disadvantage which applies to all synthetic ropes is their lack of friction. Many knots and splices which were very effective in the days of hemp and manila-simply will not hold in synthetic rope. As a result these knots are not widely used.

Also, synthetic ropes come undone more easily than natural fibre ropes - in fact they can untie themselves...To guard against this always leave long ends, and pull the knot tight.

There are four types of synthetic ropes used in boating, all of which do not absorb water to any significant degree.

1. Nylon is more resistant to the damaging ultraviolet rays in sunlight than polyester but it still loses about a quarter of its strength if left exposed to the sun for a year in the tropics.
   
   Nylon is however very resistant to loss of strength by stretching. It is a fairly elastic fibre and will retract, retaining most of its strength after stretching...This elasticity makes nylon ideal for anchor lines or the lines of permanent moorings. Nylon is also heavier in water so a slack line will not lie on the surface where it might foul the propeller of a passing boat.
   
   
2. Polypropylene is the most suitable rope for docking lines. It has most of the stretch and shock absorbing qualities of nylon but one of its important characteristics is that...it is lighter than water and will always float...The advantage here is that polypropylene line is unlikely to end up around the propeller should you ever allow it to trail.
   
   
3. Terylene is very strong rope with excellent abrasion and sun resistant qualities. It is also low stretch, making it the choice of sailors. Terylene rope is relatively expensive, and because it is mainly produced in braided form it is not widely used in power boats other than large ones, where it is sometimes used as mooring lines because of its strength.
   
   
4. Polyester line is widely used on sailing boats as it is the most abrasion resistant of the common synthetics...it can be made into soft surfaced rope which is comfortable to handle. It is also more reliable for knotting than the other synthetics.
   
   Polyester is used for running rigging, for sheets and halyard tails on a sailing boat and for griplines on a power boat.

Use the right knot for the right purpose and know the names of the parts of a rope.

• Standing Part: A rope has two ends. The part of the rope between those two ends is know as the 'standing part'.
  
  
• Bitter End: The end of a rope that is secured to some object..the other 'end' of the rope is free.

Used as a 'stopper knot' the figure of eight is generally tied into the end of a rope to stop it from pulling through a block or pulley...you don't want to tie knots in the ends of jib sheets because you may need to let the line run through the block in an emergency.

It also provides a good handhold at the end of a rope for good leverage when pulling hard.

Also used to position buoys along a tow line...this keeps the line on the surface and away from the propellers.

1. Make a loop in the end of the line.
2. Pass the end of the line under, back over, and through the loop, so that it looks like a figure eight.

Probably the most useful of all marine knots and the most secure...the bowline (pronounced bo-lynn) retains over 80% of the strength of the rope in which it is tied - and can be called the essential sailing knot...quick to tie, easy to untie, a practical knot all around the boat.

The bowline is an excellent method of making a temporary loop in the end of a rope...It can be used for making fast to a rope...It can be used for make fast to a pile or bollard or any other object that a loop can be thrown over.

It is also a good way to bring someone in the water back to the boat, as it can be slipped over the head and shoulders and placed around the body. The knot will not slip, so it cannot close up on the body and crush it when the rope is pulled hard.

The easiest way to remember how to tie a bowline is the kid's way - by imagining a rabbit coming out of his hole.

1. Make the rabbit hole as shown.
2. The rabbit comes up through the hole, around the back of the tree.
3. The rabbit goes back down the hole.
4. Pull the three ends to tighten.

The round turn and two half hitches is the most underrated of knots. It's the most practical knot there is all over the boat. And easy to tie, even under pressure situations when you need to make that rope fast now!

Tying two half hitches is a quick way to temporarily cleat off a line on a winch or other fixed object or when a rope such as a tender tow rope or bow rope, has to be made fast to a boat or a jetty...use for securing fenders. If the rope is going to be under load, add the extra friction of a wrap or two around the object before tying the hitches (hence the term round turn and two half hitches). That way, you can untie it easily later, even if the rope has been stressed to its limit.

A round turn means that the rope goes around the post completely and the half-hitches are made in the same direction each time.

1. Make two turns around the mast or object so that you can comfortably hold the line in your hand.
   
2. Tie two half hitches (two overhand knots) around the standing part of the line.
   
   This knot should not be used in any situation where the rope will be subject to great strain, as it will jam under tension and cannot be released without difficulty.

The clove hitch, a close cousin to two half hitches, but must be tied around something, such as a lifeline or piling. It's a quick knot for tying a dock line to a piling, and anything used temporarily...but don't make this knot at the very end of the rope - it can work it's way around and slip.

With the first loop, you can hold the line in place, and then you can tie the second loop to be secure. Unlike a round turn with two half hitches, the clove hitch can get very difficult to undo as it tends to tighten under pressure. Follow the step-by-step detail to tie a clove hitch.

1. Make a loop around the pole or object.
2. Make a second loop by crossing over the first loop.
3. Pull the tail under the second loop.
4. Pull both ends to tighten.

The reef knot is very useful for low-load, cosmetic tasks...such as tying sail ties around a furled sail on the boom. The reef knot is simply the bow knot you use when tying your shoes.

It is not meant to be used to tie two ropes together, as it will shake loose rather easily if let go slack...use a Sheet Bend...The reef knot is used widely in first aid, it makes a good flat knot that sits neatly on a patient's body.

1. Tie an overhand knot (the first knot you tie when tying your shoes).
2. On the second overhand knot, tie it the opposite way.

If you put the left piece over the right on the first knot... put the right piece over the left for the second knot. (A granny knot is when you tie both overhand knots the same way).

You've tied it right if the ends of the lines are parallel to the standing (working) part of the lines - so that it looks like two symmetrical loops. Use a reef knot to tie two lengths of the same type of line together.