Figure-eight loop
Loop · easy · also called Figure-eight on a bight, Flemish loop
Used for
- A fixed loop that will not slip, for example the loop in a trucker's hitch
- A loop in the middle of a line when you cannot get at the ends
- A loop around a ring or stanchion: tie a loose figure-eight in the single line, pass the end around the object, then trace the end back through the knot
How to tie it
- Double the line to make a bight a little longer than the loop you want.
- Treat the doubled line as one: cross it over the standing part to form a loop.
- Take the doubled end all the way around behind the standing part.
- Pass the doubled end through the first loop from the front.
- Pull on the loop and the standing parts to tighten, keeping the paired strands side by side.
Check it: It looks like a fat figure 8 made of two strands that run side by side all the way through without crossing each other, and the loop is the size you wanted.
Cautions
- It can be very hard to untie after a heavy load. For lines you will need to cast off, a bowline is the usual sailor's choice.
- Dress it neatly, with the strands parallel, so you can see at a glance that it is right.
To untie: Bend the knot back and forth to loosen the strands; after a hard load it may take some work.
Sources (3)
General guidance for recreational boaters, researched from the sources listed and written in our own words. Your equipment manuals, local knowledge, the Navigation Rules and a qualified instructor come first.