Boating USA — January 2018

BOATINGMAG.COM

JANUARY 2018

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BOATINGMAG.COM | JANUARY 2018| 11

SCAN ME

How did you get into knots?

It was totally accidental. We happened to go to a boating

festival in Brest, France, and we saw people demonstrating

knots. As a child, I was a Boy Scout, and I learned how to tie

knots for that.

How many knots are there?

An infinity. Five thousand or so. The bible was written by

Clifford Ashley, The Ashley Book of Knots. He learned a lot

from sailors. Ashley’s daughters donated his knot collection

to the Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Connecticut.

How many have you mastered?

Maybe 20 or 30, but mostly I use a very small number.

Do you have a favorite?

For looks, it’s something called a Matthew Walker. It’s a very

pretty knot used as a stopper at the end of a rope.

Name a few forgotten knots that modern boaters

could use.

Walking around a marina, it would be a mooring knot. One

I like is related to the clove hitch. It’s called a constrictor

knot. It can be hard to undo.

What are the oddest names?
The Baggywrinkle. It’s made in a place where rope rubs
against the wood. A similar one is Kackling, which is wrapped
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK, COURTESY COLIN BYFLEET (INSET) around a cable, protecting the rope that’s taking the strain.

Colin Byfleet is a veteran sailor who knows his knots: He’s the former

president — now secretary — of the International Guild of Knot Tyers.

We caught up with him to talk knots. — Phil Scott

Colin Byfleet,

International Knot Expert

To read the full

interview online,

scan this tag or

go to boatingmag

.com/knots.

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