The capstan knot offers a reliable and fast mooring, especially if a half-key is added to avoid any risk of slipping. It is used to cap a mooring bitt. Rather than having to figure out the two half keys that make up the knot, here is a simple and very quick way to make it.
Prepare the mooring line
- Reach out with your right hand palm up and grasp the rope.
- With a wrist movement, turn the left hand outward in a downward rotation.
- This hand also grabs the rope, leaving a good length between the two hands
Capstan loops in one hand
- By bringing the hands back to a natural position, the rope forms the two loops
- The free strands pass on both sides of the part that joins them
- We superimpose the two loops thus formed, the left one passing over the right one
Pass over the mooring bitt
- All that's left to do is to cap your mooring point
- A reliable and very fast mooring
