In between changing diapers last night, I got some sailing practice in. My daughter and I were about to settle down to read some stories when I spied the 8' of Sta Set she has in her room for knot-tying practice.
I told her "to hell with Proust for one night, let's practice the bowline". She agreed forthwith and I went to grab the line (white with red flecks). We had first practiced bowlines a few weeks ago on a light-wind day, her grandfather had then taught her a few other knots while I fumed over my lack of knot-tying knowledge to show off (I only know three knots).
Anyway she's been practicing the crazy-hitch-on-a-bight or something like that for some time. I figure it's time to show off my bowline skills, so I do one with my eyes closed, I tie one behind my back, I tie one while hopping on one foot as she throws buckets of water at me. I impress her enough that I'm back at the top of the knot-tying heap and she decides to come back to the simple bowline.
She starts getting it better after a few minutes and stops muttering about rabbits and trees and whatnots. They're getting good. She can make the loop any size she wants every time.
Now, she's ready for the big test. She closed her eyes, grabbed the line, and 8 seconds later.....BOWLINE! She's now an official third-generation sailor!
8 comments:
OK, here's the next challenge -- tie the bowline with eyes closed, behind the back, WITH ONE HAND.
Not that I intend to brag or anything, but Tadpole can do that.
I sense a Knot-Off in the works.
The one-hand bowline is a mystery to me...I hear people talking about it but it seems impossible. Do you start the loop with two hands and then do the rest with one hand? I call shenanigans.
No, it's all one-handed. I've seen him do it.
Hmmmm .... I wonder if a video of that would go over well on YouTube.
It can definitely be tied one-handed. I learned to do that when I was doing a lot of rock climbing in my younger days.
Yup the one hand is the master's test!
what's a bowline?
Raps, it's apparently something that people spend a lot of time doing with one hand.
OK this blog has descended into Benny Hill land. I will visit it often
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