Usage
The Ground-line Hitch can be used to attach a rope to a spar or stanchion or to tie a thin cord onto a thicker one. In a boating and sailing context, it is a great knot for tying fenders to rails and is commonly called the Spar Hitch. It can also be used to tether a horse to a picket line. The Ground-line Hitch can be used to secure the opening of a sack or bag, often in slipped form for quick and easy release. When used as such, it is in the class of binding knots referred to as "Miller's knots".
History
According to Ashley, the Ground-line Hitch has been traditionally used by Cod fishermen to affix ganging lines to the ground-line of a codfish trawl. A ground-line is a weighted, lower line and is typically used in conjunction with an upper float-line for attaching a fishing net. Using the same knot for a completely different application, the US Cavalry and Old West pioneers purposed it to tether their horses to a picket line and referred to it as the Picket-line Hitch. A picket line is a horizontal rope tied between two posts or trees along which horses are tied at intervals.
Also known as
- Spar Hitch
- Picket-line Hitch
- Fender Knot
- Miller's Knot
- Sack Knot
- Bag Knot
ABOK
Structure
The Ground-line Hitch can be tied right or left handed or in slipped form for quick release. The Ground-line Hitch is the beginning sequence of a three-lead four-bight Turk's head knot. The knot can be used as either a hitch (attach to a spar) or a binding knot (bind the opening of a bag closed).
Strength/Reliability
Worked-up and dressed properly, the Ground-line Hitch is more secure than the simpler Clove Hitch and has less tendency to jam, but does not respond well to swinging or shifting tension.
