Anchor Bend

This knot, not too surprisingly, is used to tie a line to an anchor. HOWEVER this is not particularly good practice since anchoring is much more reliable if there is a length of chain. So the anchor bend is really used to tie a line to a chain that is attached to an anchor. it's quite secure in my experience but I generally leave a longer tail and put in a couple more half hitches just to be sure. it's not so easy to take apart particularly when the rope is wet. I guess that's what it's supposed to do. it's stronger than the Round turn and two half hitches but not as convenient to tie and take apart.

If you plan to anchor for a long time you should make a permanent metal grommet and use a shackle rather than a knot. A knot will weaken the line where it is tied. If you plan to anchor for several days check the knot and re tie it on a different spot on the rope to minimize chafe damage.

For more information on anchoring I have an article on Anchors and Anchoring.

Tying an Anchor Bend (Fisherman's Bend).

Whipping the ends together makes the anchor bend quite strong. Only practical if the line is quite permanent. Adding turns and hitches also strenghten the knot.

The Anchor Bend is one of my ten essential knots. Learn them and you will be able to tie just about everything on your boat.

Some of my Knot Pages

• The Anchor Bend Knot
• Bowline, The Must Know Knot
• Bowline on a bight, how to tie a bowline if you don't have the ends.
• Cleat Hitch it's surprising how many people can't tie this knot properly
• Constrictor Knots make it a point of being difficult to untie. it's their job!
• Highwayman's Hitch makes it a point of being EASY to untie, good for a quick hitch at the dock or where you need to get it undone fast
• Reef Knots are used to reef sails, otherwise they are very unreliable.
• Rolling Hitch A useful knot that can be tied on another line to pull some slack so you can untie a knot or untangle a winch line.
• Sheet Bend joins 2 ropes together
• The Stopper Knot stops a knot from running out of a cleat. 2 styles
• Truckers Hitch helps tighten a rope around a canoe on a car or on a trailer.
• Farmer's Loop Similar to the Trucker's hitch, easy to tie.
• Round Turn and two half hitches a useful multipurpose knot
• The Fireman's coil keeps your coiled rope from getting tangled.
• Buntline Hitch, a very old knot that has found a new life with modern slippery rope
• Fireman's Coil keep a rope tidy and untangled
• Truckers hitch is useful when tying a boat on a car because it can be tightened.
• The Chain Splice is a useful way of attaching an anchor line to a chain so that it can pass through a windlass without binding.

I'm writing some articles about materials used in rope making Comparison of Rope materials used in boats.

• Polyester makes a strong low stretch rope It is the most common rope material on sailboats it is commondly used for halyards. it is often used as a strong outside braid in composite ropes.
• Nylon rope is strong and absorbs shocks Often found in climbing ropes and mooring or anchor lines where a bit of stretch is useful.
• Aramid (Kevlar) is very strong but sensitive to shock loads. Chlorine bleach destroys ropes made of aramid.
• UHMW (Dyneema) Ropes are ultra strong and chemically resistant but are very slippery and knots often untie.
• Comparing the strength of Kevlar and Technora ropes
• Polypropylene rope floats but is sensitive to UV Good for dinghy ropes and water skiing