Blue Marsh Lake Reefing

[Be Free]

Kingtoros,
You can say "pulley" if you want to but the item that the knot is hitting is a part of the pulley called the "sheave" (pronounced 'shiv'). The pulley is a simple machine made up of the sheave, axle, and technically the rope (without the rope it can not do any work). This is a very 'laid-back' group and no one is going to flame you if you don't use the exact 'right' term. It does help speed communication in specialized niche areas if the correct terms are used but it is not an insurmountable obstacle if less exact terminology is employed.

I work in a field that has a lot of very specific terms and lots of acronyms but most of the time I am dealing with "civilians" who don't share that same dialect. When dealing with a new client one of the things I try to determine is whether or not we speak the same "language". If we do then we can communicate a large amount of specific information in a few sentences. I can have the same conversation with a "normal" person but it will take paragraphs, analogies, and generic, inexact descriptions of what needs to be done.

Sailing works the same way. Using the correct terms conveys a lot of information in a short time. "Pulley" is a generic term, but if you said turning block, cheek block, fairlead, fiddle block, snatch block, or masthead sheave you would convey a great deal of information to someone else with the shared "language" regarding the structure, placement, and use of the "pulley" being discussed.

Like "jargon" using the correct knot for the correct application saves time and effort. As you have determined via experimentation, the halyard knot is a better choice vs. the bowline for connecting a halyard to a shackle due to it being more compact. Its only real downside is that it is almost impossible to untie after it has been put under load. Since there is seldom a reason to disconnect the halyard from the shackle once it has been connected that is rarely a problem. If it has to be cut off you only lose a couple of inches off of a very long halyard.

On the other hand, if you used a halyard knot to tie your boat to a piling you would probably come back to find your boat has 'gone walkabout'. Halyard knots won't tighten correctly when they are tied around something with a large diameter. Horses for courses and knots for (something that rhymes with knots). I never claimed to be a poet. Adding some extra knots to your "vocabulary" will save you time and effort in the long run.