The cleat hitch is easily the best knot to use when tying up your boat at the jetty. It’s an effective knot, that locks on tighter the harder the boat pulls against it, yet when it is tied properly, it is still easy to release. But the best thing is it is incredibly simple to tie. In fact, with a bit of practice you can even tie a cleat hitch one handed without even bending down to touch the cleat! Yet take a walk along most crowded jetties/pens and you’ll see plenty of people do it wrong. Tying up your boat, while very important, doesn’t have to be complicated. Often simple knots are the safest and most effective…ask any mountaineer or professional sailor.

How to Tie a Cleat Hitch

Knots are best taught by live demonstration, not by pictures. Here we’ve got our chief trainer demonstrating how simple it is to secure your boat with the perfect cleat hitch.