Aldridge, Arthur F.
"Knots" by Arthur F. Aldridge is an instructional manual on marlinespike seamanship written in the early 20th century. It teaches sailors and trainees how to choose, care for, and work rope through a comprehensive survey of knots, bends, hitches, splices, and related ropework. The emphasis is on practical, shipboard use—mooring, towing, cargo handling, wire-rope work, matting, and more—explained with clear, step-by-step guidance.The opening of this manual sets a wartime context in a preface that highlights knot-tying as essential training for U.S. naval recruits, notes the work’s compilation from government sources, and dedicates it to American sailors. A concise history traces knots to antiquity and credits seamen with most innovations, while underscoring their continuing value on steam and motor vessels. Early chapters define cordage and its construction (fibers, yarns, strands, rope, cable), distinguish rope types and ancillary materials, and explain rope care, strength, and handling. The text then moves into instruction: simple loops and stopper knots, line-joining knots, bends and hitches, decorative and terminal knots made from a rope’s own strands, and practical shortenings and ties, each linked to shipboard tasks. It proceeds to basic tackles and slings, fastenings and moorings, lashings and seizings, and the foundations of splicing—including wire-rope methods—and introduces protective matting, establishing a thorough, illustrated course the rest of the work develops.…
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