How Knots Are Made on the Vespucci – I Sail Pills

Name: How Knots Are Made on the Vespucci – I Sail Pills
Uploaded: 2026-01-20T08:39:42.000Z
Duration: 12 min 52 s
Description: Former *Amerigo Vespucci* boatswain Antioco Tilocca demonstrates professional knot-tying techniques for secure mooring and fender management.

20. januar 2026 · 12 min · 58K visninger · Sardinia

Hands securing cleat hitch on Vespucci deck

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Antioco Tilocca, a former boatswain of the *Amerigo Vespucci*, demonstrates professional-grade knot-tying techniques for mooring and fender management. Tilocca advises against the common practice of starting a cleat hitch with a full round turn (the "zero"), arguing that it causes the line to jam under tension, making it difficult to release in an emergency.3:50 Instead, he recommends three figure-eight turns followed by a half-hitch to ensure security and ease of release.3:13 For mooring lines, he advocates for a double bowline to reduce wear and distribute load, noting that any knot reduces a line's breaking strength by approximately 50 percent.8:22 He suggests using eye splices for permanent mooring lines, which retain up to 90 percent of the line's strength.8:36 Additionally, Tilocca demonstrates the clove hitch and the "matafione" (a quick-release variation of the clove hitch) for securing fenders, emphasizing that the latter allows for rapid deployment or release, a technique derived from handling sails on tall ships.10:30