Discounting the sense in trying to repair cut kite lines, what knot works that can be relied on to stay put? A granny knot with a couple of half hitches certainly did no work and came undone as soon as there was decent load on the lines. Was after a simple knot that could be replicated on all four lines leaving them all relatively the same length. In hindisght I now think a fishermans knot might have been the way to go. What knots have been found to work?

Didn't realise that was possible. But I now see what you mean. I now see the line is hollow so I could have spliced it back into itself if I had an awl in my pocket. Then stitch to secure. I think it would have been too time consuming and difficult in the circumstances I found myself in.

I had all 5 lines cut and needed a quick repair to sail a mere 200 metres back upwind to avoid a 20km round trip home by land. My repairs failed so I had to take the long way home

Was really just after a quick and dirty repair to get home.

I've got nothing to offer on the knots, but I have to ask, how did you manage to slice through your lines?

Unless you got q power line for lines you can't successfully tie any sort of knots in kite lines , they will fail .you could probably get away with a bowline to get you home but as soon as you get back to the beach that would be the end of that line.

There's a kit you can buy to resplice lines to get you out of trouble , I hear they work great.

www.briskites.com.au/index.php?l=product_detail&p=580

He must have kited through the windsurfing forum

Splice +1 although a sheet bend with stoppers would work also.

The binimi twist is a 100% knot strenth,when done correctly, used by big game fishermen, I've a mate that takes punters on $1000 a day fishing gigs, if this knot fails the punter gets his gig for free, it must be pretty strong

lotofwind said...

He must have kited through the windsurfing forum

No Jims Mowing service wasn't in the Sandpit yesterday. Just me and a mate kiting.

We were both sailing along in the same direction in smooth water in the lee of a sandbar. Me about 5m downwind of my buddy, so I was behind and below his lines and his kite was downwind of me. I was fully cranked up and overtaking him. Taking the challenge he powered on, lost it and stacked his kite right in front of me. As I was doing 25kts+ I had no where to go, but though his lines which were beautifully laid out a couple of metres in front of me. As soon as realised what was going on I dropped everything and fell in the drink. My kite was still up but de-powered so I reversed it with a view to sail back through his lines. Before I could do so his kite powered up & launched him about 10' into the air, up my lines I suspect. He pulled his release at some point around here and got rapidly reeled in through my lines until something in the region of his spreader bar, chicken loop or perhaps it was his LDG line simultaneously sliced through my 4 mains and LDG line at about 1/4 length. His LDG line broke too right at the very end beside the IDS ring.

Kites were fine when we recovered them several hundred metres downwind. We tried unsuccessfully to put things back together. I was let down by my dodgy knots and which failed when self launching a 12m in ~30kts. Initially my mate launched my kite and all was OK. But I had to re land so I could launch him. The Subsequent self launch which puts sh1t loads of force on two lines overloaded the knots which failed.

Bowline had occurred to me, but did not use it cos I was worried about unequal length. If it happened again I think the fishermans knot might have been the way to go for simplicity. At least I now have 80 metres of kite line to practice my knots on to see which ones break!!

Thanks for all the suggestions. Sorry it wasnt a more exciting story BTW. Simply managed to collect the only obstacle in the whole waterway.

Bimini twist is mainly used to tie a double line then the double is tied to a snap swivel so that when you use a conventional knot to tie the snap swivel it doesn't make the knot the weakest part. Bimini twist wouldn't be very easy with kite lines, alot easier with nylon fishing line.

it will be or hassle then its worth.

the lines will stretch all different and fly funny and if it breaks or comes undone at see your in trouble.

just buy some new ones.

cabrinha was giving out replacement lines last year, I'm sure a shop will sell you a spare pair.

JBFletch said...

it will be or hassle then its worth.

...

Absolutely correct. It only makes sense if you're a few km up the coast, or part way through a downwinder, and want to repair the lines so you can ride back home.

just tie a knot in one end maybe 2 together to increase size. then a simple loop (double over and tie) then use loop as a larks head knot over the other end knot.