Dolly Knot
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The Dolly Knot


Can You Tie One?

The dolly knot, so called because when tied it looked like a peg doll, was the driver's best friend. These days though it is being replaced by webbing straps tightened with mechanical ratchets. It is a knot that can be tied into a length of rope at any point without disturbing either end of the rope and is easily undone without leaving a tangle. It consists of three loops, the head, the body and the legs and when tying it the hands stay in contact with the rope at all times. The best way to practice tying it is with a length of rope hanging down in front of your face with something to hook it around. If nothing else is available then a door handle comes in handy. (Please be certain that the Domestic Services Manager is not at home when trying this). Tie the rope to one door handle, pass it over the top of the door and down towards the other handle leaving a good length trailing below the handle.
I must give thanks here to my daughter Angela who kindly lent a hand or two with the photos.


Now you're ready to start.

fig 1

Put the left hand on rope at eye level with the right hand on rope at chest level. The thumbs should be pointing inwards.
With the right hand pinch an egg sized loop in the rope, the loop pointing up, bring it up to just above left hand and lay it across rope with loop at right angles pointing left. This is the head.




fig 2

With left hand; loop rope up, around and down head to form neck. Make sure head then points up or rope will slip. You should now have two loops, a small one that is the Head and a larger one, the Body.




fig 3

While your right hand is holding the neck slide your left hand down the body to the bottom of the loop. Then with the left hand, twist the body 180 degrees to the left to form a figure of eight, and pull the trailing rope through the lower section of the 8 to form another loop: - The legs.




fig 4

Pull the legs with the left hand until they are long enough to slip over the hook. Keeping the downward tension with the left hand, slide the right hand down from the neck to the trailing rope and pull tight.




fig 5

Practice this until you can do it without thinking you will be surprised how easy it becomes but do not pull too hard or you'll pull the door handles off and I'm not answering to any Domestic Service Manager.




The basic principle of roping is you would start with a coil of rope at one end of the load. Attaching the rope to a hook at the other end of the load bed with a half hitch. (A couple of inches from the end of the rope make a small loop, pull the long side of the rope through to make another loop which goes over the hook pull tight and if you like repeat) Taking up enough rope to go over the load you coil and throw it over the top of the load. Walk round the truck and dolly it on the opposite hook to the one you started at. Finish the dolly with a half hitch to keep it tight and run the rope to the next hook. Walk around to the other side (you keep fit roping and sheeting) and tie another dolly. Again run the rope to the next hook before throwing more rope over the load repeat all along the load.
After two or three weeks you'll be able to do it with your eyes shut which is just as well as it gets dark early in December.

I hope this helps but it's very difficult to describe something that comes second nature once you've done it a while. As in all things trucking there are many ways of reaching the same result but this is the way I do it. I am always happy to answer any personal enquires just click on the link below but please remember I am a working driver who is away from home most of the week so questions are usually answered at the weekend.


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All Text amd Images Copyright © 2003 E.A.Boucher
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