Zeppelin Bend

HOW TO TIE A ZEPPELIN BEND

The Zeppelin Bend. I’ve covered this knot before, but not with port and starboard ropes 😁.  I think different colour ropes are really handy for seeing what’s going on. Once you get this one down, it’s really easy to remember and it’s great for tying two ropes together.

The Zeppelin Bend is in the same family of knots as the double sheet bend and is very useful for joining two ropes together. It’s often used by rock climbers, but it is also a very useful knot on a boat. It’s in the same family of knots as the double sheet bend and is very useful for joining two ropes together. This knot is also known as the Rosendahl Bend after its inventor.

You can also use a sheet bend (different sizes) or a double sheet bend (covered in a separate post).

The Zeppelin is the strongest though, IMO, and it doesn’t jam under load. This knot was used to anchor airships down, hence the name after the Zeppelin airships. You can just tell by the look of it that it’s really strong.

Plus, it’s got a great name: The Zeppelin Bend, or Zepper: it’s the rock star of knots!

ZEPPELIN BEND PROS AND CONS

✅ It won’t come undone after a jerk (say if you used it for stern lines to tie off to some rocks.
✅ It doesn’t jam under load which can be a problem with the sheet bend.
✅ Very secure.
✅ Works well when used with synthetic lines.

❌ Not the easiest one to master (but fun to tie when you have the knot down).