Essential Knots Every Sailor Should Know

 

Essential Knots
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Benjamin (“Ben”) Perlin is a dedicated philanthropist, talented photographer, and passionate robotics and engineering scientist in Nashville, Tennessee. Outside of his various creative and service activities, Benjamin Perlin enjoys a huge range of hobbies, including sailing.

An important part of sailing involves knowing how to tie a variety of knots. Following are three essential knots that every sailor should know:

1. Bowline. This knot is one of the most useful to know when aboard a sailboat because it is used to attach a post or fixed object to the boat firmly. To make this knot, sailors form a loop near the end of their line and run the tail back through the loop. Then, the tail is brought around the standing end of the line above the loop and put back through the small loop it created. Sailors then grasp both the tail and the edge of the loop and pull them tightly to finish the knot.

2. Clove hitch. Sailors should know this quick-tying knot because of its ability to secure fender whips to a lifeline temporarily or a dock line to a piling. For this knot, sailors wrap the end of the line around a post. The line is then crossed over itself, wrapped around the post again, and the tail is slipped under the last wrap and pulled tight.

3. Cleat hitch. Many sailors use a cleat hitch to secure dock lines to a cleat. Making this knot begins at the cleat edge that is farthest away from the beginning of the line. From here, sailors wrap the line around the cleat’s base and then make a figure eight on the cleat. This figure eight should be made a few times if the cleat size can handle it. Finally, sailors should make a loop with the tail end of the line and hook it around the cleat before pulling it tight.

How to Master Piano Songs with the Divide-and-Conquer Method

Divide-and-Conquer Method
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An active member of his community, Benjamin Perlin volunteers with the Tennessee State Veterans Home and works at his local Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. For recreation, Benjamin Perlin enjoys music, especially classic rock. A musician himself, Ben Perlin is a pianist.

If you’re trying to learn a new song on the piano, the best way is to divide the song into manageable pieces. Studies have shown that a human brain can focus effectively on only about four to 10 seconds of music. Therefore, you should divide practice in the same way, and focus on only a handful of measures at a time.

On the following day, focus on a second small part, and add it to the first. Eventually, you’ll be playing the entire song.

You can further break down a song by dividing the work of each hand. First, focus on the right hand, which is typically the melody.

Once that feels comfortable, focus on the left hand. Then, use both hands together. This systematic approach may seem to take more time, but ultimately it saves time by eliminating unfocused practice time.

The Impact of Mobile Photography

Mobile Photography
Image: iphonephotographyschool.com

Benjamin (Ben) Perlin is a successful photographer in Tennessee. Involved in photography since high school, Benjamin Perlin maintains a strong interest in darkroom development and different types of cameras.

Mobile photography has been a growing trend for a number of years. With the advent of mobile photography, more people are taking pictures and sharing them with others. In fact, more photographs have been taken in the past few years than in the entire history of photography.

While this does not necessarily mean that mobile photography is good photography, many photographers feel that the technology should not be ignored since it will not be disappearing. As with the invention of the digital camera, the mobile camera phone is a technological advance that has continued the evolution of photography.

Consumers also can easily alter their photos with a multitude of apps available on their phones. However, many people choose to pass on apps and improve their photography skills by focusing on composition and other fundamentals.