Cow Hitch

A finished eye dropped over a post — both legs share. Temporary, not overnight.

• !Only one leg loaded — the hitch walks as a girth
• !Bight never taken over the top of the pile
• !Left as overnight mooring on a tide

• !Only one leg takes the load, so the hitch slides or rolls around the ring or post.
• !The two legs pull with unequal tension, for example when they were left crossed.
• !One leg runs outside the bight, leaving one of the two half hitches unmade.
• !It is the only attachment for a critical load, where it can slip about as readily as a clove hitch.

• Only one leg loaded

  Hitch walks off the post

  Animated Knots: holds when both legs load; slips on a single-leg load · step 04

• One leg through the bight

  Girth that walks under the first snatch

  Both legs must pass through the bight · step 02

• Twisted or used as overnight mooring

  Walks off through a tide cycle

  A cow hitch is a short stay, not a mooring plan · step 04

• Hitch walks off the post

  Check

  • ?Both legs sharing the load
  • ?Hitch square

  Then

  • →Load both legs or switch to a round turn and two half hitches

• Only one leg loaded

  Check

  • ?Hitch walks off the post
  • ?Inspect step 04

  Then

  • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

• One leg through the bight

  Check

  • ?Girth that walks under the first snatch
  • ?Inspect step 02

  Then

  • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

• Twisted or used as overnight mooring

  Check

  • ?Walks off through a tide cycle
  • ?Inspect step 04

  Then

  • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

Same failure class, different geometry. Open the plates — Diagnose still starts from the symptom.

• Pile Hitch