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Diagram

Ashley Stopper

Oysterman's stopper · Ashley's stopper

A bulky stopper in the end of a line, for an opening such as a block, fairlead or hole that is too large for a figure-eight. It is less prone to shake loose than a figure-eight.

Stopper · Intermediate · Polyester / Nylon rope / Polypropylene / Natural fibre / Dyneema / HMPE · 4 steps

ApplicationsHow to tie it
Ashley Stopper, finishedAshley Stopper, finished

Finished structure

Drawn from a rope model of this knot: which strand passes over which comes from where the rope actually lies.

  1. Tie a loose slip knot near the end, pulling a bight of the standing part throughNear the end of the rope, a loose overhand made with the working-end side of the rope, with a bight of the standing part pulled down through it as an open loop. The loop's right leg comes up through the overhand and turns over into it; its left leg runs straight up into the standing part.
    1Open loop, a bight of the standing part
    2Overhand
    3Working end
    Move 1 of 1Tie a loose slip knot near the end, pulling a bight of the standing part throughYou should now see: A loose overhand on the working-end side with an open loop below it; tugging the standing part shrinks the loop.

    Step 01

    Leaving a long working end, tie a loose slip knot near the end of the rope, pulling a bight of the standing part through the overhand so the loop shrinks when you pull the standing part.

    You should now see

    A loose overhand on the working-end side with an open loop coming out of it. A gentle tug on the standing part makes the loop smaller.

    If it goes wrong

    Pulling the bight through from the working end instead. You notice it because tugging the standing part does not shrink the loop, while pulling the working end spills the knot.

    Fix: Pull the working end to spill the knot, then tie it again with the bight taken from the standing part.

    Why: This loop is what closes around the working end in step 3. It can only close when the standing part is pulled if the loop is made from the standing part.

  2. Tuck the working end through the open loop and draw a little of it throughThe working end comes down in front of the loop's right side, goes through the loop from front to back, and hangs out behind and below it.
    1Through the loop
    Move 1 of 1Tuck the working end through the open loop and draw a little of it throughYou should now see: The working end passes through the loop and hangs out the far side, the loop still loose round it.

    Step 02

    Tuck the working end through the open loop and draw a little of it through, keeping the loop loose around it.

    You should now see

    The working end passes through the loop and hangs out the far side, with the loop still sitting loosely around it.

    If it goes wrong

    Tucking the working end through the overhand instead of the loop. When the standing part is pulled later, the loop closes on nothing and a plain overhand is left.

    Fix: Pull the working end back out and feed it through the loop of standing part, which is the loop that shrinks when you tug the standing part.

    Why: The working end has to be inside the loop before anything is tightened. The loop closing around it is what makes the extra lobe.

  3. Pull the overhand snug first, then pull the working end tightThe overhand is drawn snug round both legs of the loop, and the working end is pulled tight, still through the open loop below.
    1Overhand snug
    Move 1 of 3Pull the overhand snug first, then pull the working end tight
    Now pull the standing part, so the loop draws up round the working endPulling the standing part draws the loop up toward the overhand. The loop is half its size and still round the working end, which runs through it front to back.
    1Loop closing on the end
    Move 2 of 3Now pull the standing part, so the loop draws up round the working end
    Pull the standing part hard last, so the loop closes down on the working endThe loop is drawn up tight under the front of the overhand and closed round the working end. The overhand bulges back left and back right, and the closed loop sticks out at the front.
    1Loop closed on the end
    Move 3 of 3Pull the standing part hard last, so the loop closes down on the working endYou should now see: The loop has closed into the knot round the working end, leaving three lobes where the standing part enters.

    Step 03

    Pull the overhand part snug first, then pull the working end tight, and last pull the standing part hard so the loop closes down on the working end.

    You should now see

    The loop has disappeared into the knot. On the underside, where the standing part enters, three separate lobes sit in a neat triangle.

    If it goes wrong

    Hauling on the standing part before the overhand is snug. The loop drags out or closes in the wrong place, and the underside shows only two lobes, like a plain overhand.

    Fix: If only two lobes show, open the knot back to the slip knot, check the working end is inside the loop, and tighten again in order: overhand, working end, standing part.

    Why: Animated Knots gives this order because the overhand has to be snug before the standing part closes the loop. That keeps the loop seated around the working end instead of pulling out of the knot.

  4. Work the slack out of the lobes, then pull the standing part once moreThe finished Ashley stopper from the side: a round knot in the end of the rope, the standing part leaving the top and a short working end below.
    Move 1 of 2Work the slack out of the lobes, then pull the standing part once more
    Look along the standing part at the three lobes, then test it against the openingThe finished knot seen along the standing part, the side that bears on the opening: the standing part in the centre with three lobes round it, the overhand bulging on one side, the overhand turning over on the other, and the closed loop holding the working end.
    1Lobe: overhand, left
    2Lobe: overhand, right, where it turns over
    3Lobe: closed loop
    Move 2 of 2Look along the standing part at the three lobes, then test it against the openingYou should now see: A firm, round knot with no loose lobe, which stops at the opening without squeezing into it.

    Step 04

    Work any slack out of the lobes with your fingers, pull the standing part once more, then test the knot against the block, fairlead or hole it is meant to stop.

    You should now see

    A firm, round knot with no loose lobe, which stops at the opening without starting to squeeze into it.

    If it goes wrong

    A loose knot, or one too small for the opening, that starts to pull into the block under load. It also gets tried as a way to join two ropes, which a stopper cannot do.

    Fix: If it is loose, retie and tighten in order. If it is tight and still pulls in, the opening is too big for this knot. To join two ropes, use a bend such as a sheet bend.

    Why: Ashley described this knot for holes too large for a figure-eight, and Animated Knots calls it the bulkiest of the simple stoppers and less likely than a figure-eight to shake loose.

Failure modes

When this family fails, it fails as these. The recovered end still outranks the name.

Stopper family

Bulk at the tail, larger than the opening — not a join.

  • !Body smaller than the block or fairlead after dress
  • !Asked to join two ropes
  • !Figure-8 used in HMPE where Estar extra turns were the stopper, or Ashley left as a two-lobe overhand
Fails when
  • !The working end is not inside the loop when the standing part is pulled, so the loop closes on nothing and a plain overhand is left
  • !The standing part was pulled before the overhand was snug, and the underside shows two lobes instead of three
  • !The knot is loose, or too small for the opening, and starts to pull into the block or fairlead under load
Geometry

  • Left as a two-lobe overhand

    Pulls through the block — this is not an Ashley yet

    The third lobe is the stopper · step 03

  • Undersized or loose body

    Pulls through the opening

    Size after dress is the job · step 04

  • Asked to join two ropes

    A stopper is not a bend

    Pick a sheet bend or Zeppelin if you needed a join · step 04

If you saw this

  • Stopper pulls through or looks like an overhand

    Check

    • ?Three lobes on the underside
    • ?Larger than the opening

    Then

    • →Finish the third lobe
    • →Retie larger

  • Left as a two-lobe overhand

    Check

    • ?Pulls through the block — this is not an Ashley yet
    • ?Inspect step 03

    Then

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

  • Undersized or loose body

    Check

    • ?Pulls through the opening
    • ?Inspect step 04

    Then

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

  • Asked to join two ropes

    Check

    • ?A stopper is not a bend
    • ?Inspect step 04

    Then

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

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

This failed — start Diagnose

Why this knot

What it earns its place with, what it costs, and what to reach for instead.

Best for
Stopper knot
Not ideal for
  • A tiny stopper (figure-8 is smaller)
  • Any load-bearing join
Common mistakes
  • Pulling the slip knot's bight through from the working end, so tugging the standing part does not shrink the loop
  • Tucking the working end through the overhand instead of through the loop
  • Hauling on the standing part before the overhand is snug, which leaves two lobes on the underside instead of three
  • Trying to join two ropes with it, which a stopper knot cannot do
Alternatives
  • Figure-8 StopperBeginner

    Stopper in the end so the rope cannot pull through a block or fairlead

  • EStar StopperAdvanced

    A stopper knot for slippery rope such as Dyneema

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