How do you keep the end of each Genoa sheet from running back through the sheet  blocks? When you first learn to sail, you will often tie a figure-eight knot in the bitter end of your Genoa or jib sheet.

The figure-eight makes a good knot, but it has a nasty habit of untying in high winds. And that means you can lose the Genoa sheet through a block. Which means a trip forward to recover a sheet flailing around the deck like a scared serpent.

The sailing stopper knot makes a worthy substitute for any figure-eight knot. It’s easy to tie, secure, and holds together, even in the toughest sailing weather. Use these five simple steps to tie the sailing stopper knot.

1. Make     Two Turns Over Your Hand

Hold your non-dominant hand at chest height, with the palm in a vertical position and the fingertips together. Point your fingertips in a direction across your chest. Lift your thumb up off your fingers. With your dominant hand, wrap the Genoa sheet two times over your palm. Start at the crook between your thumb and fingers. Work toward the tips of your fingers.

2. Cross the Bitter End Over the Turns

Grab 6″” to 9″ of the bitter end of the Genoa sheet. Pass it over the two turns toward your thumb. Keep the line over the middle of your open palm as you make this pass.

3. Tuck the End Under the Turns

Thread the bitter end of the sheet beneath the turns in your palm. Grasp the bitter end and pull it through the turns back toward your finger tips.

4. Thread the Bitter End Through the Turns

Slip the knot over your fingertips and off your palm. Hold the bitter end in one hand and the standing part of the sheet in the other.

5. Cinch Up the Knot to Make it Compact

Pull in an outward direction on the bitter end and standing part. Next, hold the bulk of the knot with one hand and pull with the other. Do this on each side of the knot.  Tighten the sheet stopper knot into a compact ball. This prevents it from coming undone when the sheets bounce around in a stiff breeze.

Learn to sail better when you pick the sailing stopper knot as your marine knot of choice for the ends of your Genoa or jib sheets. It will reward you with a triple dose of strength, compactness, and reliability in all sailing weather– wherever in the world you desire to go sailing.