Most lost fish are not lost to a weak line. They are lost to a knot that was tied too fast, pulled dry, or trimmed too short. You only need a handful of knots on a Kuwaiti boat, but you need them right. These three cover the hook, the line join, and the mooring cleat, with the common mistake in each.
Wet every knot before you pull it tight. Dry monofilament rubs against itself, heats up, and weakens right where the knot sits. Pull smoothly and steadily instead of jerking it closed, and leave at least a centimetre of tag end.
Pass the tag end through the hook eye, then wrap it around the standing line five to seven times. Bring the tag back through the small loop beside the eye, then through the big loop you just created. Wet it and slide it down to the eye in one smooth pull.
The usual mistakes are too few wraps on heavy line, a fast pull that scorches the mono, and a tag end trimmed so short it slips on the first run. Under 20 lb, five wraps is fine. Above that, go to seven.
You need this when a line breaks offshore or when you join a leader to a braided main line of a different diameter. Form a small loop with the tag, wrap the tag six to seven times around both the standing line and the loop, then pass it back through the loop and snug it down. Repeat on the second line, then pull the two knots together until they lock against each other.
The mistake is uneven, loose wraps, or tightening one side before the other. Both knots must seat evenly or one slides under load. After joining, pull hard on each line; if you feel movement, cut and redo it rather than hoping.
A mooring line has to hold under load and still come off fast. Take a full turn around the base of the cleat, then a crossing turn over the top, then a locking hitch with the tag. That is enough for a normal boat on a normal day, and it releases the moment you lift the tag.
The common mistake is piling on extra turns so the line jams, or locking it so hard you fight it while the boat drifts. Test it by hand before you step off, and use a second line if the boat stays overnight. Watch the tide too: a line set tight at low water can go slack or over-tight as the level moves.
Good knots start with good information. Check wind and sea state before you load the boat, because a fresh northerly changes whether you moor or stay home. The B7R app gives you sea state and wind, tide times for Shuwaikh and Shuaiba, and an SOS button for the day nothing goes to plan. Tie, check, and go.
Get the B7R app free on Google Play and keep your knots and the weather in one pocket: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.q8dm.b7r