KnotBoards, Etc. products are aids to sailing instructors as they teach a new generation of sailors. The Magnetic Boats help instructors to explain the rules of the road, the points of sailing, and starting line and racing tactics. They also are a useful tool for Race Committees as they hear protests and resolve them after recreating racing situations and conditions with the boats on a magnetic board. Our Racing Ladders enable coaches and students to track sailors' positions throughout the racing season, and the Opti Trophies are an appropriate and memorable keepsake for the winners of those coveted and hard-earned summer trophies.

Often the safety of a ship and crew depends on whether a knot is tied correctly. There are different knots for every task, ranging from the simple figure eight to the most complicated Turk's head. At KnotBoards, Etc. we know that learning how to tie knots correctly is essential to boating safety. Skilled sailors take pride in their ability to choose the right knot for the critical task at hand and to tie that knot correctly. Our custom knotboards are a useful and necessary training tool. They clearlydisplay the commonly used knots and provide an opportunity for student sailors to learn as they practice on line provided right at the board.

As the Commodore of the Sakonnet Yacht Club in Little Compton, RI, Howard Garsh made a knot board, a racing ladder, a magnetic boat set, and a pair of Opti Trophies for his club's junior sailing program. Recently retired from a life spent largely working behind a desk, Howard handcrafts each of the products of KnotBoards, Etc.

	How to tie a figure eight knot TYING A FIGURE EIGHT KNOT Best known as a stopper knot, the figure eight knot at the end of a line keeps it from running out of a block, grommet or other opening such as the one in the deck for the anchor line. It is also used to temporarily keep a line from unraveling. It is easy to untie. Always shape the knot and tighten it firmly.