The maritime art of knot-tying is making a comeback in Campbell River thanks to one dedicated local knot expert.
“I did it for a long time, but for a long time, no one wanted to know about it. All of a sudden, there’s a lineup to take courses.”
Ruedi Pletscher, knot expert
Ruedi Pletscher began tying knots when he was a boy boating with his father on the Rhine River in Switzerland. He has been tying them ever since. Now a Campbell River resident, he is reviving knot-tying for practical and artistic uses and is conducting sold-out workshops at the local Maritime Heritage Centre.
The retired aircraft maintenance engineer has travelled from the Maldives to Indonesia and has always been a sailboat enthusiast, learning knots from all over the world in his travels.
“I did it for a long time, but for a long time, no one wanted to know about it. All of a sudden, there’s a lineup to take courses,” he told West Coast Now. Apparently, his lifelong passion has not been all for naught.
“I would like to call it art, but I don’t know if that’s agreeable to the art world.”
Ruedi Pletscher
The Maritime Heritage Centre recently approached him to do a course in knot-tying, and the response was overwhelming. “Within two days, 80 people applied. So I went, whoa! Let’s do two courses,” he said.
![Ruedi shares his expertise in knot-tying with aspiring fishermen at the BC Young Fishermen's Network conference, demonstrating the importance of this timeless skill in the maritime industry.](https://westcoastnow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ruedi_demo-1024x576.jpg)
The elaborate knots – some of which are as strong as steel cable – are an impressive craft. “I would like to call it art, but I don’t know if that’s agreeable to the art world,” Pletscher told us, laughing.
“The two-strand diamond knot is my signature knot. If I go visit my friend’s dock, I tie the knot, and they will know I was there.”
Ruedi Pletscher
“My style, I make a ‘knot picture’ like a diagram. It’s not art like paintings. This is more an installation. It has a frame, and then inside it has sample knots, with a pin rail on the bottom to practically tie them,” he explained.
![Get hands-on with knot-tying at the Maritime Heritage Centre's interactive Activity Knot Board created by Ruedi.](https://westcoastnow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ruedi_knotboard-1024x576.jpg)
Does he have a favourite knot? “The two-strand diamond knot is my signature knot. If I go visit my friend’s dock, I tie the knot, and they will know I was there,” he said.
It’s not just knots that appeal to Pletscher. He also makes rope and has invented his own rope-making machine that he was recently demonstrating at the BC Young Fishermen’s Network conference.
![Join Ruedi Pletscher on a journey into the intricacies of rope-making, where his vast knowledge, experience, and technical skill are evident in his innovative homemade machine that makes the process faster, easier, and more efficient, all while maintaining the traditional beauty and artistry of the craft.](https://westcoastnow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ruedi_rope-1024x576.jpg)
Besides the obvious practical uses of knots, he encourages knot-tying in old age to keep the brain sharp: “I have a knot called the Alzheimer’s knot. I tie it every month or two to practise.”
If you want to learn more about the art of knot-tying, you can visit the Maritime Heritage Centre’s site to see upcoming workshops. Two Intro to Practical Knot-Tying courses are planned in May, but hurry because one is already sold out.