Cleat Hitch

The cleat hitch secures a mooring or halyard line to a horn cleat: a round turn around the base, then figure-eight turns across the horns, finished with a single locking hitch. It holds a heavy mooring load yet casts off under load by lifting the last turn, which is why it is the standard for dock lines. Over-locking with multiple hitches is a fault: it can jam and cannot be released quickly in an emergency.