Bowline

Usage

The Bowline is used to make a fixed loop in the end of a line. It is relatively easy to untie when not under load. It is commonly used in sailing small craft, for example to fasten a halyard to the head of a sail or to tie a jib sheet to a clew of a jib. The Federal Aviation Administration recommends the Bowline knot for tying down light aircraft. The Bowline should not be used in safety critical applications such as climbing in that it can capsize and/or work itself loose.

Warning

Verify tying technique with a skilled instructor where knot failure could cause property damage, injury, or death.

History

The Bowline knot is thought to have been first mentioned in John Smith's 1691 work A Sea Grammar under the name Boling knot. However, the bowline is an ancient knot that has been in use for thousands of years. One instance of use was in the rigging of Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu's solar ship which is believed to be around 2500 years old. The ship (and the bowline) was discovered during a 1954 excavation of the Giza pyramid complex.

Also known as

• Boling Knot
• Bowling Knot
• Standing Bowline

ABOK

• 1010

Structure

The structure of the Bowline is identical to that of the Sheet Bend, except the Bowline forms a loop in one rope and the Sheet Bend joins two ropes. Also, the Canoeman Knot used in fishing is structurally the same as the Bowline but is tied differently and thus could be considered a different knot.

Strength/Reliability

Although generally considered a reliable knot, the Bowline's deficiencies are a tendency to work loose when not under load and the bight portion of the knot to capsize in certain circumstances. To address these shortcomings, a number of more secure variations of the Bowline, such as the Double Bowline and Yosemite Bowline, have been developed for use in safety-critical applications. A rope with a Bowline retains approximately 65% of its strength at the location of the knot, although in practice the exact strength depends on a variety of factors.

Note

A classic mnemonic often used for tying a Bowline knot goes like this: Make a loop (the rabbit’s hole). The rabbit comes up out of the hole, goes around the tree, and then hops back down the hole. Depending on if you go clockwise or counter-clockwise around the tree, you get either the Common Bowline or the Cowboy Bowline.

Step-by-step:

- Form the hole: Make a small loop in the rope—this represents the rabbit’s hole.

- Rabbit comes out the hole: Take the working end of the rope (the rabbit) and pass it up through that loop from underneath.

- Around the tree: Wrap the working end around the vertical standing part of the rope (this is the tree) from the right(counter-clockwise).

- Back down the hole: Finally, pass the working end back down through the original loop (the rabbit’s hole).

When you tighten it, you end up with a secure Bowline knot.