Usage
The Cowboy Bowline is a variation of the common Bowline loop knot and is espoused by the Dutch and German Navies and sailing clubs in some parts of Europe. There is inconclusive debate as to which form is superior, but it has been suggested that the Cowboy variant is less likely to fail when ring loaded.Warning
Verify tying technique with a skilled instructor where knot failure could cause property damage, injury, or death.History
Some hearsay suggest the Dutch Navy uses (or used) this variant of the bowline because they consider it superior since the working end is not so easily pushed back by accident. However, there is no documentation to confirm this claim, and some Dutch knot tyers outright deny it. Another piece of unverified lore is that it is called a Winter Bowline because the exposed working end on the outside would blow in the wind and prevent it from freezing to the loop on ships in the north Atlantic during winter.Also known as
- Left-hand Bowline
- Dutch Bowline
- Dutch Marine Bowline
- Winter Bowline
ABOK
- 1034.5
Structure
The structure of the Cowboy Bowline is identical to that of the Common Bowline, except the tail ends on the outside of the loop rather than inside the loop.Strength/Reliability
According to its proponents, the Cowboy Bowline is superior to the common bowline since the working end is less likely to be pushed back by accident. It is also more resistant to failure when used for ring loading applications.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 left(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 Cowboy Bowline knot.
