Description
The Slipped Bowline is tied exactly like the Bowline except that the final tuck is made with a bight rather than the working end. The result is a fixed loop with a draw loop extending from the knot. A pull on the working end withdraws the bight and the knot falls apart, which makes it useful wherever a loop has to be cast off in a hurry or untied over and over. The same draw loop is its main limitation. Anything that catches the tail can spill the knot without warning, so the Slipped Bowline is not used where a failure would matter.
Structure
The Slipped Bowline is a Bowline finished with a bight in place of the working end. The collar, the turn in the standing part and the loop itself are unchanged, so the loaded parts of the knot behave as they do in the parent knot.
Strength/Reliability
The Slipped Bowline holds as the Bowline does, and it shares the same tendency to work loose when the loop is repeatedly slackened and shaken. The draw loop adds a second way for the knot to come undone, since a snagged or inadvertent pull of the tail releases it. Where security matters more than speed, the plain Bowline or a locked variant such as the Yosemite Bowline is the better choice.
Warning
Verify tying technique with a skilled instructor where knot failure could cause property damage, injury, or death.
Common Uses
- moor a small boat so the line can be cast off quickly.
- tie a loop that has to be untied again with cold or gloved hands.
- hang a fender or bucket over the side where the line is untied often.
- make a loop that will still open easily after it has been loaded hard.
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