Tie a Sailors' Bowline

The Bowline [pronounced Bo-LIN], is referred to as the King of Knots. It is commonly used in sailing because it can withstand enormous loads and still easily come apart after use, even when wet. Despite how easily it comes apart, the knot will not slip or jam when in use. Follow the steps below to tie the knot both one-handed and through an enclosed object, where using the "Cub Scout" bunny method is more challenging.

Steps

  1. Understand the Uses of a Bowline
    • On a vessel, the bowline is commonly used to hold sails, to temporarily dock, and as a simple, secure hold for fenders.
    • The one-handed bowline is often taught as a "rescue knot" to be tied by a sailor in the water, with the line being pulled from the boat. This can be tied under load, but one hand is used to take load off of the working end. "One handed" simply means that only one hand is actively tying the knot.

One-handed

  1. Grab the standing line in your left hand. This is to remove the load created by the standing end.
    • Your pinky should be facing away from you
    • If your hand is bent perpendicular to the direction of the line, the load will be reduced from the area where you are working.
  2. Hold the working end of the line in your right hand.
    • Your palm should be facing down, and the working line should rest on the small of your back.
  3. Cross your right hand in front of your body, over the line going around your body to the left.
  4. Twist your right hand down under the line and towards you
    • The line should form a loop around your wrist
  5. Pass the working end under the line in your left hand, and grab it above the loop on the other side.
  6. Pull the line through the loop on your wrist
    • Pulling on the line that went in to the loop and pulling will tighten the knot
  7. Finished knot
    • The knot should end with the tail on the inside of the loop.

Through or Around an Object

  1. Thread the working end of your line through the hole
  2. Cross the working end of the line over the standing end
  3. Pinch both the lines in the crossed section together
  4. Twist the line to create a loop in the standing section
    • The working end should move freely through the loop at this point
    • The loop should have the "over" part of the loop coming back to the working end. If this is not the case, it is backwards.
  5. Cross the working end under the line going into the loop
  6. Grab the working end and pull it through the loop
  7. Tighten the knot
    • Pinch both parts of the working end that went through the loop in your right hand, and the standing end in your left hand, pull until tight

Tips

  • If learning to tie the knot through something is difficult, practice tying it around yourself. The motions are all the same, just on a different scale.
  • This line cannot be tied if the "working end" that is tying the knot is under load.
  • For an added challenge when tying a bowline one-handed, have a friend tug on the standing end, like they threw you a line to rescue you.
  • Tied properly, this knot will easily come apart even after being used with loads over 4500# (20kN) and when wet.

Warnings

  • This knot is designed to come apart when not under load. If you are not using a consistent load with this knot, find a different knot
  • You cannot untie the knot if the knot is under load
  • If the starting loop is done facing the other direction, the knot is known as an "Eskimos Bowline", which should not be used for sailing as it has a tendency to slip

Things You'll Need

  • Rope: about 6 feet (2m)
  • Metal Ring or Post to tie around

References

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