The King of Knots, the Bowline
The classic bowline a must-know knot for all mariners. The following video demonstrates both the basic version and multiple others. We find that we use the slipknot version shown in the video much more often than we do the basic one. How many of these variations were you familiar with and even more importantly, will you take it upon yourself to grab a piece of line and work through the ones that you didn’t know?
“The first lesson a yachtsman should learn is to join the ropes together, sailor fashion.” Vanderdecken
Notes:
- Rabbit and Tree: How most people are taught the bowline. Make sure you can do it around an object and also both facing towards you and away from you. Many people get mixed up with that.
- Slipknot. Very fast. Experience will tell you how long you need to leave the tail. This is a good method to use when you want to have it ready to go to make fast to something that will be under load (a sail, a mooring ball pennant, etc.).
- Enhanced, Double and Water: These three versions all add additional friction. A bowline is a good knot but if unloaded, it can come loose, especially when in the water. These versions lessen the chance of that happening.
- Bowline on a Bight and Portuguese Bowline: Both of these create double loops which could be improvised as a bosun’s seat. Note that the loops in the Portuguese version are not fixed. If you pull on one it will slide making the other loop smaller. This will not occur on the Bight version.
- Around your body: Good if someone throws you a line when you’re in the water. Better practice it on land first though!
Best thing I ever learned in sailing school as a kid. A bowline isn’t a knot for sailors, its a life skill. They should be teaching it in school.
🙂
Were you familiar with all of those variations?
No, just a couple of them. It was a great video, but it would be nice to suggest when you would use each, pros, cons, etc.
Still, I would watch a,video of you fixing the head with that scenic background. 🙂
Good idea:
1. Rabbit and Tree: How most people are taught the bowline. Make sure you can do it around an object and also both facing towards you and away from you. Many people get mixed up with that.
2. Slipknot. Very fast. Experience will tell you how long you need to leave the tail. This is a good method to use when you want to have it ready to go to make fast to something that will be under load (a sail, a mooring ball pennant, etc.).
3. Enhanced, Double and Water: These three versions all add additional friction. A bowline is a good knot but if unloaded, it can come loose, especially when in the water. These versions lessen the chance of that happening.
4. Bowline on a Bight and Portuguese Bowline: Both of these create double loops which could be improvised as a bosun’s seat. Note that the loops in the Portuguese version are not fixed. If you pull on one it will slide making the other loop smaller. This will not occur on the Bight version.
5. Around your body: Good if someone throws you a line when you’re in the water. Better practice it on land first though! 🙂
AMEN BRUCE! I agree. I learned some knot tying in scouts as a kid and from my Dad, but I agree, they should teach this is school. Mike thanks for so many versions of the bowline, I know the regular one, and have done some of my own variations that ended up being something like the enhanced one, but I really liked the double and the bowline on a bight, only seen them done briefly, but never learned it. I am bookmarking this page! Never enough knots!
Very cool Mike, and loved the soundtrack, knotty.
🙂
Thanks for sharing! Any others you recommend?
Any other knots or other versions of the Bowline?
One more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_bowline
Also a good finish for figure-8 on a bight.
Another bowline, while talking climbing varients: Bowline on a coil.
http://wildernessarena.com/skills/climbing-skills/bowline-on-a-coil
When I learned to climb this was just as common as a harness. Often cvlimbers would show up at the local practice crag with nothing but their rock shoes and a chalk bag.
Cool website too.
Thanks Mike, This is what I call ‘Real Information Sharing’……Great Post!
You’re welcome, Jay.
Any other knots that you use on your boat.
Check this post:
http://www.zerotocruising.com/our-daily-knots/