Simple knot used to form a fixed loop at the end of a rope
For the UK submarine emergency response test program, see Exercise Bowline.
Bowline
Names
Bowline, boling knot (archaic)
Category
Loop
Origin
Ancient
Related
Sheet bend, double bowline, water bowline, Yosemite bowline, Spanish bowline, Portuguese bowline, triple bowline, bowline on a bight, running bowline, poldo tackle, Eskimo bowline, cowboy bowline, Cossack knot, Kalmyk loop
Releasing
Non-jamming[1]
Typical use
Making a fixed loop in the end of a line
Caveat
While widely considered a reliable knot, when tied in certain materials or loading conditions it may not hold. Tends to work itself loose when not under tension.
ABoK
#1010, #1716
Instructions
[1]
The bowline (/ˈboʊlɪn/ or /ˈboʊlaɪn/)[2] is an ancient and simple knot used to form a fixed loop at the end of a rope. It has the virtues of being both easy to tie and untie; most notably, it is easy to untie after being subjected to a load. The bowline is sometimes referred to as king of the knots because of its importance. Along with the sheet bend and the clove hitch, the bowline is often considered one of the most essential knots.[3]
The common bowline shares some structural similarity with the sheet bend. Virtually all end-to-end joining knots (i.e., bends) have a corresponding loop knot.
Although the bowline is generally considered a reliable knot, its main deficiencies are a tendency to work loose when not under load (or under cyclic loading),[4][5] to slip when pulled sideways,[6] and the bight portion of the knot to capsize in certain circumstances.[7] To address these shortcomings, a number of more secure variations of the bowline have been developed for use in safety-critical applications, or by securing the knot with an overhand knot backup.
^"Bowline Knot".
^Random House Dictionary
^Cassidy 1985, The Klutz Book of Knots
^Jan Simon; Vladimir Dekys; P. Palček (2019-11-15). "Revision of Commonly Used Loop Knots Efficiencies". ResearchGate. pp. 413–414. Retrieved 2022-09-17. stopper knot is mandatory … tends to spontaneously loosen under cyclic loading … is not recommended to use this knot in life-critical applications
^Gommers, Mark (14 Jan 2021). "AN ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURE OF 'BOWLINES'" (3.0 ed.). p. 58. This form of the Simple Bowline is resistant to ring loading but is still not suitable for mission critical applications.
^"How safe is the bowline knot in different situations?". The Great Outdoors. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
The bowline (/ˈboʊlɪn/ or /ˈboʊlaɪn/) is an ancient and simple knot used to form a fixed loop at the end of a rope. It has the virtues of being both easy...
The bowline on a bight is a knot which makes a pair of fixed-size loops in the middle of a rope. Its advantage is that it is reasonably easy to untie...
The running bowline is a knot consisting of a bowline looped around its own standing end to create a noose. The running bowline is strong and secure....
The Eskimo bowline, Cossack knot (Russian: Казачий узел), reverse bowline, or 'anti-bowline' is in a class of knots known as 'eye knots' or 'loop knots'...
A double bowline (or round turn bowline) is a type of loop knot. Instead of the single turn of the regular bowline, the double bowline uses a round turn...
double bowline, the water bowline is formed with a clove hitch as the loop in the standing part of the rope. This is similar to the double bowline, which...
The cowboy bowline or left-hand bowline, is a variation of the bowline loop knot. The cowboy bowline has the working end go around the standing part on...
The triple bowline knot is a variation of the bowline knot. The knot can be applied to emergency situations, such as mountain rescue. The name comes from...
A Yosemite bowline is a loop knot often perceived as having better security than a bowline. If the knot is not dressed correctly, it can potentially collapse...
Some consider that a French bowline is the same as a Portuguese bowline, i.e. a bowline with two loops that can be used as a bosun's chair. A different...
corners Bowline – forms a fixed loop at the end of a rope Boling knot (archaic term for the Bowline) – forms a fixed loop at the end of a rope Bowline bend [fr]...
USS Tom Bowline was a schooner that the United States Navy used as a storeship during the War of 1812. The Navy sold her c.1818. The Navy purchased Tom...
The Portuguese bowline (Portuguese: Nó volta do calafate; also known as the French bowline and Lisbon surprise) is a variant of the bowline with two loops...
hitch, bowline, reef knot (square knot), round turn and two half-hitches, and sheepshank. The sheet bend is related in structure to the bowline; like the...
The Spanish bowline is a double loop knot that can be used to lift a person. For a conscious person, each loop is placed around a leg and the person holds...
Bowline knot. Passing through in the opposite direction will give you the Cowboy bowline (also known as the left-hand bowline, Dutch marine bowline or...
double bowline is more complicated than the Figure Eight and partner checks are harder to verify. ... single bowline is not safe while the double bowline is...
known variant of the Bowline on a bight per the International Guild of Knot Tyers, referred to as bowline twist or twisted collar bowline on a bight. The knot...
This loop could be formed at the end of a line with a knot, such as the bowline, or a large eye splice. List of knots List of hitch knots Ashley, Clifford...
four lines distributed across two points, in which case a double bowline or water bowline should be used as the security knot.[citation needed] List of knots...
an eyehook. The tightened knot looks like a cow hitch. A cow hitch and bowline can achieve the same effect and are called a "cow hitch hoist". The barrel...
common. The Lapp knot is closely related to the sheet bend, the bowline and the Eskimo bowline. They all share the same core structure, but differ in how the...
unused in the West, but common in Russia and often used instead of the bowline. The knot is named after the Kalmyks, a nomad ethnicity in Russia. It is...
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