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9.10

Tying a bowline

Make the small loop with the end on top, then go up through the hole, around the tree, and back down the hole.

Tying a bowline. Make a small loop with the end side on top, bring the end up through it, around behind the standing part and back down through the loop, then pull tight for a fixed loop that does not slip.
Fig. 9.10 Make a small loop with the end side on top, bring the end up through it, around behind the standing part and back down through the loop, then pull tight for a fixed loop that does not slip. Source: Animated Knots.
Area: HandsFrom age 14Time to learn: 15 minutes, plus a few practice runs over the next week

You will be able to tie a bowline from memory to make a fixed loop at the end of a rope.

SafetyDo not use a bowline for climbing, rescue or anything that holds a person's weight unless you have been trained. Animated Knots warns it is easy to tie wrong and can shake loose; climbers back it up with a safety knot. Take a course from a recognised climbing or boating organisation if you need knots for those activities.

Why it matters

The bowline makes a fixed loop that does not slip or jam under load, and it is easy to untie afterwards. Sailors use it for mooring lines; anyone can use it to tie a rope to a ring, a post or a tarp. It has two weaknesses: it can shake loose when there is no load on it, and it cannot be untied while it is under load.

How to do it

  1. Decide how big the finished loop needs to be. Allow that much rope from the end, plus about 30 cm (1 foot) for tying.
  2. In the long part of the rope (the standing part), twist a small loop so that the side leading to the end lies on top. This small loop is the 'hole'. The standing part above it is the 'tree'.
  3. Pass the end up through the small loop from underneath. (The rabbit comes out of the hole.)
  4. Take the end around behind the standing part. (Around the tree.)
  5. Bring the end back down through the small loop, alongside the way it came up. (Back down the hole.)
  6. Hold the end and the side of the big loop together in one hand. Pull the standing part with the other hand to tighten.
  7. Check it. The end should sit inside the big loop, and a neat collar should wrap the standing part. Leave a tail at least a hand's width long.
  8. To untie, push the collar forward to loosen the knot. You cannot untie a bowline while the rope is under load.

Common mistakes

  • Making the small loop with the standing part on top. The knot then falls apart when you pull on it.
  • Going around the tree the other way without meaning to. This makes a 'left-handed' bowline with the tail outside the loop. It holds, but the tail is more likely to catch on things.
  • Leaving a very short tail. An unloaded bowline can work itself loose.
  • Using it where you may need to release the rope while it is under load.
You can do this when …you can tie a bowline around a post and around your own waist without looking it up, each in under 30 seconds.

Sources

  1. Animated Knots: Bowline Knot
  2. International Guild of Knot Tyers: Sea Cadet knots

Sources and numbers last checked . How we check

Topic: Knots and bows

Go deeper

GuideHow to tie shoes that stay tiedA common reason laces come undone is a crooked granny bow. Here is how to check yours, the one change that fixes it, and how to teach it to a child.

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1Body16 lessons
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  2. 1.2Getting water out of your ear
  3. 1.3Brushing your teeth for two minutes
  4. 1.4Riding a bike
  5. 1.5Getting up off the floor without your hands
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  7. 1.7How to put in a tampon
  8. 1.8How often should you wash your hair
  9. 1.9Reading a nutrition label
  10. 1.10Sleeping with your phone outside the bedroom
  11. 1.11Doing 10 full push-ups
  12. 1.12How to stretch your hip flexors
  13. 1.13How to swaddle a newborn, and when to stop
  14. 1.14Reading a prescription label
  15. 1.15Booking a doctor's appointment and describing symptoms
  16. 1.16Knowing your blood pressure
2Mind15 lessons
  1. 2.1Staying with boredom
  2. 2.2Naming what you feel
  3. 2.3Grounding yourself after a fright
  4. 2.4Letting someone see you upset
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  10. 2.10Changing your mind when the evidence changes
  11. 2.11The 7 stages of grief, and why grief comes in waves instead
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3People17 lessons
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  2. 3.2Asking a question in front of a group
  3. 3.3Apologising properly
  4. 3.4Disagreeing without insults
  5. 3.5Writing a clear email, subject line to sign-off
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  7. 3.7What to say to someone who lost a loved one
  8. 3.8Saying no without an excuse
  9. 3.9Phoning a business
  10. 3.10How to burp a newborn
  11. 3.11Asking for consent
  12. 3.12Resigning from a job in writing
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  15. 3.15How to write an obituary
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