Bowline
Go To: Sailing - Knots
Posted on 06 January 2008 15:38
A bowline is one of the most useful knots used for sailing.
It is commonly used for attaching ropes to items such as beckets (a small bar to attach a rope to) on pulley blocks, sails through eyeholes, and other fittings. It can also be put in the end of a piece of rope to create a handle.
Start with a length of rope, as in picture 1. Make a loop in it (picture 2), with the working end on top or in front of the standing end of the rope.
Picture 1
Picture 2
Pass the working end back around and underneath through the loop (picture 3), forming the main loop of the knot. Then, pass the working end around the back of the standing end, from bottom to top (picture 4), and back through the first loop (picture 5).
Picture 3
Picture 4
Pull on the working end and loop and the standing end, to close the first loop up into the knot (picture 6).
Picture 5
Picture 6