Page 26 - The New Encyclopedia of Knots

Form a bight and use this doubled rope to follow the instructions for a bowline (see page 21) up to
figure 14.1. Now instead of taking the end of the bight around the standing part, pull enough of the

bight through the top bight (figure 15.1), separate it so that you can pull it down over the two lower
bights (figure 15.2) then take it up to the back of the knot to a position around the standing parts
(figure 15.3) and pull it tight. You now have a strong loop in the middle of a line, although its ends
were not available to you.

figure 15.2

figure 15.3

Bowline bend: a simple yet secure way of joining any two lines together, consisting of two
interlocking bowlines.

Bowse down: to draw tight a line by means of a purchase.