Page 152 - Buck Tilton - Outward Bound Ropes, Knots, and Hitches 2 ed.

Take the working end around behind the standing

part and back down through the loop. Pull slowly
on the standing part to form the knot—but do not
tighten the knot.

The bowline is one of the best known and most widely used
of all knots. It creates a fixed loop that does not slip or jam.

It is, however, far from being a secure knot. It can be shaken
loose when unloaded, and it has been known to capsize
(deform) when overloaded. It is, therefore, best backed up

with a stopper (see the final photograph). But even while
loaded, this knot can be untied by pushing up on the bight

that surrounds the standing part. When a loop simply has to
be untied later, the bowline is a great choice. The bowline,

however, reduces the strength of a line or cord by as much
as 40 percent.

Originally the bowline was used to secure a ship’s square
sail forward and closer to the wind. It was mentioned in The
Sea-man’s Dictionary of 1644. It is useful in jobs big and

small, from securing string before tying a package to
securing a gear bag to be hauled up a cliff by climbers. The

size of the loop, from very small to very large, is determined
by the tyer. More trustworthy variations of the bowline, such

as the double bowline (see page 56) and the triple bowline
(see page 58), are also covered in this book.