Page 6 - Mark Gommers "Bowlines Analysis
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What is a Bowline?
As I write this paper, it is February 2016 – and a precise definition of a Bowline has still
eluded some great knotting minds. In Captain John Smith’s 1627 work; ‘A Seaman's
Grammar’ – he wrote (chapter V at page 25):
“The Boling Knot is so firmely made and fastened by the bridles in the creengles of the
sailes, they will breake, or the sail split before it will slip”.
At #1010 (Ashley Book of Knots - page 186) Clifford Ashley commented that;
… the name is derived from bow line, a rope that holds the weather leech of a square sail
forward and prevents the sail from being taken aback. As the line or rope that provided the
knot is no longer in use, the Bowline knot is nowadays very apt to be termed merely the
‘Bowline’, the word ‘knot’ being dropped.
We do know for certain that the image at below left is – without doubt – a ‘Bowline’. This
author is not aware of anyone who would disagree. But, what about the 2 knot structures at
below right? Are they deserving of the title ‘Bowline’? There are several more such knots –
and there are more questions than there are answers. This paper attempts to classify
Bowlines according to the structure of their ‘nipping loop’– as an example; the standard
#1010 Bowline is based on a single helix nipping loop.
And many people –
including some great
knotting minds – might
#1010 standard Bowline scratch their heads when
(based on a single helix
nipping loop) confronted with these knots!
Page 5 of 59 Bowline Analysis Version 2.7a 16 July 2016 © Copyright Mark Gommers