Page 113 - Adlard Coles "The Knot Bible"

Bowline

It’s known as the King of Knots, and for at least 500 years the bowline has KNOT SCORE
been the indisputable loop of choice for sailors. Secure, strong and easy to Strength
untie, it seems to have everything going for it. Its reign is under threat, Security
however, not from modern sailing techniques or a newly invented knot, Diffi culty Tying
but from modern ropes. So slippery are some high-tech materials, that Diffi culty Untying
Usefulness
even the mighty bowline is struggling to hang on to them.

‘The devil himself would make a also, thanks to an inbuilt breaking split before it will slip.’ That said,
good sailor, if he could only tie a mechanism (see opposite), there are occasions when a bowline
bowline and look aloft.’ guaranteed to come undone when will slip – particularly when using
So iconic is the bowline, it’s required. For many sailors it’s the modern ropes, which are far more
become instantly associated with only loop they’ll ever use. slippery than their traditional
sailors and the sea. Even the most The knot was originally used to counterparts. Even the later, more
land-bound landlubber knows that attach the ‘bow line’ of a square sail secure versions of the knot (pages
sailors drink rum and tie bowlines. to prevent it being taken aback, ie 115–116) may not prove adequate for

And the reputation of the so-called being filled by wind on the wrong these materials. In some cases, such
‘king of knots’ is not underserved. side of the sail. It was then known as Dyneema and Spectra, the only
Unlike the clove hitch (page 32), as the bowline knot, or even the sensible option is to splice the rope
which has become ubiquitous bowling or boling knot. (page 274).
despite being fundamentally fl awed, As far back as 1627, Captain John It’s just possible that, after at least
the bowline really is as good as they Smith wrote in A Seaman’s Grammar 500 years of rule, the king of knots is

say it is. Granted, it’s not perfect, & Dictionary: ‘The Boling knot is also finally being eclipsed. Who its

and in some circumstances it can so firmely made and fastened by the successor will be is currently being
slip or ‘capsize’. But tied correctly, bridles into the creengles of the decided on wind-swept decks around
it’s not only strong and secure but sailes, they will breake, or the saile the world.

1 Put an overhand loop near the end 2 Pass the working end through the 3 Pass the working end around the
of the line. (Using the rabbit-around- loop. (This is the rabbit coming out standing part. (Now the rabbit is
the-tree analogy, this is the rabbit of its hole.) running around the tree.)
hole and the standing part is the tree.)

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