Page 116 - Adlard Coles "The Knot Bible"

LOOPS

Tucked bowline
KNOT SCORE
Despite all the eulogies to the bowline (page 112), not everyone loves it. Strength
Captain Alfred Henry Alston was a dissenter and in 1871 claimed that, Security
‘With a heavy strain a bowline knot often capsizes.’ He devised this Diffi culty Tying
Diffi culty Untying
variation to make the knot more secure, and it’s certainly worth getting
Usefulness
into the habit of tying it this way when using modern ropes.

1 Make your loop using either the 2 Pass the working end through the 3 Pass the working end around the
rabbit-around-the-tree method (page loop, around the standing part and nearest leg of the loop and tuck it
112) or the fast method (opposite). back through the loop, to make your back under itself, as shown.
classic bowline.

Seized bowline

Belts and braces never hurt
anyone, and if adding a seizing
means you sleep better at night,
then it’s worth doing. This can
be done either with a tucked
bowline (as shown) or the
regular version of the knot.

KNOT SCORE
Tie a bowline, then fasten the end
Strength
4 Tighten the knot by pulling the to the standing part with either a
Security
end and the standing part in the knot (eg constrictor knot, page 38)
Diffi culty Tying
opposite direction from the loop. or a proper seizing (page 254).
Diffi culty Untying
Usefulness

115