Tying the bowline

Loops

1. 1

   The bowline is an ancient and simple knot that forms a fixed loop at the end of a rope. Its virtues are that it is easy to tie, easy to untie even after heavy load, and structurally well-understood. It is sometimes called the king of the knots, and along with the sheet bend and the clove hitch it is one of the three knots most often singled out as essential.

2. 2

   The bowline shares structural similarity with the sheet bend; virtually every common bend has a corresponding loop knot. The bowline's main deficiencies are a tendency to work loose when not under load or under cyclic loading, to slip when pulled sideways, and to capsize in certain circumstances. To address these shortcomings, more secure variations have been developed for safety-critical use, and the standard practice when life-loading a bowline is to back it up with an overhand or double-overhand stopper tied around the standing part with the working end.