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Line and Rigging

How to Tie A Bowline

The way my Dad tought me
By Allen Edwards


Overview

There are lots of ways to tie a bowline. I think this is the quickest, fastest, easiest to do and remember of all the ways. I learned this when I was a kid from my dad. He probably learned it in the navy in WW II, not sure. But I do know he was a sailor and knew how to tie a bowline fast.

5 easy steps

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First, tie a single half hitch
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Pull on the working end and collapse the half hitch so that the working end is straight and the what was the knot is now a loop
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Pass the working end around the standing end
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Pass the working end down into the loop. The only trick is to make sure you went around the standing end so that you are entering the "inside" of the loop. Otherwse you will be making a left hand bowline, which is almost as strong so not a huge error if you happen to go around the wrong direction.
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Tighten up the knot.

How to Tie a Bowline Video



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