Sailing and Camping

Did you know that how you start the bowline makes the difference as to whether this marine knots king stays put--or comes undone? Practice these five easy steps to tie this knot the right way every time!

Slide up to a pier or slip and you might need to pass a bowline around the piling fast. Take too long to tie the knot and you could end up leaning way over the side. Get the sequence for the bowline knot right, and you will tie it faster and smoother. Follow these five steps to success:

1. Use Enough Line

Coil the line and hold it in your non-dominant hand. Split the coil and hold at least six feet in your dominant hand. As soon as you are near the piling, drape the line in your dominant hand around the piling and pull it back toward you.

2. Make a Loop on Top

Extend the second and third fingers of your dominant hand. Place your extended fingers on the bottom of the standing part of the line (in your non-dominant hand). Keep just a bit of tension of the standing part for now.

3. Wrap 'n Roll

Wrap the standing part of the line around your extended fingers. Roll your dominant hand over toward the standing part so that your extended fingers point down. This creates a loop on top of the standing part.

4. Pass the Bitter End

Pull your fingers out of the loop. Hold the loop steady in your non-dominant hand. Thread the end under and up through the loop. Next, pass it beneath and around the standing part, and then up and back through the loop to form the bowline knot.

5. Remove the Slack

Pull the bitter end and the standing part in opposite directions to remove the slack. If you've done things right, you should have at least 4" to 6" of bitter end left over after you finish the knot. The bowline needs this extra line on the end in case you need to make adjustments later on.

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Use these five easy steps to tie the king of marine knots faster and easier than ever before. This powerful bowline knot will give you peace-of-mind that your small cruising boat will stay safe and secure in any type of marine weather.