How to tie a bowline
The orange arrow shows the movement to the next step. The yellow and blue lines tell the two lines apart. The last image shows the finished knot.
Step 1 Make a small loop in the standing part. Let the working end form the large loop you want.
Step 2 Pass the end up through the small loop and behind the standing part.
Step 3 Pass the end back down through the same small loop. Hold the end and the side of the large loop together; pull on the standing part to form the knot.
Strengths and limitations
The loop doesn't tighten. The knot can work loose as it alternates between slack and loaded.
Leave a generous tail, dress the knot carefully and check it before loading. Not a rescue knot.
Practise with a loose line on land. Never use these practice knots for climbing or personal safety.
Frequently asked questions
Is a bowline secure when not under load?
It can work loose when the line goes slack. Check it, and choose a different attachment where coming loose would be dangerous.
Sources
Practise more knots
Figure-eight knot
A stopper knot that prevents the line from running through a fitting.
Two half hitches
Secures a line around a post or ring under steady load.
Reef knot
Ties two ends together around a bundle or a furled sail.
Sheet bend
Joins two lines, especially when they are of different thickness.
Bollard hitch
Mooring around a bollard with a round turn and two half hitches.
Slipped bowline
A temporary, quick-release hitch with a pull-out bight.
Cleating
Makes a line fast to a cleat.