How to Tie a Bowline – A Good-to-Know Knot for All Occassions

A ManMade man is a resourceful man, and while we don’t buy into the lone-ranger-ish, solely self-reliant masculine stereotypes, we do believe that classic skills always belong in one’s repertoire.

One such skill is tying effiecient knots, those that effectively and safely attach one thing to another, hold it still while you want it there, and then are easily released when you don’t.

The quick-tie bowline knot seems to be a perfect one to learn.   

“The bowline (pronounced “boh-lin”, and pictured at top) is a knot that’s used to form a fixed loop on the end of a rope. In sailing, it’s commonly used to attach a line to the head of a sail, or has other objects passed through it. Even if you don’t know more knots than how to tie your shoelace, learntosail of Hubpages.com has a quick lesson on how to tie this useful knot. According to learntosail:

‘There are over 200 different types of bowline knots out there. But few are more secure or faster to tie than the one used in this sailing story.You can tie the quick-tie bowline blindfolded, in the dark, behind your back, or underwater. It will hold your boat in a storm and you can tie it around yourself as a safety line.’ “

Head over to Lifehacker for more about the bowline, a how-to video, and a couple other knots to grow on. ‘Cause the more you know….