Flying Bowline

[Guest]

In July's YM a reader described how to tie a "Tugboat" or Flying bowline. I can't understand the directions given. YM says Simon Jinks showed the YM team how to do it and it really only takes a couple of seconds. Can anyone explain it?

 

[Mfc1955]

I would also like a pound for every time I tried to tie that knot!!!! I am in the same league of persons who would appreciate the easier explanation, if there is one???

 

[SloopJohnB]

Piece of cake!
I predict you will get at least 6 different descriptions and may end up just as confused.
Anyway, here’s my attempt at explanation, being the way I do it This is for right handed people.
(I cant remember difference between “standing end” etc so I need to use my own words).

Lay rope across both open palms face up, with most of the rope to your right . Short bit across left palm.
Adjust distance between hands to be about twice size of bowline you need.
Close right hand (with fingers across rope) and twist over so that back of hand faces upwards.
Then pull rope through with right fingers and you will find you are holding a loop in your right fingers.
Thread end of rope in left hand around then into loop so that its pointing back to your left and take that end of rope back in left fingers and hold it. Pull tight on rope to your right.
Hey presto!
I can tie it in literally 4 seconds (just timed it!)
Any good?

 

[Miker]

I give up. But then a am left handed.

 

[philip_stevens]

Is this a bowline on a bight, or how to tie a bowline in the time it takes to jump off a deck of a ship and land in the water.

The last explanation has left me totally "knotted", and I used to tie all sorts of knots when I was in the CG cliff team.

How about an explanation of how to tie a bowline to make a temporary lifting harness. I know how to do it, as I had to show the cliff team I was in, ........... but can anyone do it?

regards,
Philip

 

[peterk]

hi,
I used to tie my 'flying bowline' in between 2 and 2 1/2 seconds.

but it would surely take more than 2 1/2 hours to explain it to you via e-mail.
It is easier to tie in larger diameter line, say from 5/8 (16mm) on up

peter, www.juprowa.com/kittel

 

[johmal]

OK - I am tryinig to rember

The rule is up the hole - round the tree and down the hole!

You have to make a loop to start with.

This is the break or make of the knot!

Get a length of rope.

With your left hand grab it with your palm facing up.

Grab the same length of rope further down - with your right hand - but this time palm down.

This is the clever bit - making the hole:

Move your right hand towards you left hand - so that your knuckles and thumbs are together. Grab the coil in your left hand. You have the hole!

Now it's up the hole (i.e from the floor) and round the tree and back down the hole.

Give it a good tug. If you get it wrong - the whole thing falls apart!

John M

 

[poter]

Yes one handed, it takes a bit of practice and you have to have some pull on the running part, we used to do it for diving to tie to a buddy in murky water.
It is very easy after a time and involves holding one end while the other is looped around your body, then taking the working end in your hand and passing across to the other part with your palm up, and twisting your palm around the rope to form a loop. then taking the rope in your hand and passing it around outside the loop and pull through. Easy one bowline around your bod.

Ermmmm..... not a good explanation but it does work.

poter

 

[philip_stevens]

Yes, that is the way I was taught to do it by an old instructor when I first joined the RN.

Bowline in/on a bight will put the same bowline anywhere within a length of rope, by putting a loop in the length.

The other bowline will put two loops in the "bight" to use as an emergency lifting strop togo around the chest and under the backside.

regards,
Philip

 

[poter]

Interesting that!
It was also taught to me by an ex RN diving instructor.

I wonder if the RN have a book on how to tie knots????


poter.

 

[Miker]

Yes. That's the one I know but is it a flying bowline? The trick is to have the trunk of the tree behind the hole and not growing out of the hole, if you see what I mean.

 

[ruthhobson]

I am so glad that someone else couldn't do it!! I feel much better now.

Ruth

 

[COG]

Hi all

I can remember doing these knots when in the scouts ( a long time ago now ) I do remember that the "snake had to come up through the hole and round the tree and back down again )

As some one once said a picture is worth a thousand words !!!! ( not sure about the Flying bit )

http://www.realknots.com/knots/sloops.htm

COG

 

[schilde]

No, I can't follow that.

But I can tie a bowline the ordinary way!
Steve

 

[schilde]

Nope, I can't understand that either.

Anyway, what's the point of it "flying" isn't it supposed to have some advantage and be different to a normal one? I can tie an ordinary bowline in a couple of seconds the way Ken taught me (RN officer).

Also if you havn't got an end try a figure 8 knot on the bight, what's wrong with that?

Steve

 

[Guest]

BOWLINE IN A BIGHT is the correct term for the 'lifting-harness' style.

Made in the rope WITHOUT access to ends !

Take bight of rope and pass it through the hole made by the standing part, but now instead of passinbg it around the standing part and back through the hole, we actually pass the first bight OVER the loop formed in the standing part and pull back to set the knot.

Now you have two loops capable of carrying a mans weight equal size formed out of the bowline knot..... if made correctly !!!!!

Normal time to make with a 1 inch rope ..... about 10 secs

 

[Robin2]

Can somebody say if this is another way to tie a bowline or is it a different knot with some extra properties? I did not see the magazine article.

I know how to tie a bowline without the need for rabbits and trees.

 

[Cutter]

There is a good taught way of tying this illustrated at following site:
You may need an appropriate viewer

At last I can tie it now!!

www.saddleback.cc.ca.us/faculty/mhowe/

 

[Robin2]

This is a good site. I now see that the flying bowline is what I have been using. Why does it have a special name - the end result is a normal bowline. It is so much simpler than rabbits and trees - why does the commentary mention them.

I reckon this is how the bowline was invented.