Part 4 – Bowline-on-a-Bight and Fisherman’s Knot

 If you’ve ever tied a loop in the middle of a rope, chances are that you used an overhand knot, as shown in photo A.  If you put a high load on this loop, you probably had a tough job untying the loop, or maybe it’s still in your rope.  If you wanted it to be easier to undo, you may have used a figure-8 as shown in photo B. 

 A bowline-on-a-bight represents a more secure and an easier to undo knot for this application.

 Step 1.  Double the rope over, making a bight and start the bowline by making the loop.

Step 2.  Pass the bight through the loop.

Step 3.  Spread the bight open and bend it backward.

 Step 4.  Loop the bight back over and around the complete knot.

 Step 5.  Straighten out the bight.

 Step 6.  Tighten the knot.

Last month I described how to join 2 ropes using a two bowlines.  This is my preferred way of doing it.  Another simpler way to join two ropes is the fisherman’s knot.

Step 1.  Lay the two ropes side by side and tie an overhand knot with each rope around the other as shown in photo 8.

Step 2. Tighten the knots and pull the knots together as shown in photo 9.

Step 3.  To make the knot more secure, tie a second overhand knot around each rope as shown in photo 10.

That’s all for ‘Get Knotted!’.  The knots we’ve learnt should serve you well in most situations. 

If you want to learn how to splice ropes, ask me to show you one day. 

Greg Conlon

Last Modified Tuesday, 18 March 2008
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