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Portuguese bowline

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Portuguese bowline
CategoryLoop
RelatedSpanish bowline
Typical useBoat tow, Bosun's chair, Double anchor, Litter bridle
ABoK#1072, #1848

The Portuguese bowline (Portuguese: Nó volta do calafate), also known as the Bowline on a coil, Caulker's bowline, or Lisbon surprise, is a variant of the bowline with two loops. The two loops are adjustable in size. Rope can be pulled from one loop into the other, even after tightening. Among other applications, the knot can be used as an equalising anchor, a litter bridle or a makeshift Bosun's chair.[1] It is often regarded as one of the more important bowline variations.[2][3]

Name

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It is sometimes known as the French bowline, not to be confused with the separate French bowline, thanks to its description under that name in the 1922 book Standard Seamanship for the Merchant Service by Felix Riesenberg,[4] as Riesenberg had been taught the knot by a French sailor in the voyage he described in Under Sail.[5] The traditional name of this knot is Portuguese bowline.[6]

Tying

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It is tied in a way that is similar to regular bowlines.

  • Click on a picture to see its full-size version.
  • Make an overhand loop (loop with the working end on top).
    Make an overhand loop (loop with the working end on top).
  • Put the working end through the loop.
    Put the working end through the loop.
  • Put it through again. From here, the steps are the same as the regular bowline.
    Put it through again. From here, the steps are the same as the regular bowline.
  • Put it around the standing end and back through the loop.
    Put it around the standing end and back through the loop.

Variants

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The knot is often tied in the bight by sailors,[7] rescuers,[8][9] and others.[10][11] ABoK #1083, earlier depicted by Hjalmar Öhrvall,[12] is an example of a Portuguese bowline on a bight.[13]

Other times it is tied with a follow through,[14] that is, the knot is retraced.[15]

A No-twist variant is sometimes tied for specific applications.[16][17] Other variants involve method of tying.[18]

Uses

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Among arborists,[19] in rescue,[20][21] and other vertical professions, it is frequently used alongside knots like the equalising eight in two-point anchors.[22]

It originated as a sailing knot and is still frequently used in sailing.[23] Its most common application in sailing was to substitute for a Bosun's chair, but at the risk of suspension trauma.[5] It is still used to tow boats.[24] Similar horizontal load applications exist beyond sailing.[25]

It is used in search and rescue both to form a litter tag.[26] and in some cases the litter bridle itself.[27][28][29]

It can be used to make a hanging bike rack.[30]

Strength

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In a 2019 slop pull test, the Portuguese bowline on a bight with Yosemite finish[31] failed on an 11 mm high tenacity polyester rope at a minimum of 36.9 kN when it was pulled from its anchors into a forward facing bight, and on an 8 mm nylon cord at a minimum of 9.6 kN (only 9.1 kN without the Yosemite finish).[32]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ashley, Clifford W. (1944), The Ashley Book of Knots, New York: Doubleday, p. 193
  2. ^ Little Campfires (2020-08-01). "How to Tie a Bowline Knot (Plus Variations): Portuguese Bowline". YouTube.
  3. ^ TheTautLine (2023-09-11). "Complete Guide to the Bowline Knot and its Most Important Variants: Portuguese Bowline". YouTube.
  4. ^ Reisenberg, Felix (1936-06-06). "French bouline". Standard Seamanship for the Merchant Service (2nd ed.). pp. 86–87.
  5. ^ a b Reisenberg, Felix (1918). "Into the Pacific". Under Sail. Frenchy taught us a new way to form that "king of knots," the bowline, in which the loop is passed through the gooseneck twice, forming a double loop, a most useful knot employed in the French Navy. When a man is to be lowered over side, he sits in one of the loops and the other is passed under his arm pits, the gooseneck coming against his chest. His weight tautens the part under the arms, and it is impossible for a man to drop out of this bowline, even though he becomes unconscious.
  6. ^ Day, Cyrus Lawrence (1970). "Portuguese Bowline". The Art of Knotting & Splicing (3rd ed.). pp. 68–69. ISBN 0-87021-083-1.
  7. ^ Self-Made Sailor (2008-11-07). "Portuguese Bowline on the Bight". YouTube.
  8. ^ Redneck Rescue (2021-10-01). "Portuguese bowline with forward facing bight". YouTube.
  9. ^ Redneck Rescue (2021-10-01). "Portuguese bowline on the bight with multiple forward facing bights". YouTube.
  10. ^ CashCaveman (2023-03-01). "Portuguese Bowline with a Yosemite Finish on a Bight". YouTube.
  11. ^ Day, Cyrus Lawrence (1986). "Portuguese Bowline on the Bight". The Art of Knotting & Splicing. pp. 70–71.
  12. ^ Öhrvall, Hjalmar (1908). Om Knutar.
  13. ^ Van de Griend, Pieter (August 2008). "Hjalmar Öhrvall On Knots" (PDF). Het Knoopeknauwertje (26). ISSN 1385-4267.
  14. ^ Bernz Millan, Marc (2018-09-02). "Portuguese Follow Through Bowline". YouTube.
  15. ^ TheRopeGuide (2023-04-19). "How to tie a Retraced Portuguese Bowline". YouTube.
  16. ^ RopeGeeks (2016-06-27). "No Twist Portuguese Bowline". YouTube.
  17. ^ Bahadur Thapa, Meen (2023-05-12). "No Twist Portuguese Bowline". YouTube.
  18. ^ Sajjad (2023-10-08). "Portuguese Bowline Variant". YouTube.
  19. ^ Knotorious (2022-11-25). "Portuguese Bowline and the Re-Threaded Bowline Loop Knots for Arborists, Rock, Alpine, Rescue, etc". YouTube.
  20. ^ California Mountain Company (2021-01-05). "How to Tie a Portuguese Bowline (aka: Bowline on a Coil)". YouTube.
  21. ^ Rigging for Rescue (2023-01-17). "Portuguese bowline". YouTube.
  22. ^ Irizarry, Robert (2023-07-13). "Two-Point Anchors: Portuguese Bowline". YouTube.
  23. ^ Self-Made Sailor (2008-10-17). "Portuguese Bowline". YouTube.
  24. ^ MCFR SWRT (2024-11-27). "Portuguese Bowline For Boat Tow". YouTube.
  25. ^ AB's Knot Skills (2023-03-31). "How To Tie Portuguese Bowline Knot To An Object". YouTube.
  26. ^ California Mountain Company (2024-04-11). "Learn Your Knots: How to Tie a Portuguese Bowline". CMCPro.
  27. ^ TallTaleCabs (2012-06-03). "Bridle bowline knot, rapid extrication rescue technique". YouTube.
  28. ^ Shahriary, Ali (2014-02-20). "Stokes Bowline". YouTube.
  29. ^ JaredAndFun (2023-02-02). "One way to tie a Portuguese Bolin knot onto a Stokes basket". YouTube.
  30. ^ Knot for Lack of Tying (2020-03-25). "Portuguese Bowline Bike Rack". YouTube.
  31. ^ SoFLO TRT (2020-01-11). "Adjustable Load Sharing Bowline with a Yosemite on a Bight". YouTube.
  32. ^ Byrne, Kelly M. (2019). "Boutique Bowlines: International Technical Rescue Symposium, Albuquerque, NM 2019" (PDF). Professional Association of Climbing Instructors.

Further reading

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Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Knots/Loop knots/French Bowline
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