How to Tie a Bowline on the Bight

A bowline on the bight is a double loop variation of the bowline. It is described in Ashley’s Book of Knots as knot No. 1,080. It is a fairly secure knot and is easy to untie even after it has been under tension.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Form a very long bight of rope, usually several feet for most applications. Form an overhand loop A with the bight such that the loop is on the right side of the lengths of rope.

2. Bring the bight up through the loop formed in Step 1 from below. Allow sufficient slack in the doubled length of rope to ensure the resulting loop B will be the desired size.

3. Pull the bight down and slip loop B through it. Continue bringing the bight all the way up until it is above loop A. Dress the knot and tighten the bight against loop A.

4. Tie a bowline on the bight in the middle of a rope without needing access to either end. However, one disadvantage of this technique is that you will be unable to pass the end of the rope around an object.

5. Observe that the two large loops thus produced may be used in rescue situations. A conscious person would put each leg through one of the loops while holding on to the double length of rope, allowing them to be raised or lowered. The load on the two loops should remain approximately parallel to prevent the knot from capsizing.