Knot, Bowline

The bowline forms a fixed, non-slipping loop at the end of a line and is the seaman’s standard for a temporary eye that will not jam under load yet unties easily once slack. It is rated as one of the most useful knots aboard, used for mooring eyes, bending a line to a ring, and rescue loops. It loses roughly 30 to 40 percent of the line’s breaking strength at the knot, so spliced eyes are preferred for permanent load-bearing work.