Knots and ropes

Line drawing showing the four steps of tying a bowline knot

Bowline: mooring pin, ring

The canalman’s hitch works best on a bollard. If you’re attaching a line from the boat to a mooring ring or mooring spike with an eye hole, the bowline (pronounced BO-lin) knot is preferred. It won’t slip and can be easily untied if there is no load on the line.

Step 1

Make a loop and pass the end of the line through it.

Step 2, 3

Pass the end of the line around the back of the line from the boat

Step 4

Pass the back of the line back through the loop you created in step 1.