bowline

The Sailor's Word-Book

A rope leading forward which is fastened to a space connected by bridles to cringles on the leech or perpendicular edge of the square sails: it is used to keep the weather-edge of the sail tight forward and steady when the ship is close hauled to the wind; and which, indeed, being hauled taut, enables the ship to come nearer to the wind. Hence the ship sails on a bowline, or stands on a taut bowline.


♦ To check or come up a bowline is to slacken it when the wind becomes large or free.

♦ To sharp or set taut a bowline is to pull it as taut as it can well bear.

Related Words

  • Bowline

    ·noun A rope fastened near the middle of the leech or perpendicular edge of the square sails, by sub...

    Webster's Dictionary of the English Language

  • bowline-bend

    The mode of bending warps or hawsers together by taking a bowline in the end of one rope, and passin...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • bowline-bridle

    The span attached to the cringles on the leech of a square sail to which the bowline is toggled or c...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • bowline-cringle

    An eye worked into the leech-rope of a sail; usually in that of a fore-sail two, a main-sail three, ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • bowline haul

    A hearty and simultaneous bowse. (See one! two!! three!!!) In hauling the bowline it is customary fo...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • bowline-knot

    That by which the bowline-bridles were fastened to the cringles: the bowline-knot is made by an invo...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • fore-bowline

    The bowline of the fore-sail. ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • taut bowline

    A ship sailing close-hauled is "on a taut bowline." ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • main-top bowline

    The bowline of the main-topsail. It is used to haul the weather-leech forward when on a wind, which ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • on a bowline

    Close to the wind, when the sail will not stand without hauling the bowlines. ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • running bowline-knot

    Is made by taking the end round the standing part, and making a bowline upon its own part. ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book