25 SPANISH BOWLINE

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The Spanish Bowline, like the Bowline on the Bight, produces two loops enabling it to be used as a substitute bosun’s chair or perhaps for slinging a ladder or plank over the side to form a paint staging.

The Spanish Bowline’s formation is unlike a true Bowline and is a bit complicated. Centre the rope and lay it out in three loops as in the first diagram. Fold the middle, large loop down (2), spread it out to enclose the two smaller loops (3) and pull bights of the large loop up through each of the small ones (4), pulling them through as a pair of ‘ears’. Settle the whole knot tightly.

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Substitute for a bosun’s chair with one leg through each loop.

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Substitute for a bosun’s chair, sitting in one loop while a second loop supports the back.