Bowline familiar with what to do should it come untied on the water. As noted above, the simplicity of the bowline makes it a good knot for a general purpose end-of-line loop. However, in situations that require additional security, several variants have been developed: The round turn bowline is made by the addition of an extra turn in the formation of the "rabbit hole" before the working end is threaded through. Similar to the double bowline, the water bowline is made by forming a clove hitch before the working end is threaded through. It is said to be stronger and also
Reef knot reef knot must emerge both at the top or both at the bottom, otherwise a thief knot results. Although the reef knot is often seen used for tying two ropes together, it is not recommended for this purpose because of the potential instability of the knot, and over-use has resulted in many deaths (see Misuse as a bend). The reef knot is at least 4,000 years old. The name "reef knot" dates from at least 1794 and originates from its common use to reef sails, that is to tie part of the sail down to decrease its effective surface area