Mnemonic Device:

• The fox comes out of his hole, runs ’round the tree, and goes back into his hole.

Explanation: To remember how to tie a bowline: the “hole” is a small loop in the standing line (that leads to the fixed object). Hold the small loop in your left hand, and pass the free end around the back. The free end (the “fox”) comes “up” out of the loop, around the standing line (the “tree”), and back through the loop. Tighten up the knot so that it looks like a seat. The resulting large loop won’t tighten when it lifts any weight.