[quote=hydroghyl]as a sailor, climber and lover of knots I like the topic. All good thoughts on the difference in uses and consequences. The bowline is now in fashion for sailors. A knot called the buntline hitch was once used more commonly to attached sheets to jibs etc. It is bomb proof, once tightened will not shake out no matter how vigorously the sail flogs and can be tied right up to the cringle/clew of the sail. The draw back, and likely reason it has been replaced by the bowline, is that once tensioned it is very difficult to untie. It was usually just cut.
As mentioned, the bowline is a great knot but in stiff climbing rope can come undone when not under tension. I would never use on to tie my self in. A figure eight trace is much better.[/quote]
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