Learning the ropes part 3
November 17th 2006 09:41
Plenty of rope (lines) on board here
“Did you take a turn on the helm was she weather helmed or not?”
“Aye, we were sailing by the lee then and she had the bone in her teeth and the bright work was glistening and I was holding her from broaching down the swells. The bowspit was dipping in the front one and the bobstay was fair singing it was so tight. The boom vang was on to act as a preventer and a line was bent from a becket to a bitt and a block. There was a barber hawler on the number three working sheet but we weren’t using it at the time.”
“What was it like down below?”
“It was like Hades in the fo’cs’l no air at all, the old man had the dorades turned back. We were on the thirty-fathom line and the fetch was wicked and the gimbals in the galley were working overtime as the scran was being made. The Charley Noble was puffing away something awful. At one stage we hove to in the slop and ended up in irons and had to use the steel spinnaker to get her going again.”
“Was that to take a sextant reading?”
“Yeah, it was tough holding the horizon glass under way but we should have kept head way. The leech lines had to be all tightened after we shook out the reefs and changed to a number one though I thought a gennaker would be more the go with these new modern Marconis. He set the topsails and a queen in between, interesting baggy wrinkles on that one by the way. But I just settled down then with my marlinespike and fids and did some fancy splicing and then was going to make up a toggle for the bell. A few of the others got on with a bit of scrimshaw around the fife rail. Avast that, calls out the old man and get your selves on the holey stone”
So learning half a dozen or so ropes on a yacht is much easier than computer speak I think.
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Comment by katyzzz
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I think the computer speak is easier. At least you learn it as you go and we can actually go without knowing much at all.
I'd hate to be challenging the powers of the seven seas without knowing how and being practised in the skills required for sailing.
What is this foreign language you speak, strangely reminiscent of English.
This was very interesting and interestingly presented and it wasn't about drivel [sp?].
It was about useful information about doing something useful.
Quite frankly I find 'talk' cheap. So many do not put their actions where their words are, oh dear, I'll be in trouble now, but let's hope so, it may help your votes.
I am appreciating the usefulness of real work more and more. So much money is paid to people who produce nothing but empty words on empty pieces of paper, that's the army that I'd mostly like to get rid of.
Oh, well, I suppose I'm in trouble again, not with you hopefully, I meant with others. I think I must like it I'm beginning to think trouble is my second name.
It does put a little spice into life and wasn't that what sailing was originally all about?.
Looking forward to your next little lesson and I can distinctly discern some of my computer art in your ropes, I'll have to watch out for the competition. Then I'll float off and find myself a new hobby.
My response must be getting nearly as long as your post. Sorry about that.
See you again soon, katyzzz