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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhen Amy\nVanderbilt\u2019s books included a section on yachting etiquette, the central issue discussed\nwas suitable attire. Crews of the Victorian era liked to appear neat even after\nweathering a gale to give the impression it was nothing that would muss one\u2019s\nhair, and to this day, you best doff your foulies before repairing to the yacht\nclub dining room. Military sailors still tailor their uniforms to fit more\nhandsomely, and try to get just the right fit and rake on their \u201cdixie cup\u201d hat.\nBut yacht clubs and naval uniforms are recent phenomena, whereas the vanity of\nsailors is ancient. As long as there have been ropes, sailors have advertised\ntheir professional competence by the fancy knots decorating their personal\naccoutrements\u2014a belt, a bag, a bucket. Just as perfect brightwork can give an\nindication of a boat\u2019s overall condition, fancy work is evidence of a sailor\u2019s\ninner spirit and skill, and is most assuredly tiddley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At\nthe Tradewinds docks one is pleased to notice lines neatly stowed in a Flemish\ncoil. In the old days they would have called the lines \u201ccheesed down\u201d and the\nresultant coil a \u201ccheese.\u201d The practice wasn\u2019t purely ornamental, as the coils\nwere useful for chafing gear, or a non-skid pad for standing long hours at the\nhelm. Five hundred years ago, naval architects had yet to provide below-decks\naccommodations for the crew, who had to sleep on deck with their mates. But a\nsenior hand would be able to claim, as the privilege of rank, a coil of rope\nfor a mattress. This was as much comfort as the men who discovered America with\nColumbus could expect to enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet a\nflair with ropes is a signal of superior seamanship, not a substitute for it.\nSo when smartly dressing the line with a Flemish coil, first make sure the knot\nbeing finished is properly tied. A Flemish coil issuing from an improper cleat\nhitch is, sir, definitely not<\/em>\ntiddley.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last time we talked about a boat being \u201cBristol,\u201d but what about the sailor? What do we call the man or woman whose uniform is pressed, shoes polished, and knife lanyard festooned with proper sinnets and Matthew Walker knots? … Continue reading