Sailing Along the Mexican Coast

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

This is an often quoted saying -- bell rope being the only rope on a sailing vessel -- but I've wondered what they called the bit of string that they used to hang miscreants from the yardarm in the Good Old Days? Seems like hangman's ROPE might have snuck in. Hanging halyard, noose vang, breathing preventer... none of those seem to scan very well!

Whaddya think?

Jim

I remember reading years ago in some old sailing book that there were eight "ropes" on a sailing vessel. The only ones I remember were

Bell rope - on the bell
bolt rope - sewn into the edge of the sail for reinforcement
foot rope - under the yard for the sailors to stand on when reefing and furling.

[markpierce]

You're gonna need a bigger boat.