Origin of Cutting the lines

[JebLostInSpace]

Originally Posted by mf70

Aside from dumb and expensive, it's privileged and thoughtless: where are the "little people" that are going to come down to the dock and clean up the leftovers clogging the cleats?

I highly doubt the people doing this are all alone on the boat and jumping off for good. Probably there are well-wishers there to see them off. Any even slightly conscientious person (and most cruisers are very conscientious) will arrange to have someone they know grab the little bits of line. Or if no well-wishers are coming, give the dockhand a nice tip for the trouble. Hell, it's typical for a dockhand to untie a cruiser's docklines anyway (not every cruiser, not every dock, but still pretty common), so it's really the exact same amount of work in this situation. Sounds like you are the thoughtless one if you can't see the obvious solutions to your "problem."

[SVPerpetua]

In the circle of my future cruising friends I had the reputation of having the longest 5 year plan to leave (it took 20 years). When it became evident that I'd finally be able to leave in 1999, I came up with the slogan "cut the lines in 99". I have no idea where I got the idea from but it seemed appropriate for my situation. Having had the boat for many years I was already on a newer set of mooring lines and had saved my original ones as backup. Those are what I used on my last day at my dock of 8 years. I friend used my manchette to cut the lines as a crowd watched and someone else videoed it. Some years later I got my hands on that video and it is a treasured remembrance of my ultimate cruising departure, never to return to that dock or even the state. So was it wasteful of a good mooring line in my case it had been used and mostly it was dead. The significance and excitement it brought to me, my crew and the futures be cruisers, was well worth it.

[hzcruiser]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Whew. I thought maybe it was a real tradition I'd somehow missed out on.

Dumb YouTubers looking for drama is a better explanation.

Well, you should give it a try one day and report back, right after swallowing the hook.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Sounds like some idiots don’t understand the concept of a metaphor. Who would literally cut docklines… [emoji849]

Yep, it's meant to imply that if you cut the lines, you can't tie back up, so you must forge ahead...but I've never heard of anyone taking it literally.

[Cynara]

Started sailing in 1972. First time I've heard of this. Like someone else said it must be a YouTube invention.

[CarlF]

These are the same YouTubers who won't film themselves getting seasick a few hours later.

[SVPerpetua]

Well if it's a YouTube thing now it sure wasn't in 1995 when I came up with my slogan. I sure didn't invent it, I may have read about it in a cruising Mag or SSCA pub. I don't think it s a tradition but I'm sure it has been done before by folks, just not widely published. If it holds meaning for you "Just do it", forget YouTub, FBla, Twit etc.

YouTube:
"It was registered on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, three former employees of the American e-commerce company PayPal."

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

A lot of things are said, which causes me to ponder"

" we were just shooting the breeze"...
" like navigating thru' the eye of a needle"
" he is strong as a bull"
"I ate so much I'm as full as a tick"
"he was travelling like a bat outa hell"
"she's a cute Sheila"...
"that boat sails like a tank"
" he was going at it, hammer and tongs"
etc, etc, etc....

"cutting the lines" is child play...

Shooting the breeze: Think more like shooting rapids in a raft rather than shooting a gun. The conversation just goes along with the flow with no real purpose or direction except where the breeze takes it.

Eye of the needle: Originally, a Biblical quote with a camel passing thru, which obviously is pretty difficult. So navigating a narrow difficult place may be considered comparable.

Strong as a bull: Ox is a similar saying same meaning. Simply comparing a big strong man to a big strong animal. Pioneers headed out west would often use Oxen to pull their wagons because while slow, for pure strength they beat out horses.

Full as a Tick: A hungry tick has a tiny abdomen. Assuming it's not disturbed, it will continue to suck blood until it's abdomen is several times the size of the rest of it's body and looks ready to explode. After a big meal, your belly may feel like it's ready to explode.

Bat outa hell: Fairly obvious.

Sheila: You'd have to ask an Aussie.

Boat sails like a tank: Tanks are known for being able to charge straight ahead thru rough ground and thru fairly heavy obstacles. A boat that is heavily built and designed to bash thru waves rather than neatly slice thru or go up over them...is tank like because it bashes it's way thru.

Tongs & Hammer: Alludes to a blacksmith's energetic work, holding a piece with tongs while vigorously hammering before the piece cools too much and must be put back in to reheat.

[clakiep]

Is of course metaphoric - like burning the bridges after you or leaving for good.

Capt. Claus

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Why is a tot of rum in the british navy called a "tot of grog"?

Because Adm Vernon, who was nicknamed "Old Grog" for his grogram boat-cloak, was first to order the dilution of the rum issue, to prevent it from being hoarded by the sailors.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by clakiep

Is of course metaphoric - like burning the bridges after you or leaving for good.

Capt. Claus

In Cortes' case, it wasn't metaphoric...

[Be Free]

Yes, but it wasn't bridges that he burned

[Brian Renwick]

I’ve had over 40 years in the merchant marine and 25 years sailing yachts, and have never heard of or witnessed this practice. It sounds really stupid, and is against every culture I’ve ever encountered. 😱
I have no idea why anyone would engage in this wasteful practice.

[Mike OReilly]

When a metaphor is taken literally, does that act become a metaphor for the literal decline of society???

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Be Free

Yes, but it wasn't bridges that he burned

Well the ships were the bridge between the old and new worlds - metaphorically-speaking.