Origin of Cutting the lines

[Morganministry]

Does anyone know how or where the custom of literally cutting the dock lines comes from. I have seen a couple YouTubers do it when they start their voyage. I tried a few different Google searches and can't find anything on it.

Thanks,
Scott

[Franziska]

Seems a rather dum habit, lines are expensive and you can use every inch of it.

I am speculating, but lines were always rather expensive to make and buy. So I doubt it was common practice in older times.

Unfortunately I do not know the reason though why someone would do it.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Morganministry

Does anyone know how or where the custom of literally cutting the dock lines comes from. I have seen a couple YouTubers do it when they start their voyage. I tried a few different Google searches and can't find anything on it.

Thanks,
Scott

U-tubers seem to do many things to romanticize their activities and generate (hopefully) more clicks. Such grandstanding has no meaning nor association with the general practice of seamen.

So, not too surprising that there is little supporting material to be found.

Jim

[Mike OReilly]

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

[Calif.Ted]

Does anyone know how or where the custom of literally cutting the dock lines comes from.

It's NOT a maritime custom to cut your dock lines in any manner, what I have seen on Youtube seem to be clueless beginners so haven't actually watched enough to see this sort of TickToc nonsense.

[Searles]

Cutting the lines, means severing your last ties to land or shore,and not returning to that point,for a long time if ever ,cutting all ties ,was commonly use in early day of immigration to a new country ,I have literally one cut mooring lines in a hard blow on the north coast of Tasmania to get to sea immediately in the middle of the night .⛵️⚓️

[NPCampbell]

I don't know about "cutting the dock lines" but I believe the term "cut and run" is from the literal practice of cutting your anchor line to make sail in a hurry.

[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.

[Morganministry]

Thanks for the responses guys. After seeing a few people do it, I thought it might be a custom I didn't know about. Glad to know it is not.


Scott

[deblen]

Only if the law is coming after me...

[Dogscout]

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ” ~ Mark Twain

Cutting the mooring lines seems kind of expensive to me. Have you priced 1" triple braid lately?

[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...

[Lodesman]

I think someone's been mixing their metaphors. You "cut the cord" as in the umbilical cord, but "cast off the docklines".

[JBP]

Old sailing ships would cut their anchor rode if they needed to get moving fast, such as enemy attack. Raising the anchor on those ships took a long time. If they had a little time, they would bouy the anchor so they could come back and get it later.

[MicHughV]

yeah...what Lodesman sez !!