Rigging

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Originally Posted by j.sabourn

Anyone not knowing what a Turks head is Des , can just imagine them clutching their groin and saying ,bet that hurt. JS

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I always thought from learning knots and splicing from the QM's as a cadet that it was a Monkeys Fist that we made as the weight on the heaving line. The Turks Head was more decorative and looked good for example on the tops of railing stanchions on gangways etc.
The art of throwing a heaving line to waiting shore mooring men was fraught with danger-for them,especially before hard hats became the norm I think we all overcompensated at first and either brained the intended recipient or missed him by a mile.
A monkeys fist,with a nut in ,on a shortened line would be called a flail I suppose and would be illegal today as a weapon.I 've just learned that the Monkey's fist on a flail was indeed carried ashore by our early sailor ancestors as protection against attackers. In my time,several centuries on it would have looked so absurd strolling down the Motomachi in Kobe with a Monkey's Fist on a rope...!:eek:

Always used to put a nut inside and then dip the monkeys fist in paint. As said as much as for distance.
Always made me smile to myself when entering the locks at Albert docks to see 6 men walking along the dockside with the heaving line in their hands. As soon as you started paying out the mooring rope half of them would let go and wait for the heaving line to come ashore for the stern line.
Regards Michael

There was a recognised heaving line knot which could be made inside of a minute just by wrapping itself round its own part for about 8 turns then putting the end through the bight and pulling on the standing party , a bit like a hangman’s knot . The only thing wrong with it , it was far to light and any sort of wind it was gone, but that was the official heaving line knot , that no one used as was unpracticable . However it wouldn’t take your head off it it hit you. If you threw it you would need to allow plenty of leeway before throwing . If it wasn’t heavy enough soak the monkeys fist in read lead, it wasn’t legal but what the hell we all lived dangerously and what’s one more longshoreman with a broken nose . JS

Hi Graham,
I often wondered what that Turks body was doing in my locker.
Des

#21..No more absurd than Cappy striding down the motomachi with his make pretend Geisha girl sling over his shoulder Graham , wont mention the scenario of his Australian episode with the Emu. JS

Most of that now gone.
Ships now with side thrusters which push the ship hard up against the quay.
Lines then dropped to the waiting shore side gang.
When sailing very often only one man per line to remove from the shore side stantion.

When reading comments about Turks Head I was immediately taken back to nights spent in the Turks Head pub at the top of mile end road in shields, it used to have great live music. It was demolished years ago.
Also
Coming off a berth using the forward spring and heaving on the headlines or alternatively using helm and engines to get the stern to swing out and so enable astern movement to clear the berth. If there is a strong onshore wind acting on the accommodation block aft pushing the stern back in, use the stern ropes and gentle astern on the engine to put tension on the back spring to swing the bow out sufficiently to then go ahead and clear the berth. Done both methods many times even on ships with bow thruster and beckar rudder.
Rgds
J.A.

the turks head was a decent pub some years ago now .....my old teacher mr peterson married a barmaid from there.....my buddy argued with a guy in there ...my buddy didnt know the guy was SAS......my buddy just woke up on the deck didnt know how ....the SAS guy then bought him a pint ....the TORKS HEED .....a canny bar.....R683532

Yep Dutch ropes we called them. On the Sugar Crystal approaching the wharf in lautoka forward back spring parted, the old chiefmate was very lucky standing on the bottom rail (he was small) looking over and aft the broken ends slashed the back of his calves. He was very lucky.

I always used monkey fists, dipped in red lead paint. Turks heads used on handrails, for decor... Then I did sail on gen cargo 70's , 80's...