Whammies..........

[Don Rafferty]

Whammies.

Search as I might, I can't find any mention of this most useful item. Usually a 4ft length was cut from a condemmed gantline, separate the three strands and double up, then a loose clove hitch with a bit of sail twine just below the middle and then hung in the Bosun's store. You always pulled a single strand from the middle - any attempt to do otherwise got a swift reprimand.

[j.sabourn]

Doubt whether you ever will get a reference to such in a book. Was purely a seamans term. Would be interesting to know however who started it. Cheers John Sabourn PS Same as looking for a dogs c..k instead of a backsplice. Don't think the bosun ever said to me put a back splice in that was always the former. JS

[Chris Allman]

Never mind all these modern labor saving devices and technology - one of the handiest and useful bits of gear on a ship to me was the humble ' whammie ' long may it be remembered. Problem is, as we go so will all these memories until they are all forgotton. We need a reference of all these things we used to have, whammies, bowsing, turks heads, man helpers, etc

[Keith Tindell]

Remember whammies well, i still use the term when gardening and tying in tomatoe plants etc. I can recall using them when we were making ready to leave port for a short hop round the coast, and leaving the derricks flying, used a whammy to secure the turns on the cleat for the preventer. The preventer as i recall always seemed to have horrible kinks in it, and could make it difficult to stay in place KT

[j.sabourn]

The preventers were usually old runners cut to size. As they had spent their working life wrapped round the winch drum they were always kinked and were a bone of contention. When turning them up on the bits or elsewhere they always required a whammie to stop them jumping out of place and trying to return to their previous position. Cheers John Sabourn

[Ivan Cloherty]

Good memories there lads, keep them coming, it brings it all back to life. Preventers always had a mind of their own, usually made from old runners, so were already bedevilled. Flying derricks, bring them up to the preventer and then secure the guys, always cross the runners when you had schooner guys on the union-purchase rig. memories will return bit by bit. A good post lets not frivolise it

[j.sabourn]

Used to put a whammie on a Spanish windlass when had the required tension. John Sabourn

[j.sabourn]

As a quick temporary means on a shackle pin before replacing with seizing wire. John Sabourn

[j.sabourn]

Hang a marlin spike by putting the bight of the whammie through the eye, and hanging from the belt if going aloft in a chair. John Sabourn

[Keith Tindell]

Funnily enough i never remember using a whammie when painting the funnel, we used to be hauled up to the top, hold the two parts together, drop the bight over your head, round and under the chair to form the self lowering hitch. Health and safety would not allow that now i presume, but would i have the strength to do that now?, probably not. But remember this was usually a job and finish, no time to waste, drinkies ashore early beckons, regards KT