Preparing for a trip meant getting the gear in order.
A line had to be coiled just right so as to be safe from a snag and be able to "pay out" without a problem or tangle. The new line was a bit stiff and had to be coiled in a certain way so as to pay out cleanly.
A badly coiled line could have a catch and cause a huge problem with gear around it as it went overboard.A whaler could get a leg or arm caught in a loop and be dragged along with a whale until he drowned. |
