Monkey’s Fist Rope

Monkey’s Fist Rope

culture

history

This an actual end of a ship’s hawser line – the heavy cables that anchored ships. Frying' Plan Jack tied this sample to show how a real monkey’s fist was used aboard ship. There would be a rock or piece of metal inside the rope (heavy enough that it could be thrown a distance with reasonable accuracy) and it would be thrown to another ship or to dock men. They would catch this end and start hauling it in, hand over hand. At the other end would be the heavy mooring cable to tie the ship securely to another ship (to transfer goods) or to the dock.

Minneapolis Skinny

object

English