Page 98 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

Fists have a sadistic habit of landing at the edge of vas bag filled with sand. Any canvas shop can whip
a dock, then bouncing merrily into the water. This one up for you in minutes, or you can get one from
necessitates recoiling and reheaving as your boat an arborist’s supply house (see your Yellow Pages).
drifts toward disaster. And the heaving line is also The bag won’t cripple, doesn’t bounce, and has a
devilishly tricky to throw accurately. The usual pro- certain utilitarian grace to it. The coil is ready for
cedure is to coil the line, hold the coil in one hand, throwing, held by a “trigger,” made from the line
and heave it underhand or sidearm. Sounds simple, itself, that was invented by Swiss sailor Sam Rogers.
but it’s very easy to snag the coil with a finger or To release, you just lift your thumb. Thanks, Sam.
mis-time the release. The result is a lovely arc of
rope that goes nowhere near the dock, usually in full
view of scornful onlookers.
Well, friends, if you’ll examine Figure 3-37 Figure 3-37. A tamed heaving line. It won’t cripple the
you’ll see a tamed heaving line. The weight is a can- receiver or mortify the thrower.

sand-filled
canvas bag

77