Adding to my last tip.
It’s pretty unlikely that the port and starboard shrouds are exactly the same length, so if we want to be able to duplicate mast tune in the spring we better not mix them up.
I used to put cardboard labels on, but they get soggy and fall off, so now I just tie a piece of light line with two knots for starboard and one for port. Works great.
I mark both, so if one gets removed, I still have the other.
Quiz
What mental trick do I use to remember which has one knot and which two, without having to write it down or find the photos above? Leave a comment.
Hint, it’s not the colour of the line, I just happened to have some red.
Ok I’ll play.
I can think of more than one way to remember. But one example might be “port” is a smaller word than “starboard” therefore 1 knot for the smaller word, 2 for the bigger.
Hi John,
Good idea, but it was not what I was thinking of. See my answer to Steve.
Reminds me of passing sound signals:
One horn blast means “I intend to leave you on my port side”.
Two horn blasts means “I intend to leave you on my starboard side”.
Hi Steve,
You got it. Even my aging brain has had that dinned into it for so many years that’s there’s no chance I will forget by spring.
“port” has one syllable, “starboard” has two
corrollary: “port” has one r, “starboard” has two
I was going with the number of syllables too, and thought it’s a good thing John is not Finnish, he’d need a longer bit of line….
single starboard, pair port