Halliards, fag ends, mainsheets, moorings, hawsers… all knocking together and criss-crossing, but never referred to as mere ‘ropes’! Sailors never use the word for fear of attracting bad luck. Arabesques and sinuous curves are held in place by snap hooks and boom rings. Fenders – indispensable for any safe mooring – float free or are entwined between the boat’s hull and the dock. ‘Hermès Paris’ is writ large in nautical letters, and a life buoy marks the full point!
