Embedded@Trafalgar with Nelson's Navy Read online

Sunday Mag – Womens’ Page feature

  The Art of Knots

  By John Petty

  Naval Correspondent

  They say an army marches on its stomach. Well the Navy sails on its knots. Out there on the ocean there’s a whole hidden art form just waiting to be discovered.

  So step aboard His Majesty’s ship-of-the-Line HMS Victory and I’ll let you into the secret world of scrimshaw and splicing in the lower deck lair of the knotmeister.

  Yes there’s much more than knots to tying your shoelaces; for instance there’s the cunning Matthew Walker knot, devised to beat the hangman’s noose, the intricate Turks Head and the infamous Star knot used to weight the business end of the Press Gang’s cosh.

  So why do sailors have such a fascination for rope work? For one thing their ship depends on it. Every seaman needs to be proficient in handling the lines, stays, backstays and halyards which operated the vast stretch of canvas under which the ship sails, and if you’re out there on a yardarm in a force eight gale, all fingers and thumbs, then you’re not likely to last long aloft on a Thames barge let alone a tiddly man-o-war. But that’s not the whole story. When you’re at sea for months on end time drags and between watches you need something to keep yourself occupied and your mind and fingers active.

  Scrimshaw’s one popular pastime. The ship in a bottle crew, carving intricate models from scraps of wood or bits of bone – whalebone was favourite in the early whaling fleets often away from home for years at a time – and a sailor might take particular pride in making a replica of his own ship from bits of debris scavenged from the scuppers.

  Imagine being cooped up in something no bigger than a three-bedroom semi for months on end with no opportunity to go for a walk or escape the company of your shipmates and you’ll realise just why you need something to take your mind off the monotony of shipboard routine. And the most plentiful commodity to hand on a sailing ship is gash lengths of rope. Pick up a piece of sisal or hemp, coil of manila, turn the smooth cold steel of a marlin spike over in the palm of your hand and you’ll son be seduced by the lure of the knot.

  And if you’re in the company of an artist par excellence like boatswains mate Joseph Bolitho then you’re half way to heaven. Joseph’s sailed before the mast on almost every kind of ship in the Navy, frigates, brigs, schooners, right up to the three deckers he’s on today, and along the way as he’s worked his ticket up to petty officer of the foretop he’s learned a trick or two on the subject of knots.

  We’re sitting on the capping rail in the waist, a light swell and easy breeze providing a sensuous motion to the day, the creak of wood and snap of canvas from the vast canopy overhead counterpoint to the chorus of pipes and bells as he watch changes and Joseph’s fingers work their magic, transforming a scrap of rope into a thing of beauty.

  “Life was hard on those old whaling ships,” he tells me, “Long gone with nothing but sea and sky and the smell of rendering blubber, fish oil and tar…enough to drive a man mad. Those old jacks were grateful for anything they could lay their hands on, a bit of driftwood, a bit of rope, just to keep themselves busy. A knife and a marlin spike was all they needed, and that’s where it got started,” He looks up, the eyes in his weather tanned face a startling cobalt blue, “ The knotsman was born.”

  He’s back at his task, showing me the subtle technique honed over the years. “Most sailors worth their salt can tie a manrope, but I reckon there’s only one in ten can tie a halfway decent star. The landsmen never get the knack, don’t have the feel for it you see, but a good AB will carry a half finished fancy knot in his pocket for years sometimes, waiting to meet up with a shipmate who’ll show him how to finish it off. Many a time I’ve heard ‘give me a diamond and I’ll give you a star’ as a fair exchange over a tot of grog.”

  He knows his stuff does Joseph and he spends his time in the forecastle mess deck teaching the “reefers”, that’s what they call the young midshipmen, the rudiments of his craft. “Could save your life topside on a stormy night,” he says, presenting me with the finished article, a perfectly crafted star knot. “And you see that there” he says as I accept it from his surprisingly delicate hand. “Many an alehouse laggard has lived to regret seeing one of those. That’s the press gang’s favourite,” The knotmeister chuckles, a rumble deep in his throat, “and when the lad wakes up with a thumping headache, three sheets to the wind aboard a fine old King’s ship he’ll rue the day he saw stars.”

  So there you have it, next time you’re rubbing shoulders with a sailor just drop Matthew Walker or Turks head into the conversation, and watch his face light up with pleasure. But you don’t have to battle the roaring forties to get good at knots. If you’re up for it, there’s an interactive website courtesy of the Chronicle that’ll get you started without leaving your armchair. Just click on www.getknotting.com and you’re on your way.

  Daily Chronicle

  Newsroom phone log – transcribed by Jill Duffy, newsdesk assistant

  Voice ident: Harry Oakes, features in conversation with John Pretty, sat phone

  John Pretty

  Hello John, it’s Harry. How’s it going out there?

  Oh hello Harry, much better since I got my sea legs and stopped throwing up

  Nice touch on Nelson, John, and that knots piece tickled ‘em pink, lots of hits on the site and a sack of mail. So what else is new?

  Not a lot. We’re in kind of a holding pattern, everybody keyed up, lots of drills and stuff, gun crews blazing away everyday to keep their eye in, but no sign of the opposition.

  Hmm well the back bench is getting edgy, wondering how long we can keep you out there twiddling your thumbs. Oh don’t get me wrong, your stuff’s right on the ball, but you know how it is, they want to know when we’re going to see some action. So what’s the word?

  Hard to tell, Harry. Could be anytime. They’ve got more ships and more firepower than we have, so I guess it’s just a question of Villeneuve waiting for the green light. I don’t think we’re going to go in and tackle him on his home ground, we’d need bomb and fire ships and Nelson figures that’d be too risky. He knows his stuff all right, knows we’d have a fighting chance on the open sea, so the word is he’s going to try to lure the Frenchies out. They’re no use to Boney kicking their heels in port and time’s running out. So in answer to your question, could be anytime now.

  Well the thing of it is John, Big Billy’s got a bee in his bonnet, wants to launch a tabloid edition for the city slickers, easy to read on the tube…wants to launch it with a bang so it hits the bricks running, and you’re our best bet. Any bright ideas?

  I don’t know Harry. I’m kind of running out of ammo.

  Tell you the truth John; we’re beginning to get flak from the suits upstairs. Unless something good comes up I don’t know how long I can justify keeping you out there. You know what it’s like … bean counters rule the world.

  I’m doing my best to keep the story going H…

  I know you are John

  …only you can’t build a wall without bricks.

  No pressure John. If it was my call, I’d keep you out there for the duration. It’s the number crunchers. So I tell you what…I’ve pulled strings with my old pal John Humphrys for you to do an interview on Today, sort of mood piece live into the package and I’ve got Charlie working on a spot the ship game for the fun page. See if you can do me a feature for the Sunday … ‘Nelson his life and times. If we can put that together it’ll keep the suits at bay for a while anyway.

  Listen Harry…I’ve got an idea. What if I get an interview with Villeneuve

  What?

  Villeneuve…the French Admiral

  I know who he is. Only how d’you suppose you’d do that?

  There’s fishing boats going in and out, nobody takes any notice of ‘em. Maybe I could hitch a ride.

  Oh yeah? Listen son…you go in there, they’re going to make you for a spy,
lock you up and throw away the key.

  Not if I play my cards right Harry. Villeneuve’s pissed off with Boney by all accounts and according to the scuttlebutt he’s on his bike, so one thing he hasn’t been getting lately is good press. If I can sweet-talk him…

  You be careful John, no blood and glory stuff, you understand? I can’t afford to lose a good reporter.

  It looks iffy I’ll back off. You don’t need to worry Harry, I’m not going to risk my young hide, not even for the front-page splash in BB’s new baby.

  Well OK…see what you can do, only for God’s sake keep it under wraps. Do the Today piece straight down the line, we don’t want to spook the suits at this stage in the game..oh and file the Sunday stuff soon as you can.

  Belt and braces eh Harry?

  You know the game son. Listen …just be careful OK?

  Daily Chronicle newsroom

  Open mike recording – equipment test

  Voice ident: Harry Oakes in conversation with Samuel Foreacre

  He’s going to what?

  Get an interview with Frog One Sam

  You OK that?

  Not exactly

  But you didn’t veto it

  No …he seemed confident

  You think he can do it?

  I dunno

  Jesus that’d make ‘em sit up on the seven-thirty from Tunbridge Wells. Dodgy as hell though. You remember Toots Malloy? Got rubbed out in Hanoi trying to get cosy with Uncle Ho

  Toots was a wild man. Pretty’s a safe pair of hands

  I hope you’re right, be an all time best if he pulls it off

  Yeah I’ll get the cuts out on Villeneuve just in case we need some padding

  You going to tell Big Billy?

  Hell no, he’s got enough on his plate with the re-launch. Let’s see how it plays before we contribute to BB’s delusions of grandeur..

  Well, one thing’s for sure, your boy brings home the bacon H, we’re laughing and if he doesn’t, then we haven’t lost anything.

  Mmm, and what if he gets captured?

  Well that’s another story, eh Harry