Posted by Peter H on September 01, 2003 at 17:50:52 from 213.122.162.150 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Coot from the North - the truth posted by Joseph Kennion on September 01, 2003 at 11:59:18:
And very stirring it is too, but, as a complete landsman, I was puzzled by the efforts of the crews to 'hoist a loaf of bread up the mast'. Is this some obscure maritime ritual ('saluting the loaf'?), akin to sisterhookery? Or is it simply to clean the mast? (I have heard that you can clean book covers with breadcrumbs, but masts??) Is the bread eaten afterwards, or is it left up there for the birds? What sort of loaf is used? Would Susan have approved?