Posted by Mike Field on 04/03/00 from 203.87.23.99 via proxy cache.net2000.com.au:
In Reply to: Re: Ransome's characters, in PAIRS posted by Peter H on April 03, 2000 at 11:10:24:
Bother you blokes! You've forced me to consider what mousing the sisterhooks means, too!
To mouse a hook is to bind some marline or some such across the opening between the bill and the shank, so as to stop anything slung from the hook from jumping out of the opening. So far, so fine.
A sisterhook is an O-shaped ring with a very narrow V-shaped notch in one side of it ( a bit like a "C," in fact.) Sisterhooks are used in pairs, and are joined by slipping them together by matching the notch in each at right-angles. Once united, the hooks essentially form a two-link chain. The most common usage of them is for attaching a flag (which is fitted with one of the pair) to its halyard (fitted with the other.) And again, so far, so fine.
But now the question -- how to mouse them? The only way that occurs to me would be to tie a short length of marline to each hook above and below its notch, using constrictor knots, so as to close the gap. Given the hook's small size, this would not be an easy task. And nor, given the hook's design, should it be necessary. (I've never heard of sisterhooks coming apart accidentally.)
Any other thoughts, anyone?