The above photograph shows Otto Hatfield’s boat, the Mary A., lying alongside one of the Big Shed’s lunch ways. The Mary A. does not appear to be afloat because She is leaning, with a sharp list, against the launch way. Notice the post that has a large rope wrapped around it. The rope is the “after line” securing the boats stern to the launch way and the post is part of a two-post structure called the “bitts”; defined as follows.
“A strong vertical structural timber or metal post, used to make fast heavy lines; usually in pairs, ergo bitts. The term came from Dutch, beting, and this form Old Norse, biti, crossbeam. It is related to the late Latin word bitus, whipping post.”1
The word whipping in this definition likely refers to wrap around.2
Another view of the Mary A. showing two stern anchor lines attached to Her bitts.
1Rogers, J. G. (1985). Origins of Sea Terms [Vol. XI in the "American Maritime Library" series]. Mystic, CT: Mystic Seaport Museum.
2 Retrieved 16 March 2008 from http://www.ropeworks.biz/reader/whipping.pdf
