When does a Rope become a Line?
As pointed out in a comment by cobaltduck in the question What type of rope to use for the mainsheet of sunfish? the proper name for rope when used on a boat is line.
If I go to the store and buy a length of rope and put it on my boat it is now a line.
When does it become a line instead of a rope?
- When it becomes attached to the boat.
- When I took a sailing class and learned better.
- When I buy it and it does not belong to the store any longer.
- Or ...
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My answer is that as soon as a thing begins being thought of, even potentially, as being involved in a sailing craft, it takes on the sailing term.
If I am going to the hardware store to buy something to make a leash for my dog, or to hang stuff up in my shed, that's rope. If I am going to buy the same exact thing to become a traveler or a painter, that's line.
The same can be said of a toilet becoming a head, or a piece of wood being a floor/deck or a wall/ bulkhead, or a mattress being for a bed or a berth.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/14195. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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Personally, I would rarely call anything a line. More specific terminology, such as sheet or halyard, is generally more helpful. But anyway, I would say a rope is a line when you put it on a boat. Until then it is just a bit of rope that you could do anything else with.
Also note that in many ways a line is more general than just rope and can refer to cable or chain on larger boats.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/14196. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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