Things that chafe me

There are things that bother me and they should bother you, too. As my tide ebbs, the list grows longer. Here are some things (including some nautical knots) that chafe.

• Newfangled square fenders. Folks – arms outstretched, palms down, a la Biden – fenders are round so they’ll roll between your topsides and whatever obstacle you’re lying against. That square fenders are being foisted on the floating sector chafes me.

• Caribbean crew contracts. Corporate bigwigs owning Cayman Island-flagged yachts try and hire crew with onerous (malodorous?) contracts. Do you really think it’s fair to try and have the crew indemnify your corporate entity for a misadventure? Do you think applying British law to crew disputes is reasonable when your stinkpot spends two-thirds of the year in USA waters? From the hedge fund helmsman to the bellowing CEO, y’all are a joke and represent the worst making it that you chafe my soul. (Chill. Not all of you. The bad ones. Keep huffing, you know who you are.) – Full report