I recently finished re-reading The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. Each chapter begins with some sort of nautical/maritime information, and is how and where I learned that these coils of boat lines are called "Flemish coils" or "Flemish flakes."
I always thought they were simply aesthetically cool (which they are), but they're actually a practical way to keep lines neat and tidy and flat (hence the "flake") so that people can easily walk on them and not trip.
And how interesting is it that the main character in the book is named "Quoyle?"
Wishing you a day free of tripping hazards . . .
©Carol Leigh
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