Dear All
I've just managed to lose the entire post I'd nearly finished, so please bear with me, as I'm now touchtyping on an unfamiliar keyboard totally in the dark!
We visited RRS Discovery (of Scott of the Antarctic fame) in her permanent mooring at Dundee this summer, and I was struck again by the fact that her 2 knot board displays have no information with them.
I am trying to attach pictures of them, but I'm afraid they aren't very good, as I can't get the latest ones off the PC. These are the slightly hasty ones I grabbed last time whilst chasing my 9 year old around the ship.
The "basic" knot board has 2 cords - one demonstrating, the other for you to try tying - and shows Bowline, Marline Spike Hitch, Fig8, Reef, and Double Sheet Bend.
The more "comprehensive" (ie, has more knots on it) shows Spanish Bowline, Jurymast, Crown Loops, Flemish Loop, Englishmans Loop, Chinese Loop, Bowline, Short Splice, Sheepshank, Manrope, Eye Splice, Overhand Knot, Sheet Bend, Reef, Carrick Bend, Snug Hitch, Cow Hitch, Clove Hitch, Turks Head, Rolling Hitch, Timber Hitch, and Fishermans Bend. Again, there are four cords to try tying something yourself.
I've taken 2 pictures of each, one with flash, one without.
But there are no instructions, and the three people behind me were curious to know how you do tie them, and what were they for. The very limited information I had delighted them, and so I became smitten of an idea:
How about if members of the Forum got together, and produced a set of sheets giving the instructions and maybe even some background history/usage? I can print on a B&W laser printer or colour inkjet, and laminate the sheets to produce a booklet to be hung next to each board (they're not always displayed together; things have moved around since our last visit). Each contributor would have their own name on their sheets, but the booklet as a whole would be the gift of the Web Forum of the IGKT, and as such would promote the IGKT to passer's by, who might be hoped to have a passing interest in what sailors did with so much rope and cord on a ship. Each page would need a slightly wider left margin than normal, so I could guillotine them and punch the margin through the laminate without affecting the paper. There would be a title sheet detailing the Guild's existance and contact on the web, and it could be great PR!
Well, so I fondly dreamed until I started reading the posts about copyright and royalties
I haven't yet approached Discovery's curator with this idea. She may not want such a gift. But I checked with Barry and we should be ok to do it under the Guild name and logo, provided everyone understands that the copyright of the booklet (per se) is vested in the Guild. I don't have a problem with that, since it is the Guild I am seeking to promote with it.
Everyone can produce images according to their skills. My own drawings are very unskillful, I usually rely on my cord sitting on the scanner. But what say you all? Could we go for it?
Regards
Glenys
