Bath, NC

BathFest 2014

Blackbeard helped with my demonstration of rope making at this year’s BathFest.  I am not sure how accurate it was for a notorious pirate to make his own rope. I have a feeling that the time consuming work would have been done by his crew.  In Bath, NC the ropewalk was set up outdoors. The length of the machine would determine the length of the rope so the workers needed a lot of space.  The string was wrapped around hooks that would be cranked to create tension.  Then the string would be slowly released forming the twist that we recognize as rope.  It is surprising how simple the process of rope making is yet the process seems very mysterious from our modern perspective.