Jimmy Carter had honesty, integrity until the bitter end

The New Year certainly came in with a loud bang. 

There were two serious incidents of senseless violence and devastation beyond comprehension in Southern California.

However, 2024 bowed out with a touch of bitterness as we bade farewell to President Jimmy Carter.

He was a man with more true character, decency, integrity and honesty in his pinkie toe than the vast majority of so-called political statesmen of today have in their entire being.

Carter was a Navy man.

How many of you know the origins of the phrase, “The Bitter End”?

It's actually a term that goes all the way back to the earliest days of seafarers. It is a nautical term.

In the days of old wooden, masted, canvas sail, tall ships, the anchors were usually attached to the ship by rope.

The rope was attached to “bollards” or “bits” on the deck of the vessel.

The last few fathoms of rope had colorful rags attached to it. So, when dropping the anchor, the appearance of the colorful rags, as the rope payed out, warned the Bos'n that the rope was nearing its end.

In later years, ships got much larger, requiring far heavier anchors. 

Chains became the way to attach the much heavier anchor to the ship's bollards.

Since the chain on larger ships is stowed below decks in a chain locker and not plainly visible, the custom is to paint each link at the end of each “shot” of anchor chain red. 

To those unfamiliar, a “shot” of chain is 15 fathoms (90 feet).

On the last “shot” of anchor chain, every link is painted red, meaning once you start seeing consecutive links painted red you are running out of chain.

This is very serious on large vessels like my old former Old Noble Grey Lady, because each anchor weighed 30 tons and each individual link of the anchor chain weighs approximately 350 pounds.

So, if the anchor was deployed in too deep of water, once it gets that much weight payed out, there's no stopping it.

Serious damage can occur when an anchor is deployed in too deep of water.

The weight of the anchor and chain can literally rip the bollards or “bits” right off of the ship and do major damage as they are ripped off of the deck.

Hence the phrase, it went to the bitter end.

Of course, it could easily end the career of the skipper who ordered it dropped or the Bos'n who dropped it. Or worse, it could end a deck hand's life were he in close proximity to it as it happened. So, also a bitter end to a career or a life.

You'll never use the phrase “the bitter end” again without thinking about the origins of it now.