Ciappacime, a device that simplifies mooring and departure from your boat slip.
Correctly throwing mooring lines is not very simple. Or rather: generally, it’s easy, and in a situation of absolute calm and tranquility, at least for experts, the throw almost always hits the mark. The problem is that one is not always so calm and focused. More often than not, you arrive at your boat slip not entirely prepared for mooring, with less than optimal coordination on board, and the person in charge of throwing the lines to the mooring attendant… well, gets carried away by emotion. In those cases, the probability of making a mistake increases exponentially with the number of people in the vicinity ready to witness the embarrassment. It’s still something that has happened to everyone, or almost everyone, at some point: the lines, instead of reaching where they’re needed, fall sadly into the water, a few meters from the stern. And of course, there is a technique to improve your throw when approaching your boat slip in the marina: after securing the line to the stern cleat, you create a series of flat loops, not spiral ones, calculating how many meters to coil to cover the entire necessary distance. At that point, grasping both parts of the line, you can make a single, wide, and energetic throw, possibly letting the other part of the line slide through your steady hand to gain a few more centimeters. But what if it’s the person who’s supposed to catch that line who messes up? Well, to help all the actors involved in the infamous line throw in the port, a small but clever invention has arrived: it’s called Ciappacime, and it comes from Friuli Venezia Giulia.
What is the Ciappacime
The Ciappacime device was patented by an entrepreneur from Udine, Francesco Cerutti, who, in addition to being an inventor, is also a seasoned sailor. It’s quite easy to explain what the Ciappacime is: it’s a telescopic device that, from its resting position where it measures just 30 centimeters, can extend to 90 centimeters when fully extended and opened. For now, only the manual model exists, but apparently, in the not-too-distant future, an advanced model with remote-controlled opening should also arrive. The prototype was made of stainless steel, in collaboration with a Friulian company – Luigi Tel from Cervignano – while the actual production seems to be taking place elsewhere, within European borders.
The Genesis of the Ciappacime
Cerutti himself explains the genesis of the Ciappacime, an idea that was born in the tourist ports frequented by the sailor: “after countless throws of lines from marina docks by diligent boaters, to allow the mooring of boats returning from sea outings, and after endless arguments with wives/partners/children/guests, because they were unable to catch on the fly or easily retrieve from the dock the lines necessary for mooring, often underlined with the Venetian incitement from the captain ‘ciappa le cime str..!’ (catch the lines, you…!) generally followed by other varied imprecations, the Ciappacime was born.”
Certainly, the idea is good: now we just have to see if this telescopic device will manage to gain a foothold in Italian tourist ports in the coming years. Apparently, as reported by Nord Est Economia, the Ciappacime has already attracted the interest of an important nautical broker active in the United States: who knows if they understood the “subtle” wordplay behind the name of this tool.
