Prelude

Landsmen call them pulleys. Seamen call them blocks, and when rove with line through the sheaves, block and tackle. Sometimes, just tackle suffices. Seamen have specific names for different types of blocks and different arrangements of blocks, making different multi-part tackles. The parts of a tackle isn’t a hardware inventory, it’s a count of how many times the line passes between the blocks. Some examples of names of different commonly used tackles, handy billy or gun tackle (same thing), watch tackle, gyn tackle, double tackles. The parts of a tackle are also referred to as purchases. A three part purchase, seven part purchase, etc. There will be a surprise snap quiz at the end of class. Joking. Rigging is important in seamanship, is the point.

All of this rigmarole (a sea term for a snarled mess) of rigging terminology, is background for defining the title of this piece.

TWO BLOCKED. When the two blocks in a tackle, regardless of quantity of sheaves and parts, have been drawn together and not an inch more can be gained, they are two blocked. If you are lifting a load, two blocked is as high as you can go, without re-rigging.

Two blocked is a built-in system obstacle that can not be overcome without drastically changing something in the system. Greasing sheaves won’t allow you to proceed. You are at the designs limit.

Politics function much like tackle. Greater the number of parts, the greater the friction and resistance. Eventually you are two blocked.

After we officially cleared in the port of Abidjian, we hastened to a local bush bar to vent some pent up steam. We barely ordered a second round when our feckless agent showed up with police. We are required to move our vessels to private docks. We are not allowed to remain at the government administered city docks.

Why did our agent bring police with him? He didn’t. The police were sent to bring us back to the boats. Notifying the agent, was normal procedure. The agent volunteered to ease the situation, making it a more diplomatic “request” we return and get our vessel underway. He has made docking arrangements for us farther upstream, away from town.

What is the sense of sending police for us?

Abidjian is a famous but publicly little known tourist town, a rather secret almost French Riviera sort of place for the European elite and nobility. They do not wish their image tarnished by rowdy drunken American cowboy sailors. We are being escorted out of town. The police are to overcome any resistance on our part. The locals find us intimidating. The men in our group are all six foot three or four except Enrique who is six foot even. Even our women are five ten or eleven. The west Africans are except for rarities, average about five foot six. We look like giants to them. They want us out of sight!