A 19th century American boarding pike

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Rick

The Cathead is a beam that projects from the bow area where the stock of the anchor is secured when underway. The anchor is brought to the cathead and secured then the fluke end is 'fished' to secure that part of the anchor against the bows.
Without the cathead dropping and raising the anchor becomes problematic.
What better thing to carve on the end of the cathead than a cat's head!

Amazing how the nautic lexicon varies among different nations. Over here they call this apparatus Serviola (from the old Catalan meaning Hart=Deer, apparently referring to its horns) or Turco do Lambareiro (Portugueses for Turc of the sweet tooth). I don't find them here so exuberant as (American ?) Catheads, but more in the basic shape without a figure; and i realize they ceased being built in ships bows when irons (anchors) started being the 'swallow' type, by the end XIX century, i guess.


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