Baggywrinkle is a soft covering for cables (or any other obstructions) to reduce sail chafe. There are many points in the rig of a large sailing ship where the sails come into contact with the standing rigging; unprotected sails would soon develop holes at the points of contact. Baggywrinkle provides a softer wearing surface for the sail.

Baggywrinkle is made from short pieces of yarn cut from old lines that have been taken out of service. Two parallel lengths of marline are stretched between fixed points, and the lengths of yarn are attached using a hitch called a "railroad sennit". This creates a long, shaggy fringe which, when the marline is wound around a cable, becomes a large hairy cylinder.

The name “baggywrinkle” originates from the visual look of wrapped material, which can resemble wrinkled or baggy sleeves.^[1]

• Spreader patch
• Stanchion patch

• Hervey Garrett Smith (October 1990). The Arts of the Sailor: Knotting, Splicing and Ropework. Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-26440-8.
• Twain Braden (May 2003). The Handbook of Sailing Techniques: Professional Tips, Expert Advice, Essential Skills. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-644-4.

• The Arts of the Sailor on Google Books