Chafe’s a killer. Its specialities are tow ropes where they pass through stemhead fittings or shorelines under heavy load where the boat is moving constantly in a surge. This owner found himself in with a gale blowing and the lines at full stretch. Looking for relief, he toddled over to the skip where he found a useful 2ft length of toilet pipe. He couldn’t take the shoreline off, so he cut a slit in the pipe and worked it onto the bight then shoved it over the fairlead. Bye-bye chafe, and no more lines groaning either. A good night’s sleep promised for the hands under the foredeck.