[QUOTE=uberTurtle;39135]Most epaulets orientation can be determined by inspection. That having been said, the anchors face out - which fluke being fouled or which way the rode leads really isn’t all that important. Frankly, if a company or captain is getting that picky, they might have more important matters to which to attend.[/QUOTE]
Yeah you are so right! Everyone should just wear shit however they want. Small details are different than big details, and small details don’t matter. A half-hitch is the same as a bowline as long as it holds… right?
We have ways of doing things both ashore and at sea that come from the working history of the merchant mariner; such as the relationship between rank and privilege, chain of command, nautical terminology and humor, the correct wearing of the uniform,
liberty, chipping and painting, and so on. All of this is part of a family of tradition that distinguishes seafaring people from those ashore. Our history and traditions are a kind of glue that holds us together. They are worthy of our attention and respect. Tradition and symbols connect us with the sailors who came before and those who will come after; this invisible thread touches men and women of courage and talent who go down to the sea in ships and do their work upon the great waters.