Rat Guards

there are many odd things aboard ships that not many people would even think to notice nor would think of why they are there. many of which were put into use out of necessity. Like most things, improvises to any work environment come retroactively due to an accident, catasrophe or a mistake that could have been avoided had the personnel knew what they learned after the mistake. Back in the day, ships traveling from port to port would be there for days on end, even months or years on end depending on the cargo and task set forth by the proprietor of the ship. While the ships were at the dock for these prolonged stays, creatures would climb aboard the ships via the mooring lines and make themselves at home. Many of these creatures, including but not limited to were RATS. Diseased scavengers that would hitch a ride from one port to another against their will. Plauge and disease were spread and people were killed and lesons were learned the hard way. A rat from the England, winding up in the Indies with Rabies for instance was the beginning of the end. Rats could not swim to an island in the middle of the ocean, and if they were not there beofre the only way they could have got there was from a ship. From instances like these, countries and ship owners decided it was best to configure a contraption to prevent rats from leaving the ships in the next port of call. So once a rat was aboard, it was supoosed to die aboard. Thats where the "Rat Guard" came from and thats why everyship has a rat guard on each of the mooring lines it sends to the dock. TO PREVENT RATS FROM LEAVING THE SHIP... although these days its more likely to prevent Rats from getting aboard.