When you search out the early traditions of seafaring people, you find the number eight everywhere you look. For example, a good many wooden ships were built with 64 frames, which is 8X8. There are eight points of sail: In irons, starboard close reach, starboard beam reach, starboard broad reach, downwind, port broad reach, port beam reach and port close reach. The funding of seafaring enterprises was usually done by selling joint stock shares, and traditionally there were 64 shares issued. That paid for the construction and fitting out of the vessel, and stores for the voyage. Sailors on whaling ships and other extended voyages were often paid in shares and received little or nothing in wages. A deckhand rarely received more than 1/4 share. Is there a relationship between this tradition and the custom of cutting gold coins into parts for smaller purchases? Four cuts to a coin would produce eight pie-shaped pieces of gold, or pieces of eight. What do you think?

The fishing dory, built by the tens of thousands in the 19th century to serve the fishing fleets of the north Atlantic, still can be seen at places like Shelburne, Nova Scotia, where this picture was taken. With its high topsides and soaring shear line, the dory could hold a thousand pounds of fish or more. The seats are removable so that the boats can be hauled aboard a schooner and nested six high on deck.