Wikipedia:
Chafing
Chafing when used as a nautical term describes the process of wear on a line or sail caused by constant rubbing against a hard, usually metallic, surface. Various methods are used to prevent chafing. Chafing of lines that rest on a chock on a boat can be prevented by putting a protecting material (sometimes as simple as a piece of old garden hose) around the line. Chafing of a sail rubbing against a cable can be prevented on large ships by tying baggywrinkle around the cable.
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