Naut. See also CACKLE v.2 [Etym. unknown.] trans. To case a cable or hawser with rope in order to prevent chafing.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., vii. 30. To keckell or sarue the Cable, as is said, is … to bind some old clouts to keepe it from galling in the Hawse or Ring.
1678. Phillips (ed. 4), Keckle (in Navigation), to turn a small Rope about the Cable or Bolt-rope, when we fear the galling of the Cable in the Hawse.
1882. Nares, Seamanship (ed. 6), 24. Keckling a hawser [is] serving it over with rope, which keeps it from being chafed.
Hence Keckling vbl. sb.; also concr. (see quot.).
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., When the cables gaul in the hawse … the seamen wind some small ropes about them; and this is called keckling.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), Kaicling, or Kecling, a name given to any old ropes, which are wound about a cable.
