The Golden Rivet 🔩
My first job, I was sent to buy a left-handed hammer.
Thankfully, I wasn’t sent looking for a golden rivet. 😜
A riveted steel hull took hundreds of thousands of rivets.
Legend says the yard drove one in solid gold, hidden deep in the ship.
New hands were sent to find it. The bilges. The chain locker. Anywhere fragrant.
Hours later they’d crawl out filthy and empty-handed, to a mess deck in stitches. 🤣
The Royal Navy gave “showing someone the golden rivet” a less innocent meaning. A euphemism… I’ll let you research the rest.
Recruitment has its own golden rivets. Not applying. Fixed deep in the hull of a business that won’t let them go.
It takes the right approach and opportunity to prise them out. The difference? Ours actually exist. 😉
🫡 Angle Recruitment, Maritime Talent Experts. We know where to look for hidden talent.
Fun Facts
💡 Some shipyards did mark completion with a ceremonial last rivet, much like the golden spike that completed America’s first transcontinental railway in 1869.
💡 Despite the myths, Titanic included, no gold rivet has ever turned up on a vessel.
💡 “Fool’s errand” dates to around 1629, and April Fool’s pranks are recorded in Britain from the late 1600s. Practical jokes and taking the piss have been a favourite pastime for a long time.
💡 Ever been sent for a left-handed hammer, a long weight or a tin of striped paint? Let me know in the comments.
The Maritime Origins Series
Maritime Origins is a storytelling series created by Jason Nangle, Founder of Angle Recruitment, a global maritime recruitment and executive search firm.
The series explores the fascinating history behind everyday phrases that originated at sea, as well as the remarkable stories, traditions and characters that have shaped maritime culture.
Many sayings still used today were first spoken by sailors navigating the challenges of life on board ships. Alongside these phrase origins, the series also highlights lesser-known maritime stories, legends and historical moments from the world of shipping.
Through short stories and visual posts, Maritime Origins connects the language, heritage and traditions of seafarers with the modern maritime industry.
New posts in the series launch every Tuesday on LinkedIn and are then shared across other platforms including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X. Follow
Jason Nangle on LinkedIn and Angle Recruitment across your preferred social platforms.
Where "son of a gun" really comes from: babies born between the cannons on Royal Navy gun decks. The history, the fun facts and why it now means grit.
Aloof began as a Tudor helm order to keep a ship's head to windward and clear of a lee shore. How a lifesaving steer became a snub. Maritime Origins.
The mast glows blue. No heat, no flame, just tension in the air. Once a sign from the gods, now called St Elmo’s Fire. Still enough to unsettle any crew.
