noun
- the act or practice of hauling a boat upstream by means of a rope or cord attached to the shore
Usage: nautical; historical
verb
- to haul (a boat) upstream using a rope or cord from the shore
Usage: nautical; historical
Examples
- The crew used cordelling to navigate the narrow river against the current.
- Before modern engines, cordelling was a common method for moving boats upstream.
- They spent the morning cordelling the barge through the shallow rapids.
- Cordelling required strong ropes and experienced workers familiar with the riverbank.
- The boatmen were cordelling when the rope suddenly snapped.