Bitter End

Is the term used on board ships for the end of a rope, wire or even a chain. I don't know where it comes from but I do know that it is very old. I think the word bitter was used if the end of a rope is seen unwantedly passing by. Here you can see the bitter end of our tow wire. It disappears in the drum and is connected there with a small clamp. By no means it can hold all the force if the wire would decide to slip. When it will slip I don't know, three turns? four? I do know that there is an awful lot of friction needed to hold the wire on the drum now, but I also know that this is a perfectly safe configuration. But again; it would be a very bitter situation if the wire would slip. Our tow is 1470 meters behind us now, and finally an awful big barge looks small.