Thatch Rope

The silver thatch palm grows only in the Cayman Islands and a small part of Cuba, and for a century it kept the islands solvent. Women stripped and dried the leaves, twisted them into strands and then into rope, and the rope was exported to Jamaica in enormous quantities for use on ships and in the banana trade. It was made at home, by hand, in the intervals of everything else, and it was the main cash income for households whose men were away at sea for months. The palm is the national tree. Thatch was also used for roofing, baskets, hats and fans, and the skills survive with a small number of makers.

What you actually see

• The silver thatch palm - the national tree, endemic to these islands.
• Rope twisting - demonstrated at the museum and heritage events.
• Thatch baskets and hats - the other products of the same material.
• The export trade - the rope that went to Jamaica by the ton.

When to go

Year-round for the museum displays. Demonstrations happen at heritage events, at Pirates Week and at the museum on set days. The National Trust runs occasional workshops.

Honest expectations

There is no permanent working demonstration; you see the rope in cases and catch the making at events. The number of women who still do it is small and ageing. Thatch products sold to visitors are sometimes imported. The trade ended in the mid-twentieth century and is a memory rather than a living industry.

Nearby

The National Museum in George Town holds the displays.