Does anyone know the origin of the saying "ropes shorten before a rain".?

Question

I would like to know where that sayong originated and in what year

Answer 1

This saying is tied to the sailing ships which used rope rigging on the masts and sails. The ropes would shorten or become very tight when humidity increased (before a rain) and then slackened when humidity lowered.

Since sailing ships have been used for many centuries, when and where this saying originated is not known.