Glossary of
Seamanship Terms
ABAFT THE BEAM: Any direction between
the beam and the stern.
ABEAM: Bearing 90˚ or 270˚
relative from own ship.
ADRIFT: Loose; not secured to a
stationary object.
AGROUND: When any part of a vessel
is resting on the bottom. A ship runs aground or goes aground.
ALL STANDING: To bring up ALL STANDING
is to bring to a sudden stop. To turn in ALL STANDING is to retire
fully clothed.
ALOFT: Above the decks. On the
mast or in the rigging.
ANEMOMETER: Instrument for measuring
wind velocity.
ANEROID BAROMETER: A no-fluid or "dry"
barometer, as distinguished from a mercurial barometer.
ANNUAL VARIATION: An inconsistent
change in the earth's magnetic lines of force, varying in different
localities.
ARM: That part of an anchor located
between the crown and the fluke. Upright or nearly upright strength
member of a davit. The act of plastering tallow into a recess in
the bottom of a sounding lead; called arming the lead, and done
for the purpose of bringing up a specimen of the bottom.
ATHWART THE HAWSE: Across the stem.
AVAST: Stop; cease; as Avast heaving.
BACKING AND FILLING: The act of
sailing craft in repeatedly catching and losing the wind from her
sails, so as to be unable to make headway. Extended to cover the "fits
and starts" of a person who cannot make up his mind. Also the
backing and going ahead of a ship in casting or turning in confined
waters.
BACKSTAY: Piece of standing rigging
leading aft.
BATTEN: Long strip of steel wedged
against the edges of hatch tarpaulins to secure them. Strips of
light wood inserted in the leech of a sail to prevent the leech
from curling. Long removable wooden or steel members extending from
the deck to the overhead, used in storerooms to keep equipment and
stores from shifting. In cargo holds, long planks along the ship's
sides that protect cargo from rust and sweat.
BATTEN DOWN: The act of making
a hatch watertight by wedging the battens against the tarpaulins,
or of wedging shut or dogging down any watertight opening.
BEAM: The overall width of a vessel.
BEAM ENDS: A vessel lying on her
side is said to be on her BEAM ENDS. Often used to indicate that
a vessel has taken an unusually large roll and was almost on her
side.
BECKET: The fitting on a block
to which the dead end of the fall is attached.
BELAY: The act of securing a line
to a cleat, set of bitts, or any other fixed point. In connection
with an order or announcement, expresses the idea of "to disregard,"
as "Belay that last order."
BETWIXT WIND AND WATER: That portion
of the vessel along the waterline which, when the vessel rolls,
is alternately above and below water.
BOLLARD: Strong cylindrical upright
on a pier, around which the eye or bight of a ship's mooring line is
thrown.
BOLTROPE: Line sewed around the
edge of a sail, awning, or other canvas.
BREAKER: A long, broken sea rolling
in on a beach.
BREAKER LINE: The outermost boundary
of a breaker area; also called the surf line.
BREAK OFF: When walking away with
a line or running a line in, to let go, return to the point from
which the line is being hauled, take a new hold, and walk or run
away again. (SEE Walk away and Run away.)
BROACH: The act of breaking through
the surface and jumping out of the water. Sometimes called porpoising.
BROACH TO: The act of a vessel
being thrown broadside to the course by some force acting on the
stern. A boat thrown broadside on the beach is said to be BROACHED
TO or, simply, broached.
BULL'S-EYE: A round piece of lignum
vitae, with a hole in the center and scored around the edges to
take the eye of' a line. Frequently used in guesswarps.
BULWARK: Solid fencelike barrier
along the edges of weather decks.
CANTILEVER: A projecting beam supported
only at one end.
CAP: Piece across the top of a
lower mast that steadies the butt of the topmast.
CARLING: A fore-and-aft hatch beam.
CARRY AWAY: The act of breaking
loose.
CARRY RUDDER: When a vessel requires
a constant amount of rudder on one side in order to maintain a steady
course, she is said to be CARRYING RUDDER.
CASTING: The act of turning a ship
through 360˚ without appreciably changing her position; done
by alternately backing and going ahead on her engines and repeatedly
shifting the rudder.
CATHEAD: See Gypsy.
CHAIN PIPE: Pipe leading from the
forecastle deck to the chain locker.
CHECK: Expresses the general idea
of "to slow." To check a line running out under a strain
means to allow only enough of it to render around the bitts to prevent
the line from parting.
CHOCKABLOCK: Full; filled to the
extreme limit.
CLEAT: A device for belaying a
line or wire, consisting essentially of a pair of projecting horns.
CLOSE UP. The act of hoisting a
flag to, or in, its highest position.
COCKLE: Kink in an inner yarn of
rope, forcing the yarn to the surface.
COLLAR: Metal ring that steadies
the base of a mast, or supports the upper end of a boom that is
stowed upright.
CONSTANT TENSION WINCH: A winch
that keeps a set constant tension on a wire, by automatically paying
out and recovering slack.
CROWN: Rounded part of an anchor
below the shank. A knot in the end of a line made by interlacing
the strands. In plaited line, the highest part of a pair of strands.
DEAD RECKONING: Determining position
by direction and distance traveled from a known position.
DECK LOAD: Cargo stowed on the
weather decks.
DEEP SIX: Throw an article overboard.
DEVIATION: Magnetic compass error
caused by the magnetic properties of a vessel. It is expressed in
degrees east or west.
DINGHY: A square-sterned pulling
boat that can be rigged for sail.
DOCK: The water space between adjacent
piers or the space in a drydock.
DOCKING KEEL: Keel-like projection
between the main keel and the turn of the bilge; used to support
the ship on blocks in a drydock.
DODGER: Wood, metal, or canvas
upward extension of the forward bulwark on a bridge; serves as a
windbreaker.
DOG WATCH: One of the two 2-hour
watches in a dogged 1600 to 2000 watch.
DOLPHIN: A piling or a nest of
piles off a pier or beach or off the entrance to a dock used for
mooring.
DORY: Seaworthy pulling boat similar
to a whaleboat, developed in the fishing trade. The thwarts may
be removed for nesting on deck.
DOUSE: To lower quickly, as a sail.
To put out quickly, as a fire or cigarette.
DOWN BY THE HEAD (properly, BY
THE HEAD): Said of a vessel when her draft for ward is deeper than
her draft aft.
DOWN BY THE STERN (properly, BY
THE STERN): Said of a vessel when her draft aft is deeper than her
draft forward.
DOWNHAUL: Any line, wire, or tackle
that applies a downward pull.
DRAFT: The vertical distance from
keel to water line.
DROGUE: A sea anchor.
DRUM HOOKS: A sling containing
a pair of movable hooks; used for hoisting a drum, cask, or barrel
by its chines. Also called chine hooks.
DUKW BOARD: Square platform placed
in a cargo net to protect cargo against crushing effect.
DUNNAGE: Any material used to separate
layers of cargo, create space for cargo ventilation, or insulate
cargo against chafing. Usually refers, however, to cheap wood boarding
used for those purposes.
EARING: Length of line spliced
into a cringle on a sail, awning, canvas dodger, etc. Used to bend
corners to booms, masts, stanchions, or the like, or to bend down
the ends of a reef band in reefing.
EASE: Relax the strain.
EBB: That period when the tidal
current is flowing from the land.
ELDRIDGE METHOD: Method of mooring
with anchors in which one anchor's chain is dipped 'through the
other's hawsepipe before either anchor is let go.
FAKE: The act of disposing a line,
wire, or chain by laying it out in long, flat bights laid one alongside
the other. One of the bights.
FIFE RAIL: Rail containing belaying
pins. FISH HOOK: A broken end of wire protruding from a wire rope.
FLASH PLATE: Line of plates between
the anchor windlass and the chain pipes and hawsepipes over which
the anchor cable runs.
FLEMISH: Method of disposing a
line by coiling it tightly flat on deck with the second coil inside
the first, and so on.
FLOOD: That period when a tidal
current is flowing landward.
FLOTSAM: General term for articles
that will float if jettisoned. Floating debris left on the surface
by a sunken ship.
FOOT LINE: SEE Foot rope and Lifeline.
FOOT ROPE: Line by means of which
the foot of a hammock is secured to a billet hook. The lowermost
line of a set of lifelines (also called footline). The line hanging
in a bight beneath a yard, bowsprit, and jib boom.
FORESTAY: Piece of standing rigging
leading forward.
FOUL ANCHOR: Anchor with chain
wrapped about a fluke or the stock, or with some other encumbrance
entangled about it.
FOUNDER: To sink as a result of
filling or flooding.
FOUR-IN-HAND: The act of preventing
a tackle from overhauling by gripping in both hands the parts of
the fall between the blocks.
FREEBOARD: That portion of a vessel
between the waterline and the main deck.
FRESHEN THE NIP: To set up again.
To veer on a cable or pull upon a backstay to shift the chafe from
a particular spot.
FULCRUM: A prop or support. The
point about which a lever turns.
FURL: To roll up snugly and secure,
as a sail or awning.
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GANGWAY: Actually means the opening
in a bulwark or liferail that gives access to a gangplank or accommodation
ladder. Familiarly extended, however, to include the accommodation
ladder and its rigging. Also, any pedestrian right-of -way or thoroughfare.
When given as an order, means "Clear the way."
GANTLINE: Line used as a single
whip for hoisting or lowering a boatswain's chair or one end of
a stage.
GATE: That part of a collar that
opens on a hinge.
GOOSENECK: Universal joint at the
heel of a boom that allows the boom to be swung in any direction.
Method used by a nozzleman to bend a fire hose in such a way that
the hose does not kink, and the stream of water can be directed
to otherwise inaccessible spots such as inside doors or under floor
plates.
GUDGEONS: Eyes set in the stern
or the rudder post to receive the pintles of the rudder.
GUY: Any line, wire, or tackle
that provides athwartships support, or motion for a boom head or
the head of a gin pole. (SEE Shroud.)
GYPSY (GYPSY HEAD): Cylindrical
device at the end of the shaft on a winch or horizontal shaft windlass,
on which the turns of a line or wire are taken for heaving. Also
called cathead.
HAND -OVER-HAND: Expresses the
idea of "one hand after the other," as when a line is
hauled in rapidly by hand or when a man climbs a line without using
his legs and feet.
HANDSOMELY: Slowly; deliberately;
carefully.
HATCH BOOM: Cargo boom plumbed
over the cargo hatch. (Yard-and-stay rig.)
HAUL OUT: Order given to a boat
coxswain to take his boat from the ship's side and secure it at
the boat boom.
HAULING PART: That part of a fall
to which power is applied.
HEAD: The stem. The upper end of
a lower mast, boom, or gin pole. The upper edge of a four-sided
fore-and-aft sail. A compartment containing toilet facilities.
HEAVE: To throw, as to heave the
lead or a heaving line. To haul in, especially by some power heaving
engine.
HEAVE RIGHT UP: Order given to
heave the anchor up into the hawse. May be given as "Heave
right in."
HEAVE ROUND: Haul in on a line,
wire, or chain by means of a power-heaving engine. The call on a
boatswain's pipe, which is the signal to start heaving around.
HEAVE SHORT: The act of heaving
in the cable until the anchor is at short stay. The order usually
is given as "Heave round to short stay."
HEAVE TO: The act of stopping the
headway of a vessel or reducing headway to just enough to maintain
steerageway.
HITCH: A knot used to bend the
end of a line to a ring or to a cylindrical object usually, but
not always, is designated as some form of hitch.
HOCKLE: See Cockle.
HOGGING LINE: Line temporarily
used to hold stage or other object close to side of ship.
HOIST: To move an article vertically
upward by means of some hoisting rig.
HOIST AWAY: Go right on hoisting
until stopped by another order.
HOIST IN: Hoist an object to a
required height and swing it in.
HOIST OUT: Swing out and lower
away.
HORSE LATITUDES: Either of two
belts or regions about 30˚N or 30˚S latitude, characterized
by high pressure, calms, and light baffling winds. Thought to be
so named because in the days of sailing vessels, many ships lost
all or part of their cargos of horses while becalmed in those areas.
HOUSE: Heave an anchor into the
hawsepipe.
HOUSING LINE: SEE Lifeline.
HULL DOWN: Said of a vessel when,
because of distance and the curvature of the earth, only the superstructure
is visible.
INBOARD LIFELINES: Temporary lifelines
erected inboard of the permanent lifelines during heavy weather.
Many smaller vessels such as destroyers are provided with regular
sets of these lines and the stanchions to support them.
INHAUL: In general, a line used
to recover any piece of gear such as a paravane or a trolley block.
When replenishing at sea, the vessel providing the gear retains
the inhaul and sends the "outhaul" to the other ship.
IN STEP: Said of a towing 'vessel
and her tow when both meet and ride over seas at the same time.
IRISH PENNANT: A loose end of line
carelessly left dangling.
IRON MIKE: Term applied to a gyroscopic
robot steering mechanism.
JACKSTAFF: Upright spar at the
stem to which the jack is hoisted.
JACKSTAY: Horizontal support to
which articles such as sea bags, tackles, coils of line, etc., can
be lashed.
JIGGER: Light luff tackle for general
use about the deck.
JUMBO BOOM: Regularly installed
heavy-duty swinging derrick for handling extra heavy lifts.
JUMPING ON A LINE: The act of endeavoring
to start a stranded vessel with a sudden pull on the tow line. Slack
is provided in the towline and the assisting vessel runs ahead under
full power, fetching up short when the slack is taken out.
JURY RIG: Any makeshift device
or apparatus rigged as a substitute for gear regularly designed
for the desired purpose. The act of setting up a jury rig.
KEEL: The lowermost, central strength
member of a ship that runs fore and aft and from which the frames
and the plating rise.
KEEL BLOCK: One of a line of blocks
along a drydock bed; used to support the keel or docking keel of
a vessel in drydock.
KEEL STOP: Marker on a boat's keel
which indicates her proper fore-and-aft placement for lowering into
the chocks.
KING POST: One of a pair of short,
strong uprights used to support twin cargo booms on some cargo vessels.
Short, strong upright supporting the boom of a crane.
KNOCK OFF: Expresses the idea of "to
cease or desist."
LABEL PLATE: Plate in a boat that
contains, among other data, the maximum number of men the boat may
carry under good weather conditions.
LABOR: The act of a vessel in plunging
and bucking heavily in a seaway.
LANDFALL: First sight of land after
a voyage.
LANYARD: Any short line used as
a handle or as a means for operating some piece of equipment, as
a firing lanyard on a gun. Also, any line used to attach an article
of equipment to the person, as a knife lanyard, pistol lanyard,
or a call (boatswain's pipe) lanyard.
LASH: To secure by turns of line,
wire, or chain.
LASH UP: Term applied to a rig,
device, or system; usually uncomplimentary, as "What kind of
a lash up is that?"
LATITUDE: Distance north (N) or
south (S) of the equator, expressed in degrees and minutes.
LAY: Expresses the idea of "to
move one-self," as "Lay (yourself) up on the main deck, "
or "Lay (yourself) aft." As a noun, refers to the direction
of twist of the strands in a line or wire, as right lay or left
lay.
LAZY GUY: SEE Midship guy.
LEE: Sheltered area to leeward
(pronounced loo-ard) of a ship or other large wind Breaker. As adjective,
expresses the idea 'of "in the direction toward which the wind
is blowing. "
LEFT-HANDED: Counterclockwise.
Extended to mean "not the right way" or "backwards."
LEFT-LAID: Refers to line or wire in which the strands spiral along
in a counterclockwise direction as one looks along the line.
LEG: One of the two or more sections
in a span or bridle, boat sling, set of beam hooks, or similar hoisting
attachment. One of the sides of a triangle.
LIE OFF: Heave to at some distance
away.
LIFELINE: In general, the lines
erected around the edges of decks. Specifically, the top line. From
top to bottom, the lines are named: lifeline, housing line, and
foot rope.
LIFT: Standing rigging supporting
a yard. Term applied to any load to be hoisted.
LIMBER HOLE: Fore-and-aft hole
through frame in a boat's bilges, permitting water to flow toward
the bilge pump suction point.
LINE: In general, sailors refer
to fiber rope as line; wire rope is referred to as rope, wire rope,
or just wire. More exactly, line refers to a piece of rope, either
fiber or wire, which is in use, or has been cut for a specific purpose,
such as lifeline, heaving line, lead line, etc.
LIZARD: A piece of rope with a
thimble or a bull's-eye spliced into the end used as a fairlead.
The line used to retrieve the end of a sea painter and lines used
to lash objects to the side of a ship (such as the lower accommodation
ladder platform) sometimes are called lizards, even though they
are not used as fair leads.
LONGITUDE: Distance east (E) or
west (W) of the prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England.
LONGITUDINALS: Fore-and-aft strength
members, running the entire length of the ship, serve to stiffen
and strengthen the frames.
LOOK ALIVE: Admonishment meaning "be
alert" or "move faster."
LOOM: The glow made in the sky
by a light that has not yet raised above the horizon. The shaft
of an oar.
LOWER AWAY: Lower right on down.
For example, to lower away a boat from the davit heads down into
the water.
LUFF ON LUFF: Combined purchases
consisting of a luff tackle with another luff tackle clapped on
its hauling part.
LUFF TACKLE: Purchase containing
one single and one double block.
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MANGER: That portion of the forecastle
deck enclosed by the apron and the parts of the bulwarks between
the apron and the stem.
MARLINE: Two-strand, left-laid
tarred hemp small stuff.
MARRY: To bring two ropes together,
either side by side or end to end, and holding or seizing them.
An LST marries to the end of a causeway.
MAST TABLE: Refers to a small compartment
or locker on the main deck, built around the base of one of the
masts.
MEAN HIGH WATER: In regard to tide,
the average height of high water measured over a period.
MEAN LOW WATER: In regard to tide,
the average height of low water, measured over a period.
MEAN SEA LEVEL: The level midway
between mean high and mean low water.
MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE: The number
of times (excluding loss due to friction) that the applied power
is multiplied by a purchase or other machine.
MEET HER: Check the swing of a
vessel by putting on opposite rudder.
MERCURIAL BAROMETER: Barometer
which indicates atmospheric pressure by the height of a column of
mercury.
MIDSHIP GUY: Guy between boom heads
in a yard-and-stag rig. Also called a schooner guy or lazy guy.
MOORING STAPLE: Metal fitting on
a ship's side, to which a chain may be attached for added security
in mooring alongside.
MOVABLE BLOCK: Block in a purchase
that is not a fixed block. Block to which the load is applied.
NAVY ANCHOR: Old-fashioned anchor.
Anchor with a stock.
NEAP TIDE: A tide of less than
average range, caused by the gravitational forces of the moon and
the sun opposing each other.
NOTHING TO THE RIGHT (LEFT): Order
given to the helmsman not to allow the ship to' come to right (left)
of the course because of some danger lying on that side of the course.
OILSKINS: Originally, cotton clothing
waterproofed by several coats of linseed oil. Now applied to any
wet weather or waterproof clothing.
ORDINARY MOOR: Method of mooring
with anchors in which the up-stream anchor is dropped first.
OTC: Officer in tactical command.
OUTER BIGHT LINE: Line sometimes
used in the close in method of fueling. It extends from the receiving
ship to the outboard saddle.
OUTHAUL: In general, a line used
to haul a piece of gear from a ship. (SEE Inhaul.)
OVERHAUL: The act of drawing apart
the blocks of a tackle. One vessel overtaking another. In firefighting,
break up and rake over debris caused by the fire, to make sure there
are no smoldering embers.
PAINTER: Line used to make fast
a boat's bow.
PARBUCKLE: The act of hauling in
an object in the bight of a line. One end of the line is fixed and
the other end is used as the hauling part. The object acts as a
runner, thus the mechanical advantage is 2. (SEE Mechanical advantage.)
PARCEL: The act of wrapping a line
or splice in strips of canvasor cotton to build up a symmetrical
surface for serving.
PATENT ANCHOR: A stockless anchor.
PAULIN: Short form for tarpaulin.
PAY: After a seam in a wooden deck
or hull is caulked, it is payed by pouring pitch or other caulking
compound into the remaining unfilled space.
PAY OUT: Expresses the idea of "to
feed out." Past tense is "payed out."
PELICAN HOOK: A hook used to provide
an instantaneous release. It can be opened while under strain by
knocking away a locking ring that holds it closed.
PELORUS: Device for taking bearings;
consisting of a movable ring, graduated like a compass card, and
a pair of sighting vanes.
PENDANT: A single part of line
or wire used to extend the distance spanned by a purchase. A single
part of line or wire whose purpose is to provide a means for connecting
or disconnecting, as an anchor buoy pendant or a hauling pendant.
PIC: In plaited line, the distance
between adjacent crowns.
PIER: A structure, usually built
on piles, extending out into the water and providing a means for
vessels to moor alongside.
PIER HEAD: The outboard end of
a pier.
PIGSTICK: Familiar term for a small
staff bent to the truck halyards to which the commission pennant
is attached.
PINTLE: A pin fastened to the rudder
that fits into the gudgeon on the stern.
PITCH: Vertical rise and fall of
a vessel's bow and stern caused by a head sea or a following sea.
POSITION BUOY: A towing spar used
to mark the location of an object towing astern, as the end of a
magnetic sweep cable.
PREVENTER: Any line, wire, or chain
whose general purpose is to act as a safeguard if something else
carries away.
PUDDING: A bulky fender attached
to a strongback or to the stem or gunwales of a boat.
PUT AWAY: Expresses the idea of "to
leave by water," as "The boat put away from the ship."
PUT OFF: Same as put away, but
usually restricted to putting off from the shore.
PUT OUT: Expresses the idea of "putting
off and heading for sea."
QUARTER DECK: That portion of the
weather deck designated by the commanding officer for official ceremonies.
QUAY: (Pronounced, key) A loading
and discharging place, usually, paralleling the shore. Usual construction
consists of a masonry wall in the water, with fill between the wall
and the natural shore; the fill is paved over.
RADIAL DAVIT: One of a set of davits
of the type that swings out a boat one end at a time by rotation
of the davits. Also called a round bar davit.
RANGE: The distance an object is
from the observer. A navigational range consists of two markers,
some distance apart, located on a known line of true bearing. An
area designated for f'. particular purpose, such as a target range
or a degaussing range. In regard to tide, the total rise or fall
from low water to high, or vice versa.
RAT GUARD: A hinged metal disk
that can be secured to a mooring line to prevent rats from using
the line to gain access to the ship.
RATLINE: Three-strand, right -laid,
tarred hemp used chiefly nowadays for snaking on destroyer -type
vessels.
RAT-TAILED STOPPER: A braided tapering
stopper used on boat falls, mooring lines, etc.
REEVE: To pass or thread a rope
through a block or hole. Past tense is rove.
RELEASING HOOK: Hook on the lower
block of a boat fall, which remains closed as long as there is weight
on it, but tumbles and rejects the hoisting eye as soon as the weight
is taken off. Usually called an automatic releasing hook.
RIG: The act of setting up any
device or equipment containing rigging. Extended to cover setting
up any device or equipment, as to rig for divine services or movies.
RIGGING: A term for the lines and/or
wires that support a ship's masts, stack(s), yards, etc. (called
standing rigging), and the lines, wires, and tackles that hoist,
lower, and otherwise control the motion of her movable deck gear
(called running rigging. )
RIGHT-LAID: Refers to line or wire
in which the strands spiral along in a clockwise direction as one
looks along the line.
RODDLE: That part of a wire rope
clip into which the U-bolt is inserted.
ROLLER CHOCK: A chock fitted with
one or more rollers to reduce friction on mooring lines. On minesweepers,
such a chock provided for the magnetic sweep cable is called an
A-frame.
ROPE YARN SUNDAY: In the days of
sailing ships, deckhands often spent Sundays unlaying rope into
yarns and making oakum, hence "rope yarn Sunday." Later
the term was applied to periods during which sailors were allowed
to spend making their personal effects shipshape. Now the term is
applied to an otherwise workday that has been granted as a holiday
for the purpose of taking Care of personal business.
RUN AWAY: Run a line in as fast
as possible by taking hold and running down the deck with it. (SEE
Walk away.)
RUNNER: A purchase in which a single
block is free to move or "run" in the bight of the line.
RUNNING LIGHT: Anyone of the lights
required by law to be shown by a vessel underway. Not restricted
to the side lights, as many sailors believe.
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SALLY: The act of a party of men
running in a body fore and aft or athwart ships to create a desired
shift in weight. This might be done during an attempt to free a
grounded vessel or in order to time the period of roll for purposes
of computing stability factors.
SAMSON POST: Same as kingpost.
Also the single bitts in small boats.
SCHOONER GUY: Same as Midship guy.
SCOPE: Expresses the idea of "the number of fathoms out"
with regard to an anchor cable or a towing hawser.
SCULL: The act of propelling a
pulling boat by manipulating a single oar set in a notch in the
stern.
SCUPPER: The waterway along the
gunwales. Opening in the side through which waste water from a head
or galley is discharged. Extended to cover any type of drain opening.
SCUTTLE: Small openings in hatch
covers that allow access through the deck without undogging the
hatch. They usually are provided with quick opening and closing
covers. A sliding cover that closes the opening over a certain style
of companionway. The act of deliberately sinking a vessel.
SEA ANCHOR: Any device streamed
from the bow or stern of a vessel for the purpose of creating a
drag to hold her end-on to the sea.
SEA LADDER: Permanent ladder secured
to the ship's hull
SEA ROOM: A vessel with sea room
is well offshore or has plenty of room to maneuver.
SEIZING STUFF: 3-strand, right-hand,
rope laid stuff made in 6, 9, or 12 threads of American hemp.
SERVING: A smooth finish on a line
or wire, made by winding on close turns of mar line or seizing stuff
with a serving mallet.
SET: The direction toward which
the resultant of the forces of wind and current is acting. Is tending
to set the ship, in other words.
SET DOWN: Set to shoreward.
SET TAUT: Take out all the slack.
This order is given before "Hoist away."
SET UP: Tighten up. For example,
set up on dogs, gripes, turnbuckles, and so on.
SH: Line made from a mixture of
sisal and hemp.
SHAKE A LEG: An admonishment to
move faster.
SHEARS (SHEAR LEGS): Support used
in a hoisting rig consisting of two spars lashed together at the
head and set up so as to resemble an inverted V.
SHELL: Vessel's hull from the keel
to the main deck.
SHIP: The act of setting a stowed
or detached piece of apparatus in operating position, as to ship
a steering oar. A large, seagoing surface vessel having a crew quartered
on board and capable of extended independent operation.
SHORE: The land in general, but
usually refers to that part adjacent to the water. A timber or metal
member used as a prop. The act of setting up shores to support or
steady an article is called shoring up that article.
SHORT STAY: The situation when
the anchor cable has been hove in just short of causing the anchor
to break ground.
SHOT: One of the lengths of chain
which, when joined together, make up the anchor cable. A standard
shot is 15 fathoms long.
SHROUD: Piece of standing rigging
providing athwart ships support for a mast.
SIDE LIGHT: One of the colored
lights required by law to be shown by a vessel underway. The starboard
side light is green and the port side light is red.
SIGHT: An accurately timed measurement
of the altitude of a celestial body.
SIGHT THE ANCHOR: Heave the anchor
up to where it can be seen and then drop it again. This is done
to determine if the anchor is clear.
SINGLE UP: Take in the extra parts
of doubled up mooring lines, so that only a single part of each
line remains on the dock. The act of returning a doubled-up cargo
purchase to the status of a single whip.
SISTER HOOKS: Twin hooks in a thimble
or on a hinge which, when combined, form an eye.
SLACK: . The opposite of taut;
loose. Allow a rope or chain to run out, or feed it out.
SLACK AWAY: Go right on slacking.
SLING: A piece of line whose ends
are spliced together, passed around an article to be hoisted. Also
two or more legs spliced into a ring, manufactured to hoist a specific
article or type of article, such as boat slings and beam slings.
SLIP: When at anchor, disconnecting
the cable or letting the end of the cable run out (slipping the
cable). Space between two piers.
SLUSH: The act of applying a protective
coating to line or wire. The substance composing the protective
coating so applied.
SMALL STUFF: A general term for
any fiber line less than 1 3/4 inches in circumference.
SNAKING: Netting stretched between
the deck and the housing line or the foot rope to prevent personnel
and objects from being washed overboard.
SNATCH BLOCK: A single sheaved
block with a hinged strap that can be opened and the bight of a
rope inserted, making it unnecessary to reeve the end of the rope
through the block.
SNUB: Check a line, wire, or chain
quickly. A ship is snubbed by letting go the anchor, bringing the
ship up quickly.
SOUND: Determine the depth of the
water. The act of a whale or similar sea creature diving toward
the bottom. A body of water between the mainland and a large coastal
island.
SPAN: Reach, stretch, or spread
between two limits. Also the item that spans the limits, such as
the line or bar between davit heads, the cargo whips in a yard-and-stay
rig, and the chain in an anchor moor.
SPANNER: Wrench for tightening
couplings on a fire hose.
SPAR BUOY: Buoy consisting of a
floating spar, or of metal shaped like a spar.
SPOT: Locate or place, as spotting
boom heads for yard-and-stay transfer.
SPRING: Go ahead or astern on a
spring line to force the bow or stern in or out when mooring or
unmooring.
SPRING LAY: A rope in which each
strand consists partly of wire and partly of fiber.
SPRING LINE: A mooring line leading
forward or aft.
SPRING TIDE: Near the time of full
moon and new moon, the gravitational forces of the moon and the
sun act together, producing tides that are higher and lower than
average.
STANDARD RUDDER: The amount of
rudder angle required to cause a ship to make a turn within a certain
(standard tactical) diameter.
STAND BY: Be prepared to execute·
an order or a maneuver. Remain in the vicinity, prepared to render
assistance. Assume another's duties.
STAND IN (OUT): Head in or out
of a harbor. START: To induce motion, as to start a grounded vessel.
STAY: A piece of standing rigging
providing support fore and/or aft.
STEADY: Stop the swing.
STEERAGEWAY: Enough headway to
provide steering effect. When a vessel no longer answers her rudder,
she is said to have lost steerageway.
STEM: The foremost vertical extension
of the keel to which the forward ends of the strakes are attached.
STEM BAND: A metal band attached
to the stem of a wooden boat.
STEP: The act of erecting a mast.
The socket or other recess that holds the foot of a mast.
STERN FAST: A line used to make
a boat fast by the stern.
STERN SHEETS: After passenger space
in a boat.
STICK: A familiar term for mast.
STICK OUT: Payout, as to payout
the cable on a stern anchor winch.
STOP: One of a series of short
lines attached to the edge of an awning, boat cover, etc.; used
to lash the edge to a ridge rope, jackstay, or other support.
STOP OFF: The act of attaching
a stopper to a line, wire, or chain under a strain to hold the strain
temporarily while the rope or chain is being belayed.
STOPPER: A line or chain or a patented
device (such as a carpenter's stopper) used for stopping off a rope
or chain.
STOW: The act of packing articles
into a storage space, or cargo into a cargo space.
STRAIN: Tension.
STRAP: Usually means a short line
or wire having an eye in either end. However, a short piece of small
stuff with the ends spliced together is sometimes called a strap.
Also, that part of a block to which the hook or shackle is attached.
STREAM: The act of permitting a
tow to run out the desired distance or to the end of the towline.
Similar act with any towed device, as to stream sweep gear from
a minesweeper.
STRIKE: To shorten or douse. To
Lower.
STRINGER: Long timber between piles
at the edge of a pier. Horizontal member attached to the side between
frames and serving as a support for the end of a transverse (athwartships)
frame.
STRONGBACK: Heavy spar spanning
radial davits, against which a ready lifeboat is griped in. Heavy
steel clamp bolted across the top of a cargo hatch.
STRUT: Brace supporting the propeller
shaft.
STUD: Metal piece in a link of
anchor chain that keeps the link from kinking.
SURGE: To slack off a line by allowing
it to slip around the object to which it is secured. The act of
holding turns of a line on a gypsy in such a manner as to allow
the gypsy to rotate without heaving in on the line. Sudden strain
on a towing hawser caused by the pitching, sheering, or yawing of
the tow and/ or the towing vessel. The swell of the sea.
SWING: Progressive change of heading
caused by an angle on the rudder, or by a ship circling around her
anchor.
SWING OUT (IN): Swing a boat from
its stowed position to its lowering position. Reverse procedure
for swing in.
TAUT: Under tension; the opposite
of slack. A taut ship is one which is in a high state of discipline
and efficiency.
TENDER SHIP: A ship that heels
over easily when underway.
TIDE: The vertical rise and fall
of the ocean level caused by the gravitational force between the
earth and the moon (and to a lesser extent, between the earth and
the sun.
TOMMING, TOMMING DOWN: Securing
cargo against vertical movement.
TOP HAMPER: General term for a
ship's masts, stacks, and other rigging aloft.
TOPPING LIFT: Line, wire, or tackle
used to hoist, lower, and support the head of a cargo boom or the
outboard end of a sailing boom or boat boom.
TOP UP: Raise a boom to a working
angle by means of its topping lift.
TOWING SPAR: A spar or other wooden
device towed astern by ships in formation when visibility is poor
to assist in station keeping. (SEE Position buoy.)
TRANSVERSE: Part of the structure
of a ship running athwartships.
TROUGH: The valley between two
waves.
TUMBLE: The act of an automatic
releasing hook in opening upon release of the weight.
TWEEN DECKS: Means BETWEEN decks
and refers to cargo spaces located between the main deck and the
bottom of the hold.
TWO-BLOCK: Round in a tackle all
the way so that the blocks come together. Extended to mean hoist
an article to the highest position possible. In relation to signal
flags, this term has been replaced by "close up."
U -BOLT: A U -shaped bolt with
threads on each end. The bolt in a wire rope clip.
UNLAY: Untwist and separate the
strands of a rope.
UNMOOR: The act of letting go a
mooring buoy, letting go mooring lines, or if a ship is moored with
anchors, reconnecting each anchor to its own chain and heaving in
the anchors.
UNSHIP: The act of detaching or
unrigging any piece of apparatus from its operating position.
UP AND DOWN: The situation where
the anchor cable and the shank of the anchor lead up and down and
the crown of the anchor still is on the bottom. "
UP BEHIND: Slack off quickly and
run slack to belaying point. This order is given when a line or
wire has been stopped off or falls have been four-in-handed and
the hauling part is to be belayed.
VANG: A tackle fitted with one
or two wire pendants.
VANG GUY: A vang used to guy a
cargo or other boom.
VARIATION: Magnetic compass error
caused by the difference between the magnetic pole and the geographic
pole and certain local conditions. It is expressed in degrees east
or west.
VEER: Allow a line, wire, or chain
to run out by its own weight, as to veer cable by slacking the brake
on a disconnected windlass.
WAIST: The amidships section of
the main deck.
WALKAWAY: Haul on a line by taking
hold and walking down the deck, rather than hand-over-hand.
WALK BACK: Keeping control of the
load, walk toward the belaying point.
WALK OUT: Payout cable under power.
WARP: Move one end of a vessel
broadside by heaving on a line secured on the dock.
WARPING WINCH: Winch on the main
deck aft, used to warp in the stern when mooring alongside.
WATERBORNE: Afloat.
WEATHER: Expresses the idea of "the
one that is to windward." The act of surviving the onslaught
of the elements, as to weather a gale.
WEIGH ANCHOR: Hoist the anchor
clear of the bottom.
WET DOCK: Where the tidal range
is great, basins with gates are provided as docking places. The
ships enter at high tide and the gates are closed, keeping the water
in the basin when the tide ebbs.
WHARF: Same as a pier.
WHERRY: A pulling boat similar
to a dinghy, except that it cannot be rigged for sail.
WIND SHIP: To turn her end for
end; at a pier, for instance. (Pronounced wined. )
WING AND WING: With sails out on
opposite sides. This is done in sailing right before the wind.
WIRE DIAMETER: Refers to the diameter
of a chain measured at the end of a link a little above the centerline.
WISHBONE: A V -shaped brace that
supports the upper platform of an accommodation ladder or the platform
in the chains.
WORM: Lay marline or other small
stuff between the strands of a rope preparatory to parceling.
YARD-AND-STAY RIG: A method of
transferring a load from one point to another by means of whips
or tackles span the two points
YARD BOOM: Cargo boom plumbed over
ship's side. (Yard-and-stay rig.)
YAW: To veer suddenly and unintentionally
off the course.
YOKE: Athwartships piece atop the
rudder stock on a small craft; wheel ropes or tiller ropes are attached
to its ends.
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