A

Aback. The situation of the sails, when their surfaces are pressed aft against the mast, by the force of the wind.

Ahaft or aft. The sternmost part of the ship: Carry aft any thing; that is, carry towards the stern. The mast rakes aft, that is, hangs towards the stern. How cheer ye fore and aft? that is, How fares all the ship’s company?

Ahaft the Beam denotes the relative situation of any object with the ship, when the object is placed in any part of the arch of the horizon, which is contained between a line at right angles with the keel, and that point of the compass which is directly opposite to the ship’s course. See Bearing.

Aboard. The inside of a ship. Aboard Main Tack! The order to draw the lower corner of the mainsail down to the chestree.

About. The situation of a ship as soon as she has tacked or changed her course. About ship! the order to the ship’s crew to prepare for tacking.

Abreast. The situation of two or more ships lying with their sides parallel, and their heads equally advanced; in which case they are abreast of each other.

Adrift. The state of a ship broken from her moorings, and driving about without control.

Afloat. Buoyed up by the water from the ground.

Afore. All that part of a ship which lies forward or near the stem. It also signifies farther forward.

After. A phase applied to any object in the hinder part of the ship, as the after hatchway, the after-sails, &c.

Aground. The situation of a ship when her bottom or any part of it rests on the ground.

A-head. Any thing which is situated on that point of the compass to which a ship’s stem is directed, is said to be ahead of her. See Bearing.

A-hull. The situation of a ship when all her sails are furled and her helm is lashed to the lee side; by which she lies nearly with her side to the wind and sea, her head being somewhat inclined to the direction of the wind.

A-lee. The position of the helm when it is put down to the lee side.

All in the Wind. The state of a ship’s sails, when they are parallel to the direction of the wind, so as to shake or shiver.

All-hands-houy! The call by which all the ship’s company are summoned upon deck.

Aloft. Up in the tops, at the mast heads, or any where about the higher rigging.

Along-side. Side by side, or joined to a ship, wharf, &c.

Along-shore. Along the coast: a course which is in sight of the shore, and nearly parallel to it.

Aloof is distance. Keep aloof, that is, keep at a distance.

Amain. The old term for yield, used by a man of war to an enemy; but it now signifies any thing done suddenly, or at once, by a number of men.

Amidships. The middle of a shop, wither with regard to her length or breadth.

Anchor. The instrument by which a ship is held. The anchor is foul; that is, the cable has got about the fluke of the anchor. The anchor is a-peek; that is, directly under the hawse-hole of the ship. The anchor is a-cock-bill; that is, hangs up and down the ship’s side.

An-end. The position of any mast, &c. when erected perpendicularly on the deck. The top-masts are said to be an-end, when they are hoisted up to their usual station.

A peek. Perpendicular to the anchor; the cable having been drawn so tight as to bring the ship directly over it. The anchor is then said to be apeek.

Ashore. On the shore, as opposed to aboard. It also means aground.

Astern. Any distance behind a ship, as opposed to Ahead. See Bearing.

At Anchor. The situation of a ship riding by her anchor.

Athwart. Across the line of a ship’s course. Athwart Hawse; the situation of a ship when driven by accident across the fore part of another, whether the touch or are at a small distance from each other, the transverse position of the former being principally understood. Athward the fore Foot; when any object crosses the line of a ship’s course, but a-head of her, it is said to be athwart her Fore Foot. Athwart Ships; reaching or in a direction, across the ship from one side to the other.

Atrip. When applied to the anchor, it means that the anchor is drawn out of the ground, and hangs, in a perpendicular direction, by the cable or buoy-rope. The topsails are said to be atrip, when they are hoisted up to the mast-head, or to their utmost extent.

Avast. A term used for stop, or stay; as, avast heaving, do not heave any more.

Aweigh. The same as atrip when applied to the anchor.

Awning. A shelter or screen of canvass spread over the decks of a shop, to keep off the heat of the sun. Spread the awning, extend it so as to cover the deck. Furl the awning; that is roll it up.

B

To back the anchor. To carry out a small anchor ahead of the large one, in order to support it in bad ground, and to prevent it from loosening or coming home.

To back astern, in rowing, is to impel the boat with her stern foremost by means of the oars.

To back the sails. To arrange them in a situation that will occasion the ship to move astern.

To bagpipe the mizen. To lay it aback, by bringing the sheet to the mizen shrouds.

To balance. To contract a sail into a narrower compass, by folding up a part at one corner. Balancing is peculiar only to the mizen of a ship, and the mainsail of those vessels wherein it is extended by a boom.

Ballast, is either pigs of iron, stones or gravel, which last is called shingle ballast; and its use is to bring the ship down to her bearings in the water, which her provisions and stores will not do. Trim the ballast; that is, spread it about and lay it even. The ballast shoots; that is, it shifts, or runs over from one side of the hold to the other.

Bare poles. When a shop has no sail set, she is under bare poles.

Barge. A carvel built boat, that rows with ten or twelve oars.

Batten. A thin piece of wood. Batten down the hatches, is to lay battens upon the tarpaulins, which are over the hatches in bad weather, and nail them down, that they may not be washed off.

Beacon. A post or stake erected over a shoal, or sand bank as a warning to seamen to keep a distance. Also, a signal placed at the top of hills, &c.

Beams. Strong pieces of timber stretching across a ship side to side, to support the decks and retain the sides at their proper distance.

Bear a-hand. Make haste, dispatch.

Bearing signifies the point of the compass which an two or more places bear from each other, or how any place bears from the ship by the compass; or it may be said to bear on the beam, abaft the beam, on the bow, the head, or stern, &c.

Bearings of a Ship, is that line which is formed by the water upon her sides when she is at anchor, with her proportion of ballast, and stores on board. To bear to, is to sail into an harbour, &c. Bear round up; that is, put her right before the wind. Bring your guns to bear, is to point them to the object.

To Bear in with the land, is when a ship sails towards the shore.

To Bear off. To thrust or keep off from the ship’s side, &c. any weight when hoisting.

Bearing up, or Bearing away. The act of changing the course of a ship, in order to make her run before the wind, after she had sailed some time with a side wind, or close hauled; it is generally performed to arrive at some port under the lee, or to avoid some imminent danger occasioned by a violent storm, leak, or enemy in sight.

Beating to Windward. The making a progress against the direction of the wind, by steering alternately close hauled on the starboard and larboard tacks.

To Becalm. To intercept the current of the wind, in its passage to a ship, by any contiguous object, as a shore above her sails, a high sea behind, &c. and thus one sail is said to becalm another.

Before the Beam, denotes an arch of the horizon comprehended between the line of the beam (which is at right angles to the keel) and that point of the compass on which the ship stems. See Bearing.

Belay. To make fast any running rope, as, Belay the main brace, or make it fast.

Bend. To apply to and fasten; as, bend the sails, apply them to the yards and fasten them; unbend the sails, that is, cast them off, and take them from the yards; her sails are unbent, she has none fixed; bend the cable, make it fast to the anchor.

Beneaped. See Neaped.

Between Decks. The space contained between any two decks of a ship.

Bight of a rope. The double part of a rope when it is folded. Bight, a narrow inlet of the sea.

Bilge. To break. The ship is bilged; that is, her planks are broken in by violence.

Bilge-water, is that which, by reason of the flatness of a ship’s bottom, lies on her floor, and cannot go to the well of the pump.

Binnacle. A kind of box to contain the compasses in upon deck.

Birth. A place; as, the ship’s birth, the place where she is moored; an officer’s birth, his place in the ship to eat or sleep in; birth the ship’s company, that is, allot them their places to mess in; birth the hammocks, point out where each man’s hammock is to hang.

Bitts. Very large pieces of timber in the fore part of a ship, round which the cables are fastened when the ship is at anchor. After-Bitts, a smaller kind of bitts upon the quarter deck, for belaying the running rigging to.

To bitt the Cable, is to confine the cable to the bitts, by one turn under the cross piece, and another turn round the bitt-head. In this position it may be either kept fixed, or it may be veered away.

Bitter. The turn of the cable round the bitts. Bitter-end; that part of the cable which stays within board, round about the bitts, when the ship is at anchor.

Block. A piece of wood with running sheaves or wheels in it, through which the running rigging is passed to add to the purchase.

Board. To board a ship is to enter it in a hostile manner.

Board. To make a board is making a stretch upon any tack when a ship is working upon a wind. To board it up, that is to turn to windward. The ship has made a stern board, that is when she loses ground in working upon a wind.

Boatswain. The officer who has charge of all the cordage, rigging, anchors, &c.

Bold shore. A steep coast, permitting the close approach of shipping.

Bolt-rope. The rope which goes round a sail, and to which the canvass is sewed. The side ropes are called leach ropes, that at the top the head rope, and that at the bottom the foot rope.

Bonnet of a sail, is an additional piece of canvass put to the sail in moderate weather to hold more wind. Lace on the bonnet, that is, fasten it to the sail. Shake off the bonnet, take it off.

Boot topping. Cleaning the upper part of a ship’s bottom, or that part which lies immediately under the surface of the water, and daubing it over with tallow, or with a mixture of tallow, sulphur, rosin, &c.

Both sheets aft. The situation of a ship sailing right before the wind.

Bow-grace. A frame of old rope or junk, laid out at the bows, stems, and sides of ships to prevent them from being injured by flakes of ice.

Bow-lines. Lines made fast to the sides of the sails to haul them forward when upon a wind, which being hauled taut, enables the ship to come nearer to the wind.

To bowse. To pull upon any body with a tackle in order to remove it.

Bowsprit. A large mast or piece of timber which stands out from the bows of a ship.

Boxhauling. A particular method of veering a ship, when the swell of the sea renders tacking impracticable.

Boxing. An operation somewhat similar to Boxhauling. It is performed by laying the head sails aback, to receive the greatest force of the wind in a line perpendicular to their surfaces, in order to turn the ship’s head into the line of her course, after she had inclined to windward of it.

Braces. The ropes by which the yards are turned about to form the sails to the wind.

To brace the yards. To move the yards, by means of the braces, to any direction required. To brace about—to brace the yards round for the contrary tack.—To brace sharp—to brace the yards to a position in which they will make the smallest possible angle with the keel, for the ship to have head-way. To brace-to—to ease off the lee braces, and round in the weather braces, to assist the motion of the ship’s head in tacking.

Brails. A name peculiar only to certain ropes belonging to the mizzen, used to truss it up to the mast. But it is likewise applied to all the ropes which are employed in hauling up the bottoms, lower corners and skirts of the other great sails. To brail up—to haul up a sail by means of the brails, for the more ready furling it when necessary.

To break bulk. The act of beginning to unload a ship.

To break sheer. When a ship at anchor is forced, by the wind or current, from that position in which she seeps her anchor most free of herself and most firm in the ground, so as to endanger the tripping of her anchor, she is said to break her sheer.

Breaming. Burning off the filth from a ship’s bottom.

Breast-fast. A rope employed to confine a ship sideways to a wharf or to some other ship.

To bring by the lee--–See to breach to.

To bring to. To check the course of a ship when she is advancing, by arranging the sails in such a manner as that they shall counteract each other, and prevent her from either retreating or advancing. See to lie to.

To breach to. To incline suddenly to windward of the ship’s course, so as to present her side to the wind, and endanger her oversetting. The difference between broaching to and bringing by the lee may be thus defined: Suppose a ship under great sail is steering south, having the wind at N. N. W. then west is the weather-side, and east the lee-side. If, by any accident, her head turns round to the westward, so as that her sails are all taken a-back on the weather side, she is said to broach to. If, on the contrary, her head declines so far eastward as to lay her sails aback on that side which was the lee side, it is called bringing by the lee.

Broadside. A discharge of all the guns on one side of a ship both above and below.

Broken-backed. The state of a ship which is so loosened in her frame as to drop at each end.

By the board. Over the ship’s side.

By the head. The state of a ship when she is so unequally loaded as to draw more water forward than aft.

By the wind. The course of a ship as near as possible to the direction of the wind, which is generally within six points of it.

Bunt-lines. Ropes fastened to the foot rope of square sails to draw them up to the middle of the yards, for furling.

Buoy. A floating conical cask, moored upon shoals to show where the danger is; also used to anchors to show where they lie, in case the cable breaks.

C

Cap. A strong thick block of wood, having two large holes through it, the one square the other round; used to confine the two masts together.

Capsise. Overturn—the boat is capsized, that is overset. Capsise the quoil of rope, that is turn it over.

Capstan. An instrument by which the anchor is weighed out of the ground, used also for setting up the shrouds, and other work where a great purchase is required.

To Careen. To incline a ship on one side so low down, by the application of a strong purchase to her masts, as that her bottom on the other side may be cleaned by breaming.

To carry away. To break—as a ship has carried away her bowsprit, that is, has broken it off.

Casting. The motion of falling off, so as to bring the direction of the wind on either side of the ship after it had blown some time right a-head. It is particularly applied to a ship about to weigh anchor.

Cat-heads. The timbers on ship’s bows with sheaves in them, by which the anchor is hoisted after it has been hove up by the cable.

To cat the anchor is to hook the cat-block to the ring of the anchor and haul it up close to the cat head.

Cat’s paw is a light air of wind perceived at a distance in a calm, sweeping the surface of the sea very lightly, and dying away before it reaches the ship.

Caulking is filling the seams of a ship with oakum.

Centre. This word is applied to that squadron of a fleet, in a line of battle, which occupies the middle of the line; and to that column (in the order of sailing) which is between the weather and lee columns.

Chains. A place built on the sides of the ship projecting out, and at which the shrouds are fastened, for the purpose of giving them greater angle that they could have if fastened to the ship’s side, and of course giving them a greater power to secure the mast.

Chain-plates, are plates of iron fastened to the ship’s sides under the chains, and to these plates the dead eyes are fastened.

Chapelling. The act of turning a ship round in a light breeze of wind when she is close-handed, so that she will lie the same way she did before. This is usually occasioned by negligence in steering or by a sudden change of wind.

Chase. A vessel pursued by some other. Chaser—the vessel pursuing.

Cheerly, a phrase implying heartily; quickly, cheerfully.

To claw off. The act of turning to windward from a lee shore to escape shipwreck, &c.

Clear is variously applied—The weather is said to be clear when it is fair and open, the sea-coast is clear, when the navigation is not interrupted by rocks, &c. It is applied to cordage, cables, &c. when they are disentangled, so as to be ready for immediate service. In all these senses it is opposed to foul. To clear the anchor is to get the cable off the flukes, and to disencumber it of ropes ready for dropping. Clear hause—When the cables are directed to their anchors without lying athwart the stem. To clear the hause is to untwist the cables when they are entangled by having either a cross; an elbow or a round turn.

Clenched. Made fast, as the cable is to the ring of the anchor.

Close hauled. That trim of the ship’s sails, when she endeavors to make a progress in the nearest direction possible towards that point of the compass from which the wind blows.

To club haul. A method of tacking a ship when it is expected she will miss stays on a lee shore.

Clue-lines, are ropes which come down from the mast to the lower corners of the sails, and by which the corners or clews of the sails are hauled up.

Clue of a sail. The lower corners of square sails, but the aftermost only of stay sails, the other lower corner being called the tack.

To clue up. To haul up the clues of a sail to its yard by means of the clue lines.

Coasting. The act of making a progress along the sea coast of any country.

To coil the cable. To lay it round in a ring, one turn over another.

To come home. The anchor is said to come home when it loosens from the ground by the effort of the cable, and approaches the place where the ship floated, at the length of her moorings.

Coming to denotes the approach of a ship’s head to the direction of the wind.

Course. The point of the compass upon which the ship sails. Courses, a ship’s lower sails; as the fore-sail is the fore course, the main-sail the main-course, &c. The ship is under her courses, that is, has no sail set but the main-sail, fore-sail and mizen.

Coxswain. The person who steers the boat.

Crank. The ship is crank, that is, she has not a sufficient cargo or ballast to render her capable of bearing sail, without being exposed to the danger of oversetting.

Crow-foot, is a number of small lines spread from the fore parts of the tops, by means of the piece of wood through which they pass, and being hauled taut upon the stays, they prevent the foot of the topsails catching under the top rim; they are also used to suspend the awnings.

Cun. To direct. To cun a ship, is to direct the man at helm how to steer.

To cut and run. To cut the cable and make sail instantly, without waiting to weigh anchor.

D

Davit. A long beam of timber, used as a crane, whereby to hoist the flukes of the anchor to the top of the bow, without injuring the planks of the ship’s sides as it ascends. There is always a Davit of a smaller kind fixed to the long-boat to weigh the anchor by the buoy-rope.

To deaden a ship's way. To impede her progress through the water.

Dead eyes. Blocks of wood through which the lanyards of the shrouds are reeved.

Dead lights. A kind of window shutter for the windows in the stern of a ship, used in very bad weather only.

Dead water. The eddy of water, which appears like whirl-pools, closing in with the ship’s stern as she sails on.

Dead-wind. The wind right against the ship, or blowing from the very point to which she wants to go.

Dismasted. The state of a ship that has lost her masts.

Dog-vane. A small vane with feathers and cork, and placed on the ship’s quarter, for the men at cun and helm to see the course of the wind by.

Dog-watch. The watches from four to six, and from six to eight in the evening.

Doubling. The act of sailing round or passing beyond a cape or point of land. Doubling upon—The act of inclosing any part of a hostile fleet between two fires, or of cannon-nading it on both sides.

Douce. To strike or haul down; as, douce the top-gallant-sails, that is, lower them.

Down haul. The rope by which any sail is hauled down; as the job down-haul.

To dowse. To lower suddenly or slacken

To drag the anchor. To trail it along the bottom after it is loosened from the ground.

To draw. When a sail is inflated by the wind, so as to advance the vessel in her course, the sail is said to draw; and so to keep all drawing is to inflate all the sails.

Drift. The angle which the line of a ship’s motion makes with the nearest meridian, when she drives with her side to the wind and waves, and not governed by the power of the helm. It also implies the distance which the ship drives on that line.

Driver. A large sail set upon the mizen yards in light winds. Drive—The ship drives, that is, her anchor comes through the ground.

Drop. Used sometimes to denote the depth of a sail; as the for-top-sail drops twelve yards.

To drop anchor. Used synonymously with to anchor. To drop astern. The retrogade motion of a ship.

Dunnage. A quantity of loose wood, &c. laid at the bottom of a ship to keep the goods from being damaged.

E

Earings. Small ropes used to fasten the upper corners of sails to the yards.

To ease, to ease away, or to ease off. To slacken gradually; thus they say, ease the bowline, ease the sheet.

Ease the ship. The command given by the pilot, to the steersman, to put the helm hard a-lee, when the ship is expected to plunge her fore part deep in the water when close hauled.

To edge away. To decline gradually from the shore or from the line of the course which the ship formerly held in order to go more large.

To edge in with. To advance gradually towards the shore, or any other object.

Elbow in the Hawse. Is when a ship, being moored, has gone round upon the shifting of the tides twice the wrong way, so as to lay the cables one over the other: having gone once wrong, she makes a cross in the hawse, and going three times wrong, she makes a round turn.

End for end. A term used when a rope runs all out of a block, and is unreeved; or in coming to an anchor, if the stoppers are not well put on, and the cable runs all out, it is said to have gone out end for end.

End on. When a ship advances to a shore, rock, &c. without an apparent possibility of preventing her, she is said to go end on for the shore, &c.

Engagement. Action or fight.

Ensign. The flag worn at the stern of a ship.

Entering-port. A large port in the side of three dickers leading into the middle deck, to save the trouble of going up the ship’s side to get on board.

Even-keel. When the keel is parallel with the horizon, a ship is said to be upon an even keel.

F

Fair. A general term for the disposition of the wind when favorable to a ship’s course.

Fair-way. The channel of a narrow bay, river, or haven, in which ships usually advance in their passage up and down.

Fack or Fake. One circle of any rope or cable quoiled.

Fag-end. The end of any rope which is become untwisted by frequent use; to prevent which the ends of ropes are wound round with pieces of twine, which operation is called whipping.

To fall a-board of. To strike or encounter another ship when one or both are in motion. To fall a-stern.—The motion of a ship with her stern foremost. To fall calm.—To become in a state of rest by a total cessation of the wind. To fall down.—To sail or be towed down a river nearer towards its mouth.

Falling off denotes the motion of the ship’s head from the direction of the wind. It is used in opposition to coming to.

Fall not off, or nothing Off. The command of the steersman to keep the ship near the wind.

Fathom. A measure of six feet.

To fetch away. To be shaken or agitated from one side to another so as to loosen anything which before was fixed.

Fid. A square bar of wood or iron, with shoulders at one end, used to support the weight of the topmast, when erected at the head of a lower-mast.

Fid for Splicing. A large piece of wood of a conical figure; used to extend the strands and layers of cables in splicing.

To fill. To brace the sails so as to receive the wind in them, and advance to ship in her course, after they had been either shivering or braced a-back.

Fish. A large piece of wood. Fish the mast, apply a large piece of wood to it to strengthen it.

Fish-hook. A large hook by which the anchor is received and brought to the cat-head; and the tackle which is used for this purpose is called the fish-tackle.

To fish the anchor. To draw up the flukes of the anchor towards the top of the bow, in order to stow it, after having been catted.

Flag. A general name for colors worn and used by ships of war.

Flat Aft. The situation of the sails when their surfaces are pressed aft against the mast by the force of the wind.

To Flat in. To draw in the aftermost lower corner or clue, of a sail towards the middle of the ship, to give the sail a greater power to turn the vessel. To flat in forward.—To draw in the fore-sheet, jib-sheet, and fore-staysail sheet, towards the middle of the ship.

Flaw. A sudden breeze or gust of wind.

Floating. The state of being buoyed up by the water from the ground.

Flood-tide. The state of a tide when it flows or rises.

Flowing sheets. The position of the sheets of the principal sails when they are loosened from the wind so as to receive it into their cavities more nearly perpendicular than when close-hauled, but more obliquely than when the ship sails before the wind. A ship going two or three points large has flowing sheets.

Fore. That part of a ship’s frame and machinery that lies near the stem. Fore and aft. Throughout the whole ship’s length. Lengthways of the ship.

Fore-reach. To shoot a-head, or go past another vessel.

To force over. To force a ship violently over a shoal by a great quantity of sail.

Forward. Towards the fore part of a ship.

Foul. Is used in opposition both to clear and fair. As opposed to clear we say foul weather, foul bottom, foul ground, foul anchor, foul hawse. As opposed to fair, we say foul wind.

To Founder. To sink at sea by filling with water.

To Free. Pumping is said to free the ship when it discharges more water than leaks into her.

To Freshen. When a gale increases it is said to freshen. To freshen the Hawse. Veering out or heaving in a little cable to let another part of it endure the stress of the hawse-holes. It is also applied to the act of renewing the service round the cable at the hawse holes.

Freshen the Ballast. Divide or separate it.

Fresh way. When a ship increases her velocity, she is said to get fresh way.

Full. The situation of the sails, when they are kept distended by the wind.

Full and by. The situation of a ship, with regard to the wind, when close hawled; and sailing, so as to steer neither too nigh the direction nor to deviate to leeward.

To furl. To wrap or roll a sail close up to the yard or stay to which it belongs, and winding a cord round, to keep it fast.

G

Gage of the ship. Her depth of water, or what water she draws.

To gain the wind. To arrive on the weather side, or to windward of, some ship or fleet in sight, when both are sailing as near the wind as possible.

Gammon the bowsprit. Secure it by turns of a strong rope passed round it, and into the cat water, to prevent it from having too much motion.

Gangway. That part of a ship’s side, both within and without, by which persons enter and depart.

Garboard Streak. The first range or streak of planks laid in a ship’s bottom next the keel.

Gasket. The rope which is passed round the sail to bind it to the yard when it if furled.

To Gather. A ship is said to gather on another as she comes nearer to her.

Gimbleting. The action of turning the anchor round by the stock, so that the motion of the stock appears similar to that of the handle of a gimblet, when employed to turn the wire.

Girt. The ship is girt with her cables when she is too tight moored.

To Give Chase to. To pursue a ship or fleet.

Goose-Wings of a sail. The clues or lower corners of a ship’s mainsail or foresail, when the middle part is furled or tied up to the yard.

Grappling-iron. A thing in the nature of an anchor, with four or six flukes to it.

Greave. To burn off the filth from her bottom.

Gripe of a Ship. That thin part of her which is under the counter; and to which the stern-post joins. The ship gripes, that is, turns her head too much to the wind.

Grounding. The laying a ship a-shore, in order to repair her. It is also applied to running a-ground accidentally.

Ground-tackle. Every thing belonging to a ship’s anchors, and which are necessary for anchoring or mooring; such as cables, hawsers, tow-lines, warps, buoy-ropes, &c.

Ground-tier. That is, the tier of water-casks which is lowest in the hold, and is among the shingle ballast.

Growing. Stretching out; applied to the direction of the cable from the ship towards the anchors: as, the cable Grows on the starboard bow.

Grummet. A piece of rope laid into a circular form, and used for large boat’s oars instead of rowlocks, and also for many other purposes.

Gunnel. The upper edge of a ship’s side.

Gun-room. A division of the lower deck abaft, inclosed with net-work, for the use of the gunner and his stores.

Gybing. The act of shifting any boom-sail from one side of the mast to the other.

H

Hail. To call to another ship.

Haliards. The ropes by which the sails are hoisted, as the top-sail haliards, the jibb haliards, &c.

Handing. The same as furling.

Hard a-weather. Put the tiller quite up to windward.

Haul. Pull.

To Haul the wind. To direct the ship’s course nearer to the point from which the wind blows.

Hawse-holes. The holes in the bows of the ship through which the cables pass. Freshen hawse, veer out more cable. Clap a service in the hawse, put somewhat round the cable at the hawse-hold to prevent its chafing. To clear hawse, is to untwist the cables where a ship is moored, and has got a foul hawse. Athwart hawse, is to be across or before another ship’s head.

Hawser. A small kind of cable.

Head-fast. A rope employed to confine the head of a ship to a wharf or to some other ship. Headmost. The situation of any ship or ships which are the most advanced in a fleet.

Head sails. All the sails which belong to the fore-mast and bowsprit.

Head sea. When the waves meet the head of a ship in her course, they are called a head-sea. It is likewise applied to a single wave coming in that direction.

Head-to-wind. The situation of a ship when her head is turned to the point from which the wind blows, as it must when tacking.

Head-way. The motion of advancing, used in opposition to stern-way.

To Heave. To turn about a capstan, or other machine of the like kind, by means of bars, handspikes, &c. To Heave a-head, to advance the ship by heaving-in the cable or other rope fastened to an anchor at some distance before her. To Heave a-peek, to heave-in the cable, till the anchor is a-peek. To Heave a-stern, to move a ship backwards by an operation similar to that of heaving a-head. To Heave down, to careen. To Heave in the cable, to draw the cable into the ship, by turning the capstan. To Heave in stays, to bring a ship’s head to the wind, by a management of the sails and rudder, in order to get on the other tack. To Heave out, to unfurl or loose a sail; more particularly applied to the staysails; thus we say, loose the topsails, and heave out the staysails. To Heave short, to draw so much of the cable into the ship, as that she will be almost perpendicularly over her anchor. To Heave tight or taut, to turn the capstan round till the tope or cable becomes straightened. To Heave the capstan, to turn it round. To Heave the lead, to throw the lead overboard, in order to find the depth of water. To Heave the log, to throw the log overboard, in order to calculate the velocity of the ship’s way. Heave the capstan, that is, turn it round with the bars. Heave handsomely, heave gently or leisurely. Heave hearty, heave strong and quick.

Heave of the sea, is the power that the swell of the sea has upon a ship in driving her out, or faster on, in her course, and for which allowance is made in the day’s work.

Heel, or incline. She heels to port, that is, inclines or lays down upon her larboard or left side.

Helm. The instrument by which the ship is steered, and includes both the wheel and the tiller, as one general term. Helm’s-a-lee, that is, the tiller is quite down to leeward.

High and dry. The situation of a ship when so far run a-ground as to be seen dry upon the strand.

Hitch. To make fast.

Hoist. To hawl, sway, or lift up.

Hold, is the space between the lower deck and the bottom of a ship, where her stores, &c. lie. To stow the hold, is to place the things in it.

To hold its own, is applies to the relative situation of two ships when neither advances upon the other; each is then said to hold its own. It is likewise said of a ship which by means of contrary winds, cannot make a progress towards her destined port, but which, however, keeps nearly the distance she had already run.

Home, implies the proper situation of any object; as, to hawl home the topsail sheets is to extend the bottom of the topsail to the lower yard, by means of the sheets. In stowing a hold, a cask, &c. is said to be home, when it lies close to some other object.

Hulk. A ship without masts or rigging; also a vessel to remove masts into or out of ships by means of sheers, from whence they are called sheer hulks.

Horse. A rope reaching from the middle of a yard to its arms or extremities, for the men to stand on when they are loosing, reefing, or furling a sail.

Hull of the ship, the body of it. To lay a hull, is to lay to with only a small sail in a gale of wind. To hull a vessel, is to fire a shot into any part of her hull. Hull down, is when a ship is so far off, that you can only see her masts. To hull a ship—to fire cannon-balls into her hull within the point-bland range. Hull-to—the situation of a ship when she lies with all her sails furled; as in trying.

I

In stays. See to heave in stays.

J

Jamming. The act of inclosing any object between two bodies so as to render it immovable.

Jeer-blocks. The blocks through which jeers are reeved.

Jeers. The ropes by which the lower yards are suspended.

Jibb. The foremast sail of a ship, set upon a boom which runs out from the bowsprit. Jibb-boom. A spar that runs out upon the bowsprit.

Jolly-boat. A small boat.

Junk. Old cable, or old rope.

Jury-mast. A temporary or occasional mast erected in a ship in the place of one which has been carried away by accident, &c.

K

Kedge. A small anchor with an iron stock.

Keel. The principal piece of timber in a ship, which is usually first laid on the blocks in building.

Keel-haul. To drag a person backwards and forwards under a ship’s keel for certain offences.

Keckled. Any part of a cable, covered over with old ropes, to prevent its surface from rubbing against the ship’s bow or fore foot.

To keep a-way. To alter the ship’s course to one rather more large, for a little time, to avoid some ship, danger, &c. Keep away is likewise said to the steersman, who is apt to go to windward of the ship’s course. To Keep Full—to keep the sails distended by the wind. To Keep Hold of the land—to steer near to or in sight of the land. To Keep Off—to sail off or keep at a distance from the shore. To Keep the land aboard—the same as to keep hold of the land. To Keep the luff—to continue close to the wind. To Keep the wind—the same as to keep the luff.

Kelson. A piece of timber forming the interior of the keel; being laid on the middle of the floor timbers immediately over the keel, and serving to unite the former to the latter.

Kentledge. Pigs of iron for ballast, laid upon the floor, near the kelson, fore and aft.

Kenk. A sort of twist or turn in a cable or rope.

Knippers. A large kind of plated rope, which being twisted round the messenger and cable in weighing, bind them together.

Knot. A division of log line, answering, in the calculation of the ship’s velocity, to one mile.

L

To Labour. To roll or pitch heavily in a turbulent sea.

Laden in bulk. Freighted with a cargo not packed, but lying loose, as corn, salt, &c.

Laid Up. The situation of a ship when moored in a harbour, for want of employ.

Land Fall. The first land discovered after a sea-voyage. Thus a good land fall implies the land expected or desired; a bad land fall the reverse.

Land-Locked. The situation of a ship surrounded with land, so as to exclude the prospect of the sea, unless over some intervening land.

Laniards of the shrouds, are the small ropes at the ends of them, by which they are hove taut or tight.

Larboard. The left side of a ship, looking towards the head. Larboard-Tack—the situation of a ship when sailing with the wind blowing upon her larboard side.

Lash. To bind.

Lauch-ho, signifies high enough, or lower.

Laying the Land. A ship which increases her distance from the coast, so as to make it appear lower and smaller, is said to lay the land.

Leading-Wind. A fair wind for a ship’s course.

Leak. A chink or breach in the sides or bottom of a ship, through which the water enters into the hull.

Lee. That part of the hemisphere to which the wind is directed, to distinguish it from the other part which is called to windward. Lee-Gage—a ship or fleet to leeward of another is said to have the lee-gage. Lee-Lurches—the sudden and violent rolls which a ship often takes to leeward, in a high sea; particularly when a large wave strikes her on the weather side. Lee-Quarter—that quarter of a ship which is on the lee-side. Lee-shore—that shore upon which the wind blows. Lee-Side—that half of a ship lengthwise, which lies between a line drawn through the middle of her length and the side which is farthest from the point of wind. To Leeward—towards that part of the horizon to which the wind blows. Leeward-Ship—a ship that falls much to leeward of her course, when sailing close-hauled. Leeward-Tide—a tide that sets to leeward. Lee-Way—the lateral movement of a ship to leeward of her course; or the angle which the line of her way makes with a line in the direction of her keel.

To Lie along. To be pressed down sideways by a weight of sail in a fresh wind.

Leeches. The borders or edges of a sail.

To Lie to. To retard a ship in her course, by arranging the sails in such a manner as to counteract each other with nearly an equal effort, and render the ship almost immoveable with respect to her progressive motion or head way.

Lifts. The ropes which come to the ends of the yards from the mast-heads, and by which they are suspended when lowered down.

Limbers, or Limber-holes. Square holes cut through the lower part of a ship’s floor timbers, very near the keel; forming a channel for water, and communicating with the pump well throughout the whole length of the floor.

List. Incline. The ship has a list to port, that is, she heels to the larboard.

Log, and Log-line, by which the ship’s path is measured, and her rate of going ascertained.

Log-board, on which is marked the transactions of the ship, and from thence it is copied into the log-book every 24 hours.

A Long Sea. An uniform motion of long waves.

Look out. A watchful attention to some important object or event that is expected to arise. Thus persons on board of a ship are occasionally stationed to look out for signals, other ships, for land, &c.

To loose. To unfurl or cast loose any sail.

To lower. To ease down gradually.

Luff. The order to the steersman to put the helm towards the lee side of the ship, in order to sail nearer to the wind.

To make a board. To run a certain distance upon one tack, in beating to windward. To make foul water—to muddy the water, by running in shallow places, so that the ship’s keel disturbs the mud at bottom. To make sail—to increase the quantity of sail already set, either by unreefing or by setting others. To make stern way—to retreat or move with the stern foremost. To make the land—to discover it from afar. To make water—to leak.

To man the yard, &c. To place men on the yard, in the tops, down the ladder, &c. to execute any necessary duties.

M

Mast. The upright timber or trees on which the yards and sails are set.

Masted. Having all her masts complete.

Mend the service. Put on more service.

Messenger. A small kind of cable, which being brought to the capstan, and the cable by which the ship rides made fast to it, it purchases the anchor.

To middle a rope. To double it into two equal parts.

Midships. See Amidships.

To miss stays. A ship is said to miss stays when her head will not fly up into the direction of the wind, in order to get her on the other tack.

Mizen Mast. The mast which stands abaft, and from which its rigging and sails are named, as of the sails, mizen, mizen top-sail, &c. and so also are the other sails, &c. named from the other masts.

Moor, is to secure a ship with two anchors. Mooring—securing a ship in a particular station by chains or cables, which are either fastened to an adjacent shore or to anchors at the bottom. Mooring service—when a ship is moored, and rides at one cable’s length, the mooring service is that which is at the first splice.

Mouse. A kind of ball or knob, wrought upon the collar of the stays.

Muster. To assemble.

N

Narrows. A small passage between two lands.

Neap tides. The tides in the first and last quarter of the moon, and are not either so high, so low, or so rapid as spring tides. A ship is said to be beneaped when she has not water enough to take her off the ground, or over the bar, &c.

Near or no near. An order to the steersman not to keep the ship so close to the wind.

Nippers. Certain pieces of cordage used to fasten the messenger to the cable in heaving up the anchor.

Nothing off. A term used by the man at the cun to the steersman, directing him not to go from the wind.

Nun-buoy. The kind of buoys used by ships of war.

O

Oakum. Old rope untwisted and pulled open.

Off and on. When a ship is beating to windward, so that by one board she approaches towards the shore, and by the other stands out to sea, she is said to stand off and on shore.

Offing. To seaward from the land. A ship is in the offing, that is, she is to seaward, at a distance from the land. She stands for the offing, that is, towards the sea.

Offward. From the shore; as when a ship lies aground and leans towards the sea, she is said to heel offward.

On board. Within the ship, as, he is come on board.

On the beam. Any distance from the ship on a line with the beams, or at right angles with the keel. See bearing.

On the bow. An arch of the horizon, comprehending about four points of the compass on each side of that point to which the ship’s head is directed. Thus, they say, the ship in sight bears three points on the starboard bow; that is, three points towards the right hand, from that part of the horizon which is right a-head. See Bearing.

Open. The situation of a place exposed to the wind and sea. It is also expressed of any distant object to which the sight or passage is not intercepted.

On the quarter. An arch of the horizon, comprehending about four points of the compass on each side of that point to which the ship’s stern is directed. See on the bow.

Open Hawse. When the cables of a ship at her moorings lead straight to their respective anchors, without crossing, she is said to ride with an open hawse.

Orlop. The deck on which the cables are stowed.

Over-board. Out of the ship: as, he fell over-board, meaning he fell out of, or from the ship.

Over-grown Sea, is expressed of the ocean when the surges and billows rise extremely high.

Over-haul. To clear away and disentangle any rope; also to come up with the chase; as we over-haul her, that is, we gain ground of her.

Over-Rake. When a ship at anchor is exposed to a head-sea, the waves of which break in upon her, the waves are said to over-rake her.

Over-set. A ship is over-set when her keel turns upwards.

Out-of-trim. The state of a ship, when she is not properly balanced for the purposes of navigation.

P

Parcel a rope. Is to put a quantity of old canvass round it before the service is put on. Parcel a seam. Is to lay a narrow piece of canvass over it after it is caulked, before it is payed.

Parliament heel. The situation of a ship when she is made to stoop a little to one side, so as to clean the upper part of her bottom on the other side. See Boot-topping.

Parting. Being driven from the anchors, by the breaking of the cable.

Pawl. A short bar of wood or iron fixed close to the capstern or windlass of a ship, to prevent those engines from rolling back, or giving way, when they are charged with any great effort.

To Pawl the capstan. To fix the pawls, so as to prevent the capstern from recoiling, during any pause of heaving.

To pay. To daub or cover the surface of any body with pitch, tar, &c. in order to prevent it from the injuries of the weather.

To pay away or pay out. To slacken a cable or other rope, so as to let it run out for some particular purpose.

To pay off. To move a ship’s head to leeward.

To peck the mizen. To put up the mizen yard perpendicular by the mast.

Peck. To ride a stay peck, is when the cable and the fore-stay form a line. To ride a short peck, is when the cable is so much in as to destroy the line formed by the stay-peck. To ride with the yards a peck, is to have them topped up by contrary lifts, so as to represent St. Andrew’s cross.

Pendant. The long narrow flag worn at the mast-head by all ships of the navy. Brace pendants are those ropes which secure the brace-blocks to the yard arms, and are in general double, in case of one being shot away, the other may secure the yards in its proper position.

Broad Pendant. A kind of flag terminating in a point used to distinguish the chief of a squadron.

Pitching. The movement of a ship, by which she plunges her head and after part alternately into the hollow of the sea.

Point-Blank. The direction of a gun when levelled horizontally.

Points. A number of plated ropes made fast to the sails for the purpose of reefing.

Poop. The highest and aftermost deck of a ship.

Pooping. The shock of a high and heavy sea upon the stern or quarter of a ship, when she scuds before the wind in a tempest.

Port. A name given on some occasions to the larboard side of the ship; as, the ship heels to port, top the yards to port, &c. Also a harbour or haven.

Ports. The holes in the ship’s sides from which the guns are fired.

Port the helm! The order to put the helm over the larboard side.

Port-last. The gunnel.

Press of Sail. All the sail a ship can set or carry.

Preventer. An additional rope employed at times to support any other, when the latter suffers an unusual strain, particularly when blowing fresh, or in a gale of wind.

Pudding and Dolphin. A large and lesser pad made of ropes, and put round the masts under the lower yards.

Purchase. Any sort of mechanical power employed in raising or removing heavy bodies.

Q

Quarters. The respective stations of the officers and people in time of action. Quartering, distributing the men into different places. Quarter-bill, the list of the ship’s company, with their stations for action noticed.

Quarter-wind, is when the wind blows in abaft the main shrouds.

Quoil, is a rope or cable laid up round, one fake over another.

R

To Raise. To elevate any distant object at sea by approaching it; thus, to raise the land is used in opposition to lay the land.

To Rake. To cannonade a ship at the stern or head, so that the balls scour the whole length of the decks.

Range of Cable. A sufficient length of cable drawn upon deck before the anchor is cast loose, to admit of its sinking to the bottom without any check.

Ratings. The small ropes fastened to the shrouds, by which the men go aloft.

Reach. The distance between any two points on the banks of a river, wherein the current flows in an uninterrupted course.

Ready about! A command of the boatswain to the crew, and implies that all the hands are to be attentive and at their stations for tacking.

Rear. The last division of a squadron or the last squadron of a fleet. It is applied likewise to the last ship of a line, squadron, or division.

Reef. Part of a sail from one row of eyelet holes to another. It is applied likewise to a chain of rocks lying near the surface of the water.

Reefing. The operation of reducing a sail by taking in one or more of the reefs.

To reeve. To pass the end of a rope through any hole, as the channel of a block, the cavity of a thimble, &c.

Rendering. The giving way or yielding to the efforts of some mechanical power. It is used in opposition to jambing or sticking.

Ribs of a Ship. A figurative expression for the timbers.

Ride at anchor, is when a ship is held by her anchors, and is not driven by wind or tide. To ride athwart, is to ride with the ship’s side to the tide. To ride hawse fallen, is when the water breaks into the hawse in a rough sea.

Rigging. A general name given to all the ropes employed to support the masts, to extend or reduce the sails, or to arrange them to the disposition of the wind.

Righting. Restoring a ship to an upright position, either after she has been laid on a careen, or after she has been pressed down on her side by the wind.

To right the helm, is to bring it into midships, after it has been pushed either to starboard or larboard.

Rigging out a boom. The running out a pole at the end of a yard to extend the foot of a sail.

To rig the capstern. To fix the bars in their respective holes.

Roud. A place near the land where ships may anchor, but which is not sheltered.

Robands, or Ropebands. Short flat pieces of plaited rope having an eye worked at one end, they are used in pairs to tie the upper edges of the square sails to their respective yards.

Rolling. The motion by which a ship rocks from side to side like a cradle.

Rough-Tree. A name applied to any mast, yard, or boom, placed in merchant ships, as a rail or fence above the vessel’s side, from the quarter deck to the fore castle.

Rounding-in. The pulling upon any rope which passes through one or more blocks in a direction nearly horizontal; as, round in the weather-braces.

Rounding. Old ropes fastened on the cable near the anchor to keep it from chafing.

Round-turn. The situation of the two cables of a ship when moored, after they have been several times crossed by the swinging of the ship.

Rounding up. Similar to rounding-in, except that it is applied to ropes and blocks which act in a perpendicular direction.

To Row. To move a boat with oars.

Rowsing. Pulling up a cable or rope without the assistance of tackles.

Rudder. The machine by which the ship is steered.

Rullock. The nitch in a boat’s side, in which the oars are used.

Run. The aftermost part of a ship’s bottom, where it grows extremely narrow as the stern approaches the stern post. Run is also the distance sailed by a ship; and is likewise used by sailors to imply the agreement to work a single passage from one place to another.

To run out a warp. To carry the end of a rope out from a ship in a boat, and fastening it to some distant object, so that by it the ship may be removed by pulling on it.

S

To Sag to leeward. To make considerable lee-way.

Sailing-trim is expressed of a ship when in the best state for sailing.

She sands and sends. When the ship’s head or stern falls deep in the trough of the sea.

Scanting. The variation of the wind by which it becomes unfavorable to a ship’s making great progress, as it deviates from being large, and obliges the vessel to steer close-hauled or nearly so.

Scudd. To go right before the wind; and going in this direction without any sail set is called spooning.

Scuttling. Cutting large holes through the bottom or sides of a ship, either to sink her or to unlade her expeditiously when stranded.

Sea. A large wave is so called. Thus, they say a heavy sea. It implies likewise the agitation of the ocean, as, a great sea. It expresses the direction of the waves, as, a head sea. A long sea means a uniform and steady motion of long and extensive waves, a short sea on the contrary, is when they run irregularly, broken and interrupted.

Sea-boat. A vessel that bears the sea firmly, without straining her masts, &c.

Sea-clothes. Jackets, trowsers, &c.

Sea-mark. A point or object on shore conspicuously seen at sea.

Sea-room. A sufficient distance from the coast or any dangerous rocks, &c. so that a ship may perform all nautical operations without danger of shipwreck.

Seize. To bind or make fast.

Serve. To wind something about a rope to prevent it from chafing or fretting. The service is the thing so wound about the rope.

Setting. The act of observing the situation of any distant object by the compass.

To set sail. To unfurl and expand the sails to the wind, in order to give motion to the ship.

To set up. To increase the tension of the shrouds, back-stays, &c. by tackles, lanyards, &c.

Settle. To lower; as, settle the topsail haliards, lower them.

To Settle the land. To lower in appearance. It is synonymous with to lay the land.

Shank. The beam or shaft of any anchor.

Shank-painter. The rope by which the shank of the anchor is held up to the ship’s side; is also made fast to a piece of iron chain, in which the shank of the anchor lodges.

To Shape a course. To direct or appoint the tract of a ship in order to prosecute a voyage.

Sheer. The sheer of the ship is the curve that is between the head and the stern upon her side. The ship sheers about, that is, she goes in and out.

To Sheer off. To remove to a greater distance.

Sheers, are spars lashed together and raised up for the purpose of getting out or in a mast.

Sheet. A rope fastened to one or both of the lower corners of a sail, in order to extend and retain it in a particular situation. When a ship sails with a side wind, the lower corner of the main and fore-sails are fastened by a tack and a sheet, the former being to windward, and the latter to leeward, the tack is however, only disused with a stern wind, whereas the sail is never spread without the assistance of one or both of the sheets; the stay-sails and studden sails have only one tack and one sheet each; the stay-sail tacks are fastened forward, and the sheets drawn aft, but the studden-sail tacks, draw the outer corner of the sail to the extremity of the boom, while the sheet is employed to extend the inner corner.

To Sheet home. To haul the sheets of a sail home to the block on the yard-arm..

To Shift the helm. To alter its position from right to left or from left to right.

To Ship. To take any person, goods, or thing on board. It also implies to fix any thing in its proper place, as to ship the oars, to fix them in their rullocks.

Ship-Shape. In a seaman-like manner; as that mast is not rigged ship-shape; put her about ship-shape, &c.

Shivering. The state of a sail when fluttering in the wind.

Shoal. Shallow.

Shoe the anchor. A small block of wood convex on the back, and having a hole sufficiently large to contain the point of the anchor-fluke on the fore side; it is used to prevent the anchor from tearing the planks on the ship’s bow, when ascending or descending.

To Shoot a-head. To advance forward.

Shore. A general name for the sea coast of any country.

To shorten sail. Used in opposition to make sail.

Shrouds. A range of large ropes extended from the mast heads to the right and left sides of a ship, to support the mast, and enable them to carry sail.

Sinnett. A small plated rope, made from rope-yarns.

Slack-water. The interval between the flux and reflux of the tide, when no motion is perceptible in the water.

Slatch, is applied to the period of a transitory breeze.

To slip the cable. To let it run quite out when there is not time to weigh the anchor.

To slue. To turn any cylindrical piece of timber about its axis without removing it. Thus, to slue a mast or boom; is to turn it in its cap or boom iron. Also to turn any package or cask round.

Sound. To try the depth of water.

Sounding-line. A line to sound with, which is marked in the following manner: Black leather, at 2 and 3 fathoms, white at 5, red at 7, black at 10, white at 13, (some seamen use black at 10 and 13) white at 15 as at 5, red at 17 as at 7, two knots at 10 fathoms, and an additional knot at every 10 fathoms, with a single knot midway between each 10 fathoms to mark the line at every five fathoms.

To Spell the Mizen. To let go the sheet and peek it up.

To Spill. To discharge the wind out of the cavity or belly of a sail, when it is drawn up in the brails, in order to furl or reef it.

Spilling-lines, are ropes contrived to keep the sails from being blown away, when they are clewed up in blowing weather.

Splice. To make two ends of ropes fast together by untwisting them, and then putting the strands of one piece with the strands of the other.

Split. The state of a sail rent by the violence of the wind.

Spoon-drift. A sort of showery sprinkling of the sea-water, swept from the surface of the waves in a tempest, and flying like a vapour before the wind.

Spray. The sprinkling of a sea, driven occasionally from the top of a wave, and not continual as a spoon-drift.

To Spring a mast, yard &c. To crack a mast, yard, &c. by means of straining in blowing weather, so that it is rendered unsafe for use. To Spring a leak. When a leak first commences, a ship is said to spring a leak. To spring the luff. A ship is said to spring her luff, when she yields to the effort of the helm by sailing nearer to the wind than before.

Spring-stays, are rather smaller than the stays and placed above them, and intended to answer the purpose of the stay if it should be shot away, &c.

Spring-tides, are the tides at new and full moon, which flow highest and ebb lowest.

Spurling Line, is a line that goes round a small barrel, abaft the barrel of the wheel, and coming to the front beam of the poop deck, moves the tell tale with the turning of the wheel, and keeps it always in such position, as to shew the position of the tiller.

Spur-shoes, are large pieces of timber which come abaft the pump-well.

Squall. A sudden violent blast of wind.

Square. This term is applied to yards that are very long, as taunt is to high masts.

To square the yards. To brace the yards so as to hang at right angles with the keel.

To stand on. To continue advancing. To stand in. To advance towards the shore. To stand off. To recede from the shore.

Starboard. The right hand side of the ship when looking forward. Starboard-tack. A ship is said to be on the starboard tack when sailing with the wind blowing upon her starboard side.

Starboard the helm! An order to push the helm to the starboard side.

To stay a ship. To arrange the sails and move the rudder so as to bring the ship’s head to the direction of the wind in order to get her on the other tack.

Stays. Large ropes coming from the mast heads down before the masts, to prevent them from springing, when the ship is sending deep.

Steady! The order to the helmsman to keep the ship in the direction she is going at that instant.

Steering. The art of directing the ship’s way by the movement of the helm.

Steerage-way. Such degree of progressive motion of a ship as will give effect to the motion of the helm.

Stem. A circular piece of timber into which the two sides of a ship are united at the fore-end; the lower end is scarfed to the keel; and the bowsprit rests on the upper end.

To stem the tide. When a ship is sailing against the tide at such a rate as enables her to over-come its power, she is said to stem the tide.

Steeve. Turning up. The bowsprit steeves too much, that is, it is too upright.

Sternfast. A rope confining a ship by her stern to any other ship or wharf.

Sternmost. The farthest a-stern, opposed to headmost.

Sternway. The motion by which a ship falls back with her stern foremost.

Stiff. The condition of a ship when she will carry a great quantity of sail without hazard of oversetting. It is used in opposition of crank.

Stoppers. Large kind of ropes, which being fastened to the cable in different places abaft the bitts, are an additional security to the ship at anchor.

To Stow. To arrange and dispose a ship’s cargo.

Strand. One of the twists or divisions of which a rope is composed. It also implies flat sea beach.

Stranded. This term, speaking of a cable or rope, signifies that one of its strands is broken; applied to a vessel, it means that she has run a-ground and is lost.

To Stream to buoy. To let it fall from the ship’s side into the water, previously to casting anchor.

Stretch out. A term used to men in a boat when they should pull strong.

To Strike. To lower or let down any thing. Used emphatically to denote the lowering of colours in token of surrender to a victorious enemy.

To Strike sounding. To touch ground when endeavoring to find the depth of water.

Sued or Sewed. When a ship is on shore and the water leaves her, she is said to be sued; if the water leaves her two feet, she sues, or is sued two feet.

Surf. The swell of the sea that breaks upon shore or on any rock.

To Surge the capstern. To slacken the rope heaved round upon it.

Sway away. Hoist.

Swell. The fluctuating motion of the sea either during or after a storm.

Sweeping. The act of dragging the bight or loose part of a rope along the surface of the ground, in a harbour or road, in order to drag up something lost.

Swinging. The act of a ship’s turning round her anchor at the change of wind or tide.

T

To Tack. To turn a ship about from one tack to another by bringing her head to the wind.

Taffarel. The uppermost part of a ship’s stern.

Taking in. The act of furling the sails. Used in opposition to setting.

Taking a-back. See a-back.

Tampins or Tomkins. The bung, or piece of wood, by which the mouth of a cannon is filled to keep out wet.

Tarpaulin. A cloth of canvass covered with tar or some other composition, so as to make it water proof.

Taught. Improperly though very generally used for tight.

Taunt. High or tall. Particularly applied to masts of extraordinary length.

Tell-tale. An instrument which traverses upon an index in the front of the poop deck, to shew the position of the tiller.

Tending. The turning or swinging of a ship round her anchor in a tide-way at the beginning of ebb and flood.

Thwart. See a-thwart. Thwart ships. See a-thwart ships.

Thus! An order to the helmsman to keep the ship in her present situation, when sailing with a scant wind.

To tide. To work in or out of a river, harbour, or channel, by favor of the tide, and anchoring whenever it becomes adverse.

Tide it up. To go with the tide against the wind.

Tide-way. That part of the river in which the tide ebbs and flows strongly.

Tier. A row; as a tier of guns, a tier of casks, a tier of ships, &c. Tier of a cable, a range of the fakes or windings of a cable which are laid within one another in a horizontal position. Cable tier. The space in the midst of a cable when it is coiled; also the place in which it is coiled.

Tiller. A large piece of wood or beam, put into the head of the rudder, and by means of which the rudder is moved.

Topping. Pulling one of the ends of a yard higher than the other.

Tort or Taut, signifies tight.

To Tow. To draw a ship in the water by a rope fixed to a boat or other ship which is rowing or sailing on.

Tow line. A small hawser used to remove a ship from one part of a harbor to another.

Transoms. Certain beams or timbers extended across the sternpost of a ship to fortify her after part, and to give it the figure most suitable to the service for which she is calculated.

Traverse. To go backwards and forwards.

Treenails or Trunnals. Long wooden pins employed to connect the planks of the ship’s side and bottom to the corresponding timbers.

Trey-sail. A small sail used by cutters and brigs in blowing weather.

Trice, trice up. To haul up and fasten.

Trim. The state or disposition by which a ship is best calculated for the purposes of navigation. To trim the hold. To arrange the cargo regularly. To trim the sails. To display the sails in the best arrangement for the course which a ship is steering.

To trip the anchor. To loosen the anchor from the ground, either by design or accident.

Trough of the sea. The hollow between two waves.

Truck. A round piece of wood put upon the top of flag-staves, with sheaves on each side for the haliards of the flags to reeve in.

Turning to windward. That operation in sailing, whereby a ship endeavours to advance against the wind.

U

To Unballast. To discharge the ballast out of a ship.

To Unbend. To take the sails off from their yards and stays. To cast loose the anchor from the cable. To untie two ropes.

To Unbit. To remove the turns of a cable from off the bits.

Under foot, is expressed of an anchor that is directly under the ship.

Under sail, or under-way. When a ship is sailing she is said to be under way.

Under the lee of the shore, is to be close under the shore which lies to windward of the ship.

Unfurl. Cast loose the gasket of the sail.

To Unmoor. To reduce a ship to the state of riding at single anchor, after she has been moored.

To Unreeve. To draw a rope from out of a block, thimble, &c.

To Unrig. To deprive the ship of her rigging.

Uvrou. The piece of wood by which the legs of the crow foot are extended.

V

Van. The foremost division of a fleet in one line. It is likewise applied to the foremost ship of a division.

Vane. A small kind of a flag worn at each mast head.

To veer or wear the ship. To change a ship’s course from one tack to the other, by turning her stern to windward.

Veer. Let out, as veer away the cable.

Veer. Shift. The wind veers, that is, it shifts, changes.

To veer and haul. To pull a rope tight by alternately drawing it in and slackening it.

Viol, or Voyal. A block through which the messenger passes in weighing the anchor. A large messenger is called a viol.

W

Wake. The path or track impressed on the water by the ship’s passing through it, leaving a smoothness in the sea behind it. A ship is said to come into the wake of another when she follows her in the same track, and is chiefly done in bringing ships to, or in forming the line of battle.

Wales, are strong timbers that go round a ship a little above her water line.

Warp. A small rope employed occasionally to remove a ship from one place to another.

To warp. To remove a ship by means of a warp.

Waist. That part of a ship contained between the quarter deck and the forecastle.

Waterline. The line made by the water’s edge when a ship has her full proportion of stores, &c. on board.

Water-borne. The state of a ship, when there is barely a sufficient depth of water to float her off from the ground.

Water-logged. The state of a ship become heavy and inactive on the sea, from the great quantity of water leaked into her.

Water-tight. The state of a ship when not leaky.

Weather. To weather any thing is to get to windward of it. Synonymous with windward.

Weather-beaten. Shattered by a storm. Weather-bit. A turn of the cable about the end of the windlass. Weather-gage. When a ship or fleet is to windward of another, she is said to have the weather-gage of her. Weather-quarter. That quarter of the ship which is on the windward side. Weather-side. The side upon which the wind blows.

To Weigh anchor. To heave up an anchor from the bottom.

To Wind a ship. To change her position, bringing her head where her stern was.

Wind-road. When a ship is at anchor, and the wind being against the tide, is so strong as to overcome its power and keep the ship to leeward of her anchor, she is said to be wind-road.

Wind’s eye. The point from which the wind blows.

To Windward. Towards that part of the horizon from which the wind blows.

Windward Tide. A tide that setts to windward.

To Work a ship. To direct the movements of a ship by adapting the sails and managing the rudder according to the course the ship has to make.

To Work to windward. To make a progress against the direction of the wind.

Woold. To bind round with ropes.

Y

Yards. The spars upon which the sails are spread.

Yawing. The motion of a ship when she deviates from her course to the right or left.