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Glossary
of Nautical Terms
(As used in the late
18th and early 19th centuries)
Aback
a sail is aback when the
wind strikes it on the opposite side from the normal situation: can be
done on purpose in maneuvering or can happen accidentally
Aft
the rearmost portion of
a ship; at or towards the stern or after part of a ship; the opposite of
bow.; from old English (aftan) behind
Aloft
at or toward the upper
rigging of a ship; overhead, or above.
Athwart
across.
Bank
a rising ground in the
sea, differing from a shoal, because not rocky but composed of sand,
mud or gravel.
Barque
a sailing vessel of
three or more masts and whose after mast is fore-and-aft rigged.
Becalmed
to render motionless
through lack of wind.
Belay
When the order
"Belay" was given, whoever is about to fire a canon must
immediately lift
the match from the area
of the pan and the venter replace his (gloved) hand on the powder.
Binnacle
| A
case near the helm that supports the ship's compass. The round
balls on either side are solid iron. Can you guess what they are
for? (Answer at bottom of page)** |
Blanket
a sail is blanketed when
the wind is prevented from striking it either by another ship passing
close aboard to weather or by the sails on another mast.
Booty
Goods obtained
illegally. Spoils obtained as a result of war or battle.
Bow
the frontmost portion of
a ship; the foremost end or part of a ship; the opposite of stern.
Bowsprit
a large mast or piece of
timber (spar) which extends out from the bows of a ship.
Brig
- Brigatine
| two-masted
sailing vessel, square-rigged on both masts. Brigs have been
used as cargo ships and also, in the past, as small warships
carrying about 10 guns. They vary in length between 75 and 130 ft
(23-40 m), with tonnages up to 350. A brigantine is a somewhat
smaller two-masted vessel, square-rigged on the foremast but with
a fore-and-aft mainsail. In earlier times it carried a square
topsail on the mainmast. A hermaphrodite brig is identical with
the brigantine except that it carries no topsail on its mainmast;
most U.S. brigs since 1860 have actually been of this type. |
Broadside
a general term for the
vantage on another ship of absolute perpendicular to the direction it is
going. To get along broadside a ship was to take it at a very vulnerable
angle. This is of course, the largest dimention of a ship and is
easyiest to attack with larger arms. A "Broadside" has come to
indicate a hit with a cannon or similar attack right in the main part of
the ship.
Burthen
the older term used to
express a ship's tonnage or carrying capacity. It was based on the
number of tons of wine
that a ship could carry in her holds, the total number giving her
burthen.
Careen
to careen a ship is to
take it into shallower waters or out of the water altogether and to
remove barnacles and pests from the bottom. Pests include mollusks
(worms), shells, and plant growth. A ship needed to be careened often to
restore it to proper speed.
Chase,
to
to pursue a vessel in
wartime with the aim of capturing, acquiring information from her, or
destroying.
Colours
the name by which the
national flag flown by a ship at sea is known, used to determine
nationality.
Cutlass
A short, heavy, single
edged sword, once used predominantly by sailors.
Cutter
small, one-masted
sailing vessel, with a rig similar to that of a sloop except that it
usually has a sliding bowsprit and a topmast. From 1800 to 1830 cutters
were in service between
England and France. They
were also employed to pursue smugglers, their speed and easy handling
fitting them admirably for the task. These revenue cutters were so well
known that the name was applied to the revenue vessel even after steam
had replaced sails, and vessels of the coast guard are still called
cutters. The name is also used for a heavy rowboat carried on large
ships.
Dead reckoning
Navigation without
astronomical observance, as by applying to a previously determined
position the course and distance traveled sense.
Fair wind
a wind favourable to the
direction a ship is sailing.
Fathom
a unit of length equal
to 6ft (1.83m), used to divide the lead (or sounding) lines in
measuring the depth of
water; and to calculate in the length of cables, rigging, etc.
Flash
in the Pan
a misfire of the canon
or gun
Fo'c's'le
This is a term used for
the Forcastle or frontmost part of the ship. Usually under the front
deck and above the lower deck.
Fore
at, in, near, or toward
the front part of a ship.
Hail to
a greeting or call out
to another ship.
Helm
the steering gear of a
ship, especially the tiller or wheel; A position of leadership or
control
Jib
a triangular sail set
forward of the mast of a sailing ship, on the boom which runs out from
the bowsprit.
Jury-mast
a temporary makeshift
mast erected to replace a mast that has been disabled or carried
away.
Jury-rudder
a makeshift arrangement
to give a ship the ability to steer when she has lost her rudder.
Keel
the principal structure
member of a ship; the lowest and principal timber of a wooden ship -
running lengthwise from
the bow to the stern to which the frames are attached.
Keel
Haul
a term made famous by
pirates. This is the act of throwing a man overboard, tied to a rope
that goes beneath the
ship, and then dragging him from one side to the other and hauling him
out. Besides the torment of being dragged under water, this would drag
the victim across the barnacle studded ship's hull and cause great pain
and injury. This was a serious punishment and not administered lightly.
Knot
the nautical unit of
measure of speed, one knot being a speed of one nautical mile (6,080
feet) per hour. As a
measure of speed the term is always knots, and never knots per hour.;
The joining together of sections of material (rope) in an interlaced
fashion.
Landfall
the sighting, reaching,
or discovery of land.
Land-locked
surrounded or almost
surrounded by land.
Lead
an instrument for
discovering the depth of water, attached to a lead-line, which is marked
at
certain distances to
measure the fathoms.; The first or foremost position.
Lee
the side of a ship, or
other object away from the wind; the side sheltered from the wind. It is
the opposite side to
windward.
Lee
shore
a coastline on to which
the wind blows directly - consequently it can be dangerous as
the wind tends to force
the sailing ship down on it.
Leeward
away from the wind; with
the wind; towards the point to which the wind blows.
Letter
of Marque
a commission or
agreement usually issued by Admiralty or high authority, authorizing the
commander of a privately owned ship to cruise in search of enemy
merchant vessels. The letter of marque described the ship, her owners
and officers, the amount of surety which had been deposited and stressed
the necessity of having all prize vessels or goods seized condemned and
valued at a Court for the payment of 'prize money'.
Lie-to
to be or remain in a
specified position or location.: to prevent a vessel from making
progress through the
water - achieved by reducing sail in a gale.
Mainsail
the principal sail of a
sailing vessel.
Mariner
One whose responsibility
it is to help in navigating a vessel.
Mizzen
(or mizen)
a fore-and-aft sail set
on a mizzenmast; the name for the third, aftermost, mast of a
square-rigged sailing ship or of a three-masted schooner.
Mizzenmast
the third mast aft on
sailing ships carrying three or more masts
Mopping
once fired, the barrel
of a canon must be mopped with a wet mop to assure nothing is left
burning in the barrel. The mop MUST be dipped in a bucket of water prior
to mopping, to insure there is nothing burning in the mop.
Muster
to assemble the crew of
a ship on deck for inspection or call a list of names to establish
who is present and
accounted for.
Muster-book
the book kept on board a
vessel in which was entered the names of all men serving
in the ship, with the
dates of their entry and final discharge from the crew. It was the basis
on
which victuals were
issued and payment made for services performed on board.
Passage
a journey by sea
Poop
Deck
the deck at the furthest
back of a ship. Usually above the captain's quarters, the poopdeck was
usually the highest deck of the ship.
Port
the left-hand side of a
vessel as seen from the stern also called (larboard); also a harbour or
haven.; a city or town
on a waterway; an opening as in port hole; a type of wine
Powder-Monkey
the man assigned to
guard the powder-box and more particularly, it's contents. He's
responsible for giving out powder for the canons. The powder-monkey
prevents anyone from having any burning object around the powder box.
Privateer
a privately owned vessel
armed with guns which operated in time of war against the
trading vessels of an
enemy nation. Each privateer was given a 'letter of marque' which was
regarded as a commission
to seize any enemy shipping as a 'prize'. The name 'privateer' has come
to refer to both the ship and the men who sailed in her.
Prize
name used to describe an
enemy vessel captured at sea by a ship of war or a privateer; also
used to describe a
contraband cargo taken from a merchant ship. A 'prize court' would then
determine the validity
of capture of the ships and goods and authorize their disposal. 'Prize'
always acted as
considerable incentive to recruitment with many men tempted to join the
navy in anticipation of quick riches.
Prize
Court
captured ships were to
be brought before prize courts where it was decided whether the vessel
was legal prize; if so, the whole value was divided among the owners and
the crew of the ship.
Prize
Money
the net proceeds of the
sale of enemy shipping and property captured at sea - these
proceeds were
distributed to the captors on a sliding scale from highest rank to
lowest seaman.
Quarter
(1)the direction from
which the wind was blowing, particularly if it looked like remaining
there for some time;
(2)the two after parts
of the ship - strictly speaking a ship's port or starbord
quarter was a bearing 45°
from the stern.
Schooner
sailing
vessel, rigged fore-and-aft, with from two to seven masts.
Schooners can lie closer to the wind than square-rigged sailing
ships, need a smaller crew, and are very fast. They were first
constructed in colonial America and because of their speed became
one of the favorite craft of the United States and Canada in the
latter half of the 18th century. and the first half of the 19th
century. Schooners were widely used in the North Atlantic
fisheries and the North American coastal trade until World War I,
when they were
replaced by
power-driven craft. |
Searching
once a canon has been
fired, the barrel must be 'searched' using the corkscrew-like tool. This
is done to dislodge any hot embers from the walls of the barrel and
although there should none, to remove any remaining material.
Ship
from the Old English
scip, the generic name for large sea-going vessels (as opposed to
boats), designed for
deep-water navigation.
Ship
Parts
Sails
Flying Jib
Fore Staysail
Fore Topsail
Foresail
Jib
Main Topsail
Mainsail |
Rigging
Bowsprit
Fore Topmast
Fore Boom
Foremast
Gaff
Main Boom
Main Topmast
Mainmast
Shrouds
Yard |
Hull
Bulkhead
Bulwarks
Forecastle (Crew's
Quarters)
Forecastle Deck
Hatch
Hold
Keel
Mast Step
Main Deck
Quarter Deck
Rudder
Stern |
Shoal
a bank or reef, an area
of shallow water dangerous to navigation.
Sloop
| a
fore-and-aft-rigged, single-masted sailing vessel with a single
headsail jib. A sloop differs from a cutter in that it has a
jibstay-a support leading from the bow to the masthead on which
the jib is set. A sloop of war was a small warship, variously
rigged as a barque, brig, brigantine, or ship, that carried fewer
than 18 guns in the British navy and fewer than 24 in the American
navy. These vessels played an active role in the American
Revolution and the French Revolutionary Wars. The sloop
disappeared as a warship in the mid-19th century, but during World
War II the British revived the term to designate a small escort
vessel armed with 4-in. (10.2-cm) guns and depth charges. |
Sound
(1) to try the depth of
the water;
(2) a deep bay.
Sounding
ascertaining the depth
of the sea by means of a lead and line, sunk from a ship to the
bottom.
Soundings
those parts of the ocean
not far from the shore where the depth is about 80 to 100
fathoms.
Spar
a general term for any
wooden pole used in the support of rigging of a ship - includes all
masts, yards, booms,
gaffs etc.
Squall
a brief, sudden wind
and/or rain of considerable strength.
Starboard
the right-hand side of a
vessel as seen from the stern.
Stern
the rear part of a ship
or boat.
Tack
the nautical manouevre
of bringing a sailing vessel on to another bearing by bringing the
wind round the bow;
during this manouevre the vessel is said to be 'coming about'.; the
position of a vessel in relationship to it's sails
Trade
Winds
steady regular winds
that blow in a belt approximately 30 N. and 30 S of the equator. In the
North Atlantic the trades blow consistently all year round, from the
north-east; in the South Atlantic they blow from the south-east,
converging just north of the equator. The meeting of the trade winds
just north of the equator created the infamous 'doldrums', where sailing
ships could be becalmed for days or weeks waiting for a wind to carry
them back into the trades. They were known as trade winds because of
their regularity, thereby assisting sailing vessels in reaching their
markets to carry out trade.
Under way
the description of a
ship as soon as she begins to move under canvas power after her
anchor has been raised
from the bottom; also written as 'under weigh.'
Voyage
a journey by sea. It
usually includes the outward and homeward trips, which are called
passages.
Watch
(1) one of the twelve
divisions of the nautical day marked by two hour intervals;
(2) one of two divisions
of the seamen forming the ship's company.
Wear
the nautical maneuver of bringing a sailing vessel on to another tack by bringing the wind
around the stern.
Weather
in a seamen phrase,
describes anything that lies to windward. Consequently, a coastline
that lies to windward of
a ship is a weather shore; the side of a ship that faces the wind when
it is under way is said to be the weather side a ship, etc.
Weigh
to haul up.
Weigh
anchor
the raising of the
anchor so that the ship is no longer secured to the sea or river
bottom.
Windward
the weather side, or
that direction from which the wind blows. It is the opposite side to
leeward.
Yard
(1) a long tapering
wooden spar crossing the masts of a sailing ship horizontally or
diagonally, to support
and spread a sail.
(2) a shortened form of
the word 'dockyard, in which vessels are built or repaired.
**
No, they weren't for balance. That would never work on a ship. They were
actually to disburse static electricity from the compass. Sea air can
become electrically charged.
Compiled by Bill Jones
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