STAYSAIL. A sail which hoists upon a stay.
STEADY! An order to keep the helm as it is.
STEERAGE. That part of the between-decks which is just forward of the cabin.
STEEVE. A bowsprit steeves more or less, according as it is raised more or less from the horizontal.
The steeveis the angle it makes with the horizon. Also, a long, heavy spar, with a place to fit a block at one end, and used in stowing certain kinds of cargo, which need be driven in close.
STEM. (See PLATE III.) A piece of timber reaching from the forward end of the keel, to which it is scarfed, up to the bowsprit and to which the two sides of the vessel are united.
STEMSON. A piece of compass-timber, fixed on the after part of the apron inside. The lower end is scarfed into the keelson, and receives the scarf of the stem, through which it is bolted.
STEP. A block of wood secured to the keel, into which the heel of the mast is placed.
To step a mast, is to put it in its step.
STERN. (See PLATE III.) The after end of a vessel. (See BY THE STERN.)
STERN-BOARD. The motion of a vessel when going stern foremost.
STERN-FRAME. The frame composed of the stern-post transom and the fashion-pieces.
STERN-POST. (See PLATE III.) The aftermost timber in a ship, reaching from the after end of the keel to the deck. The stem and stern-post are the two extremes of a vessel’s frame.
Inner stern-post. A post on the inside, corresponding to the stern-post.
STERN-SHEETS. The after part of a boat, abaft the rowers, where the passengers sit.
STIFF. The quality of a vessel which enables it to carry a great deal of sail without lying over much on her side. The opposite to crank.
STIRRUPS. Ropes with thimbles at their ends, through which the foot-ropes are rove, and by which they are kept up toward the yards.
STOCK. A beam of wood, or a bar of iron, secured to the upper end of the shank of an anchor, at right angles with the arms. An iron stock usually goes with a key, and unships.
STOCKS. The frame upon which a vessel is built.
STOOLS. Small channels for the dead-eyes of the backstays.
STOP. A fastening of small stuff. Also, small projections on the outside of the cheeks of a lower mast, at the upper parts of the hounds.
STOPPER. A stout rope with a knot at one end, and sometimes a hook at the other, used for various purposes about decks; as, making fast a cable, so as to overhaul. (See DECK-STOPPER.)
STOPPER BOLTS. Ring-bolts to which the deck-stoppers are secured.
STRAND. A number of rope-yarns twisted together. Three, four or nine strands twisted together form a rope.
A rope is stranded when one of its strands is parted or broken by chafing or by a strain.
A vessel is stranded when she is driven on shore.
STRAP. A piece of rope spliced round a block to keep its parts well together. Some blocks have iron straps, in which case they are called iron bound.
STREAK, or STRAKE. A range of planks running fore and aft on a vessel’s side.
STREAM. The stream anchoris one used for warping, &c, and sometimes as a lighter anchor to moor by, with a hawser. It is smaller than the bowers, and larger than the kedges.
To stream a buoy, is to drop it into the water.
STRETCHERS. Pieces of wood placed across a boat’s bottom, inside, for the oarsmen to press their feet against, in rowing. Also, cross pieces placed between a boat’s sides to keep them apart when hoisted up and griped.
STRIKE. To lower a sail or colors.
STUDDINGSAILS. (See PLATE II.) Light sails set outside the square sails, on booms rigged out for that purpose. They are only carried with a fair wind and in moderate weather.
SUED, or SEWED. The condition of a ship when she is high and dry on shore. If the water leaves her two feet, she sues, or is sued, two feet.
SUPPORTERS. The knee-timbers under the cat-heads.
SURF. The breaking of the sea upon the shore.
SURGE. A large, swelling wave.
To surge a rope or cable, is to slack it up suddenly where it renders round a pin, or round the windlass or capstan.
Surge ho! The notice given when a cable is to be surged. SWAB. A mop, formed of old rope, used for cleaning and drying decks.
SWEEP. To drag the bottom for an anchor. Also, large oars, used in small vessels to force them ahead.
SWIFT. To bring two shrouds or stays close together by ropes.
SWIFTER. The forward shroud to a lower mast. Also, ropes used to con-fine the capstan bars to their places when shipped.
SWIG. A term used by sailors for the mode of hauling off upon the bight of a rope when its lower end is fast.
SWIVEL. A long link of iron, used in chain cables, made so as to turn upon an axis and keep the turns out of a chain.
SYPHERING. Lapping the edges of planks over each other for a bulk-head.
TABLING. Letting one beam-piece into another. (See SCARF.) Also, the broad hem on the borders of sails, to which the bolt-rope is sewed.
TACK. To put a ship about, so that from having the wind on one side, you bring it round on the other by the way of her head. The opposite of wearing.
A vessel is on the starboard tack, or has her starboard tacks on board, when she has the wind on her starboard side.
The rope or tackle by which the weather clew of a course is hauled forward and down to the deck.
The tack of a fore-and-aft sail is the rope that keeps down the lower forward clew; and of a studdingsail, the lower outer clew. The tack of the lower studdingsail is called the outhaul. Also, that part of a sail to which the tack is attached.
TACKLE. (Pronounced tay-cle.) A purchase, formed by a rope rove through one or more blocks.
TAFFRAIL, or TAFFEREL. The rail round a ship’s stern.
TAIL. A rope spliced into the end of a block and used for making it fast to rigging or spars. Such a block is called a tail-block
A ship is said to tail up or down stream, when at anchor, according as her stern swings up or down with the tide; in opposition to heading one way or another, which is said of a vessel when under way.
TAIL-TACKLE. A watch-tackle.
TAIL ON! or TALLY ON! An order given to take hold of a rope and pull.
TANK. An iron vessel placed in the hold to contain the vessel’s water.
TAR. A liquid gum, taken from pine and fir trees, and used for caulking, and to put upon yarns in rope-making, and upon standing rigging, to protect it from the weather.
TARPAULIN. A piece of canvass, covered with tar, used for covering hatches, boats, &c. Also, the name commonly given to a sailor’s hat when made of tarred or painted cloth.
TAUT. Tight.
TAUNT. High or tall. Commonly applied to a vessel’s masts.
All-a-taunt-o. Said of a vessel when she has all her light and tall masts and spars aloft.
TELL-TALE. A compass hanging from the beams of the cabin, by which the heading of a vessel may be known at any time. Also, an instrument connected with the barrel of the wheel, and traversing so that the officer may see the position of the tiller.
TEND. To watch a vessel at anchor at the turn of tides, and cast her by the helm, and some sail if necessary, so as to keep turns out of her cables.
TENON. The heel of a mast, made to fit into the step.
THICK-AND-THIN BLOCK. A block having one sheave larger than the other. Sometimes used for quarter-blocks.
THIMBLE. An iron ring, having its rim concave on the outside for a rope or strap to fit snugly round.
THOLE-PINS. Pins in the gunwale of a boat, between which an oar rests when pulling, instead of a rowlock.
THROAT. The inner end of a gaff, where it widens and hollows in to fit the mast. (See JAWS.) Also, the hollow part of a knee.
The throat brails, halyards, &c, are those that hoist or haul up the gaff or sail near the throat. Also, the angle where the arm of an anchor is joined to the shank.
THRUM. TO st
ick short strands of yarn through a mat or piece of canvass, to make a rough surface.
THWARTS. The seats going across a boat, upon which the oarsmen sit.
THWARTSHIPS. (See ATHWARTSHIPS.)
TIDE. TO tide up or down a river or harbor, is to work up or down with a fair tide and head wind or calm, coming to anchor when the tide turns.
TIDE-RODE. The situation of a vessel, at anchor, when she swings by the force of the tide. In opposition to wind-rode.
TIER. A range of casks. Also, the range of the fakes of a cable or hawser.
The cable tier is the place in a hold or between-decks where the cables are stowed.
TILLER. A bar of wood or iron, put into the head of the rudder, by which the rudder is moved.
TILLER-ROPES. Ropes leading from the tiller-head round the barrel of the wheel, by which a vessel is steered.
TIMBER. A general term for all large pieces of wood used in shipbuilding. Also, more particularly, long pieces of wood in a curved form, bending outward, and running from the keel up, on each side, forming the ribs of a vessel. The keel, stem, stern-posts and timbers form a vessel’s outer frame. (See PLATE III.)
TIMBER-HEADS. (See PLATE III.) The ends of the timbers that come above the decks. Used for belaying hawsers and large ropes.
TIMENOGUY. A rope carried taut between different parts of the vessel to prevent the sheet or tack of a course from getting foul, in working ship.
TOGGLE. A pin placed through the bight or eye of a rope, block-strap or bolt, to keep it in its place, or to put the bight or eye of another rope upon, and thus to secure them both together.
TOMPION. A bung or plug placed in the mouth of a cannon.
TOP. A platform, placed over the head of a lower mast, resting on the trestle-trees, to spread the rigging, and for the convenience of men aloft. (See PLATE I.)
To top up a yard or boom, is to raise up one end of it by hoisting on the lift.
TOP-BLOCK. A large iron-bound block, hooked into a bolt under the lower cap, and used for the top-rope to reeve through in sending up and down topmasts.
TOPGALLANT MAST. (See PLATE I.) The third mast above the deck.
TOPGALLANT SAIL. (See PLATE II.) The third sail above the deck.
TOP-LIGHT. A signal lantern carried in the top.
TOP-LINING. A lining on the after part of sails, to prevent them from chafing against the top-rim.
TOPMAST. (See PLATE I.) The second mast above the deck. Next above the lower mast.
TOPPING-LIFT. (See PLATE I.) A lift used for topping up the end of a boom.
TOP-ROPE. The rope used for sending topmasts up and down.
TOPSAIL. (See PLATE II.) The second sail above the deck.
TOP TIMBERS. The highest timbers on a vessel’s side, being above the futtocks. (See PLATE III.) Toss. To throw an oar out of the rowlock, and raise it perpendicularly on its end, and lay it down in the boat, with its blade forward.
TOUCH. A sail is said to touch, when the wind strikes the leech so as to shake it a little.
Luff and touch her! The order to bring the vessel up and see how near she will go to the wind. Tow. To draw a vessel along by means of a rope.
TRAIN-TACKLE. The tackle used for running guns in and out.
TRANSOM-KNEES. Knees bolted to the transoms and after timbers.
TRANSOMS. (See PLATE III.) Pieces of timber going across the stern-post, to which they are bolted.
TRAVELLER. An iron ring, fitted so as to slip up and down a rope.
TREENAILS, or TRUNNELS. Long wooden pins, used for nailing a plank to a timber.
TREND. The lower end of the shank of an anchor, being the same distance on the shank from the throat that the arm measures from the throat to the bill.
TRESTLE-TREES. Two strong pieces of timber, placed horizontally and fore-and-aft on opposite sides of a mast-head, to support the cross-trees and top, and for the fid of the mast above to rest upon.
TRIATIC STAY. A rope secured at each end to the heads of the fore and main masts, with thimbles spliced into its bight, to hook the stay tackles to.
TRICE. To haul up by means of a rope.
TRICK. The time allotted to a man to stand at the helm.
TRIM. The condition of a vessel, with reference to her cargo and ballast. A vessel is trimmed by the head or by the stern.
In ballast trim, is when she has only ballast on board.
Also, to arrange the sails by the braces with reference to the wind.
TRIP. To raise an anchor clear of the bottom.
TRIPPING LINE. A line used for tripping a topgallant or royal yard in sending it down.
TRUCK. A circular piece of wood, placed at the head of the highest mast on a ship. It has small holes or sheaves in it for signal halyards to be rove through. Also, the wheel of a gun-carriage.
TRUNNIONS. The arms on each side of a cannon by which it rests upon the carriage, and on which, as an axis, it is elevated or depressed.
TRUSS. The rope by which the centre of a lower yard is kept in toward the mast.
TRYSAIL. A fore-and-aft sail, set with a boom and gaff, and hoisting on a small mast abaft the lower mast, called a trysail-mast. This name is generally confined to the sail so carried at the mainmast of a full-rigged brig; those carried at the foremast and at the mainmast of a ship or bark being called spencers, and those that are at the mizzenmast of a ship or bark, spankers.
TUMBLING HOME. Said of a ship’s sides when they fall in above the bends. The opposite of wall-sided.
TURN. Passing a rope once or twice round a pin or kevel, to keep it fast. Also, two crosses in a cable.
To turn in or turn out, nautical terms for going to rest in a berth or hammock, and getting up from them.
Turn up! The order given to send the men up from between decks.
TYE. A rope connected with a yard, to the other end of which a tackle is attached for hoisting.
UNBEND. TO cast off or untie. (See BEND.)
UNION. The upper inner corner of an ensign. The rest of the flag is called the fly. The union of the U.S. ensign is a blue field with white stars, and the fly is composed of alternate white and red stripes.
Union-down. The situation of a flag when it is hoisted upside down, bringing the union down instead of up. Used as a signal of distress.
Union-jack. A small flag, containing only the union, without the fly, usually hoisted at the bowsprit-cap.
UNMOOR. TO heave up one anchor so that the vessel may ride at a single anchor. (See MOOR.)
UNSHIP. (See SHIP.)
UVROU. (See EUVROU.)
VANE. A fly worn at the mast-head, made of feathers or buntine, traversing on a spindle, to show the direction of the wind. (See DOG-VANE.)
VANG. (See PLATE I.) A rope leading from the peak of the gaff of a fore-and-aft sail to the rail on each side, and used for steadying the gaff.
’VAST. (See AVAST.)
VEER. Said of the wind when it changes. Also, to slack a cable and let it run out. (See PAY.)
To veer and haul, is to haul and slack alternately on a rope, as in warping, until the vessel or boat gets headway.
VIOL, or VOYAL. A larger messenger sometimes used in weighing an anchor by a capstan. Also, the block through which the messenger passes.
WAIST. That part of the upper deck between the quarter-deck and forecastle.
Waisters. Green hands, or broken-down seamen, placed in the waist of a man-of-war.
WAKE. The track or path a ship leaves behind her in the water.
WALES. Strong planks in a vessel’s sides, running her whole length fore and aft.
WALL. A knot put on the end of a rope.
WALL-SIDED. A vessel is wall-sided when her sides run up perpendicularly from the bends. In opposition to tumbling home or flaring out.
WARD-ROOM. The room in a vessel of war in which the commissioned officers live.
WARE, or WEAR. To turn a vessel round, so that, from having the wind on one side, you bring it upon the other, carrying her ster
n round by the wind. In tacking, the same result is produced by carrying a vessel’s head round by the wind.
WARP. To move a vessel from one place to another by means of a rope made fast to some fixed object, or to a kedge.
A warp is a rope used for warping. If the warp is bent to a kedge which is let go, and the vessel is hove ahead by the capstan or windlass, it would be called kedging
WASH-BOARDS. Light pieces of board placed above the gunwale of a boat.
WATCH. A division of time on board ship. There are seven watches in a day, reckoning from 12 M. round through the 24 hours, five of them being of four hours each, and the two others, called dog watches, of two hours each, viz., from 4 to 6, and from 6 to 8, P. M. (See DOG WATCH.) Also, a certain portion of a ship’s company, appointed to stand a given length of time. In the merchant service all hands are divided into two watches, larboard and starboard, with a mate to command each.
A buoy is said to watch when it floats on the surface.
WATCH-AND-WATCH. The arrangement by which the watches are alternated every other four hours. In distinction from keeping all hands during one or more watches.
Anchor watch, a small watch of one or two men, kept while in port.
WATCH HO! WATCH! The cry of the man that heaves the deep-sea-lead.
WATCH-TACKLE. A small luff purchase with a short fall, the double block having a tail to it, and the single one a hook. Used for various purposes about decks.
WATER SAIL. A save-all, set under the swinging-boom.
WATER-WAYS. Long pieces of timber, running fore and aft on both sides, connecting the deck with the vessel’s sides. The scuppers are made through them to let the water off. (See PLATE III.)
WEAR. (See WARE.) WEATHER. In the direction from which the wind blows. (See LEE-WARD, LEE.)
A ship carries a weather helm when she tends to come up into the wind requiring you to put the helm up.
Weather gage. A vessel has the weather gage of another when she is to windward of her. A weatherly ship is one that works well to windward, making but little leeway.
WEATHER-BITT. TO take an additional turn with a cable round the windlass-end.
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