Glossary of nautical terms (M–Z)

Thisglossary of nautical termsis an alphabetical listing of terms and expressions connected withships,shipping,seamanshipandnavigationon water (mostly though not necessarily on the sea). Some remain current, while many date from the 17th to 19th centuries. The wordnauticalderives from the Latinnauticus,from Greeknautikos,fromnautēs:"sailor", fromnaus:"ship".

Further information on nautical terminology may also be found atNautical metaphors in English,and additional military terms are listed in theMultiservice tactical brevity codearticle. Terms used in other fields associated with bodies of water can be found atGlossary of fishery terms,Glossary of underwater diving terminology,Glossary of rowing terms,andGlossary of meteorology.

This glossary is split into two articles:

terms starting with the letters A to L are atGlossary of nautical terms (A–L)
terms starting with the letters M to Z are atGlossary of nautical terms (M–Z).

Contents:Top	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	See also	References

M

mack: A structure which combines the radarmastand the exhauststackof asurface ship,thereby saving valuable deck space.^{[citation needed]}
Mae West: A Second World Warpersonal flotation deviceused to keep people afloat in the water; named after the 1930s actressMae West,well known for her large bosom.
magazine: Alsoship's magazine.
The ammunition storage area aboard awarship.
magnetic bearing: Anabsolute bearingusingmagnetic north.
magnetic north: The direction towards theNorth Magnetic Pole.Varies slowly over time.
maiden voyage: The first voyage of a ship in its intended role, i.e. excludingtrial trips.
Maierform bow: A V-shapedbowintroduced in the late 1920s which allowed ashipto maintain a given speed with less power, improvedseakeeping,increasedreserve buoyancy,reducedpitchingmovements, and improvedpropellerimmersion to increase performance in rough seas.
main: The high sea; theopen ocean.
main deck: The uppermost continuousdeckextending frombowtostern.
mainbrace: Either of thebracesattached to theyardof themainsail(the largest and lowest sail on themainmast) on asquare-riggedvessel.
mainmast: Also simplymain.
1. The tallestmaston a ship^[1]with more than one mast, especially the tallest mast on afull-rigged ship.; 2. On a ship with more than one mast, the second mast from thebow.
mainmast head: The top of a sailing vessel'smainmast.
mainmastman: Asailorassigned to themainmast.
mains: The mainbrailson themainsail.^[2]
mainsheet: A sail controllinethat allows the most obvious effect onmainsailtrim. Primarily used to control the angle of theboom,and thereby the mainsail, this control can also increase or decrease downward tension on the boom while sailing upwind, significantly affecting sail shape. For more control over downward tension on the boom, aboom vangmay be used.
mainstay: Thestayrunning from the top of themainmastto the bottom of theforemast,or from the top of the foremast to the ship'sstem.
making way: When a vessel is moving under its own power.
man-of-war: Alsoman o' war.
Awarshipfrom theAge of Sail.
man overboard: 1. An emergency call that alerts the crew that someoneaboardhas goneoverboardinto the water and must be rescued.; 2. A person who has fallen into the water from a ship or boat – the object of the resulting rescue attempt.
man the rails: To station the crew of a naval vessel along the rails and superstructure of the vessel as a method of saluting or rendering honors.
man the yards: To have all of thecrewof a sailing vessel not required ondeckto handle the ship goaloftand spread out along theyards.Originally used in harbors to display the whole crew to harbor authorities and other ships present to show that the vessel's guns were not manned and hence her intentions were peaceful,manning the yardshas since become a display used in harbor during celebrations and other special events.
manifest: A document listing the cargo, passengers, and crew of a ship for the use of customs and other officials.
Marconi rig: An archaic term forBermuda rig.Themainsailis triangular, riggedfore-and-aftwith itslufffixed to themast.Theforesail(jib) is astaysailhanked onto theforestay.Refers to the similarity of the tall mast to a radio aerial.
marina: A docking facility for small ships and yachts.
marine: 1. A soldier trained for service afloat in a (primarily) infantry force that specializes in naval campaigns and subordinated to a navy or a separate naval branch of service rather than to an army. Often capitalized (e.g. aMarineor theMarines). Notable examples are the United Kingdom'sRoyal Marines,formed as the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot in 1664 with many and varied duties including providing guard to ship's officers should there be amutinyaboard, and theUS Marine Corps,formed in 1775 as a separate naval service alongside the US Navy. It is incorrect, and often viewed by marines as offensive, to refer to a marine as a "soldier" or "infantryman", as these terms refer to personnel of an army rather than those of a marine force. It also is incorrect, and sometimes considered offensive by both merchant mariners and marines, to refer tomerchant marinersas "merchant marines", because merchant mariners are civilian sailors responsible for operatingmerchant shipsand are not marines. Marines sometimes are thought by seamen to be rather gullible, hence the phrase "tell it to the marines", meaning that one does not believe what is being said.; 2. An alternative term for anavy,uncommon in English but common in other languages.; 3. Of or pertaining to the sea (e.g. marine biology, marine insurance, marine salvage).; 4. A painting representing a subject related to the sea.
marine sandglass(or glass): Anhourglass-like timekeeping instrument used aboard ships from at least the 14th century until reliable mechanical timepieces replaced it in the early 19th century. Marine sandglasses measured the passage of time in 30-minute increments to regulate time on watch, to measure a boat's speed, and to assist in determining a ship's position by measuring the time elapsed while she was on a given course.
mariner: Asailor.
maritime: 1. Of or related to the sea (e.g., maritimeactivities,maritimelaw,maritimestrategy).; 2. Bordering on the sea (e.g., maritimeprovinces,maritimestates).; 3. Living in or near the sea (e.g., maritimeanimals).; 4. Of or relating to a mariner or sailor.
marlinspike: A tool used inropeworkfor tasks such as unlaying rope for splicing, untying knots, or forming a makeshift handle.
mast: A vertical pole on a ship that supportssailsorrigging.If a wooden multi-part mast, this term applies specifically to the lowest portion.
mast case: A yachtsman's tabernacle. The iron fitting in which the heel of themastis mounted.^[2]
Mast partner: The reinforced area of the deck surrounding the hole through which a mast passes as it rises from its step (usually on the keel) to the above-deck area^[3]
mast step: The place in the hull where the lowest point of a mast rests, taking the weight of the mast and the thrust imposed by the tension of the rigging, and preventing lateral and fore and aft movement of the bottom of the mast. With a wooden hull and mast, this is usually achieved by having a socket cut in the top of thekeelson,aflooror some other major structural component. A tenon cut into the bottom of the mast sits snugly in the socket.^[4]With a deck-stepped aluminium mast, the step may consist of a metal fitting bolted to the deck, to which bolts a matching fitting at the bottom of the mast.
mast stepping: The process of raising amast.
masthead: A small platform partway up the mast, just above the height of the mast's mainyard.Alookoutis stationed here, and men who are working on the main yard will embark from here. See alsocrow's nest.
masthead light: A whiterunning lightdisplayed at the front of a vessel.
master: 1. Thecaptainof a commercial vessel.; 2. A senior officer of a naval sailing ship in charge of routine seamanship and navigation but not in command during combat.; 3. (master) A former naval rank.
master-at-arms: Anon-commissioned officerresponsible for discipline on a naval ship. Standing between the officers and the crew, commonly known in theRoyal Navyas "the Buffer".^{[citation needed]}
matelot: A traditional Royal Navy term for an ordinarysailor.
material: Military equipages of all descriptions for the naval services. The bombs, blankets, beans, and bulletins of the Navy and Marine Corps. Taken from Nelson's British navy as the US services became professional. See alsomateriel– military supplies, equipment and weapons.
Mediterranean mooring: AlsoMed moorandTahitian mooring.
A method of mooring stern-to.
merchant marine: A collective term for all merchant ships registered in a given country and the civilians (especially those of that nationality) who man them; the ships and personnel in combination are said to constitute that country'smerchant marine.Called themerchant navyin the United Kingdom and some other countries.
merchant mariner: A civilian officer or sailor who serves in themerchant marine.Sometimes such personnel are incorrectly called "merchant marines", but both merchant mariners andmarinesfrown on this term; although merchant mariners are part of the merchant marine, they are civilians and are not in any way marines, which are a specialized type of military personnel.
merchant navy: A name bestowed upon themerchant marineof the United Kingdom by KingGeorge V,and since adopted by some other countries as well. The merchant navy's personnel are civilians, and the term "merchant navy" does not imply that they or their ships are a part of the navy. Synonymous with the termmerchant marine.
merchantman: Amerchant ship- any non-naval passenger- or cargo-carrying vessel, includingcargo ships,tankers,andpassenger shipsbut excludingtroopships.
mess: Alsomessdeck.
1. An eating place aboard a ship.; 2. A group ofcrewwho live and eat together.
mess deck catering: A system of catering in which a standard ration is issued to amesssupplemented by a money allowance, which the mess may use to buy additional victuals from thepurser's stores or elsewhere. Each mess was autonomous and self-regulating. Seaman cooks, often members of the mess, prepared the meals and took them, in a tin canteen, to thegalleyto be cooked by the ship's cooks. As distinct from "cafeteriamessing "where food is issued to an individual hand, which is now the general practice.
metacenter: The midway point between a vessel'scenter of buoyancywhen upright and her center of buoyancy when tilted.
metacentric height(GM): A measurement of the initial static stability of a vessel afloat, calculated as the distance between hercenter of gravityand hermetacenter.A vessel with a large metacentric heightrollsmore quickly and therefore more uncomfortably for people on board; a vessel with a small metacentric height will roll sluggishly and may face a greater danger ofcapsizing.
Middle Passage: The portion of thetriangular tradepattern of the late 16th through the early 19th centuries in the Atlantic Ocean in which slaves were transported from Africa to theAmericas.In the terminology of theslave tradeitself, theMiddle Passagelinked theFirst Passage(the delivery from Europe of the trade goods to be used to purchase slaves) with theFinal Passage(the shipment of the products of slave plantations – sugar, tobacco, cotton – to the markets of Europe).
middles: The middlebrailson themainsail,higher than the lowers, and lower than the mains.^[2]
midship house: Asuperstructurebuilt over themidshipssection of thehull,often housing thebridgeand officers quarters, as well as passenger quarters aboardcargo liners. A common feature oftankers,cargo liners, andcargo ships up until the mid-20th century, when ship design moved away from the use of midship houses.
midshipman: 1. During the 17th century, a naval rating for an experienced seaman.; 2. From the 18th century, a naval commissioned officer candidate.; 3. From the 1790s, an apprentice naval officer.; 4. From the 19th century, an officer cadet at a naval academy.; 5. In contemporary British usage, anon-commissioned officerbelow the rank oflieutenant.Usually regarded as being "in training" to some degree. Also known as "Snotty". It is "the lowest form of rank in the Royal Navy" where he has authority over and responsibility for more junior ranks, yet, at the same time, relying on their experience and learning his trade from them.; 6. In contemporary American usage, a cadet of either sex at theUnited States Merchant Marine Academyor theUnited States Naval Academy,or under contract and having sworn the Oath of Office in the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program. When plural (midshipmen), the term refers to the student body of either academy, and more formally as "the Regiment of Midshipmen" for the Merchant Marine Academy and "the Brigade of Midshipmen" for the Naval Academy, or for the NROTC unit members usually organized into battalions.
midshipman's hitch: An alternative to theBlackwall hitch,preferred if the rope is greasy. Made by first forming a Blackwall hitch and then taking the underneath part and placing it over the bill of the hook.^[5]
midshipman's nuts: Broken pieces of biscuit as dessert.^[6]
midshipman's roll: A slovenly method of rolling up a hammock transversely and lashing it endways by one clue.^[6]
midships: Also midship
A shortened form ofamidships,with both alternative meanings.^[7]
mile: Seenautical mile.
military mast: A hollow, tubularmastused inwarshipsin the last third of the 19th century, often equipped with afighting toparmed with light-caliber guns.
millers: Shipboard rats
mine: A self-contained explosive device intended to damage or sink surface ships or submarines, designed to be placed in water and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, proximity of, or contact with a surface ship or submarines.
minehunter: A vessel designed or equipped to detect and destroy individual mines. It differs from aminesweeper,which is designed or equipped to clear areas of water of mines without necessarily detecting them first.
minelayer: A vessel designed or equipped to deploy (or "lay" ) mines.
minesweeper: A vessel designed or equipped to clear areas of water of mines without necessarily detecting them first. It differs from aminehunter,which is designed or equipped to detect and destroy individual mines.
misstay: To be "in irons"(i.e. to lose forward momentum) when changingtack.
mizzen: 1. Amizzen sailis a smallsail(triangular orgaff) on aketchoryawlsetabaftthemizzenmast.^[2]; 2. Amizzen staysailis an occasional lightweightstaysailon a ketch or yawl, set forward of the mizzenmast while reaching in light to moderate airs.^[2]; 3. Amizzenmastis amaston a ketch or yawl, orspritsail barge.Its positioning afore of abaft therudder postdistinguishes between a ketch or a yawl. On a barge its rig determines if she is amuffieor amulie.^[2]
mizzenmast: Alsomizzen.
The thirdmast,or the mastaftof themainmast,on a ship.
mole: A massive structure, usually of stone or concrete, used as apier,breakwater, or causeway between places separated by water. May have a wooden structure built upon it and resemble a wooden pier orwharf,but a mole differs from a pier, quay, or wharf in that water cannot flow freely underneath it.
molgogger: 1. A type of roller fairlead, also known as a cage roller, with vertical and horizontal rollers, mounted on thebulwarkorgunwaleand used to constrain and guide a fishing net or towing cable for a net orminesweeping paravane.^[8]^[9]; 2. A removable or folding vertical bar or hook fitted to the bulwarks of a tug on either side to prevent the towline moving too far forward, which can endanger stability. Sometimes fitted with a roller. Also called a Norman pin.^[10]
monitor: 1. A turretedironcladwarshipof the second half of the 19th century characterized by lowfreeboard,shallowdraft,poorseaworthiness,and heavy guns, intended for riverine and coastal operations.; 2. In occasional 19th-century usage, any turreted warship.; 3. A shallow-draft armored shore bombardment vessel of the first half of the 20th century, designed to provide fire support to ground troops, often mounting heavy guns.; 4. (breastwork monitor) A 19th-century monitor designed with abreastworkto improve seaworthiness.; 5. (river monitor) A monitor specifically designed for riverine operations, used during the 19th and 20th centuries and more recently than other types of monitor. River monitors generally are smaller and lighter than other monitors.
monkey bridge: A high platform above thewheelhouseoffering better visibility to the operator while maneuvering.
monkey's fist: A ball woven out oflineused to provide heft to heave the line to another location. The monkey fist and other heaving-line knots were sometimes weighted with lead (easily available in the form of foil used e.g. to seal tea chests from dampness) althoughClifford W. Ashleynotes that there was a "definite sporting limit" to the weight thus added.
moor: 1. To attach a boat to amooringbuoyor post.; 2. Todocka ship.; 3. To secure a vessel with acableoranchor.
mooring: Alsomoorings.
A place tomoora vessel.
mother ship: Alsomothershipandmother-ship.
A vessel that leads, serves, or carries smaller vessels, in the latter case either releasing them and then proceeding independently or also recovering them after they have completed a mission or operation. A mother ship sometimes contrasts with atender,which often (but not necessarily) is a vessel that supports or cares for larger vessels.
motorsailer: A type of motor-poweredsailingvessel, typically ayacht,that can derive power from itssails or engine, independently of each other and often with both at the same time (motorsailing)
motorsailing: Proceeding under the power ofsails and engines at the same time. In ayachtthis is usually to windward and may be found more comfortable than using just sails or engines on their own.^[11]
motor ship: A ship propelled by aninternal combustion engine,usually adiesel engine.
mould: A template of the shape of thehullin transverse section. Several moulds are used to form a temporary framework around which a hull is built.
moulded: (of a timber in a wooden hull) The identifier of a measurement of atimberin a wooden hull, used, together withsided,instead of width and thickness which could be ambiguous – length, the third dimension is not ambiguous. Moulded identifies the measure across the surface of an individual timber where one side of that surface is shaped to fit the overall hull shape, as determined by the moulds. Therefore this is the dimension across the vertical sides of a keel, the athwartships face of a frame, or the fore and aft face of stem or stern post.^[12]
moulded beam
moulded breadth: The breadth of the hull lines at the widest point, normally at midships and measured inside the hull planking or plating. Used in some systems of tonnage measurement.^[13]
moulded depth: The distance between the horizontal plane of the top of the keel and the top of the main deck beams at the edge of the hull. Compare withfreeboard depth.^[3]
moulded dimensions: Dimensions of a ship shown by thelines plan,generally excluding planking thickness and shell thickness.^[13]
moulded draft
moulded draught: Draught measured relative to the base line.^[13]Compare withkeel draught.
mould loft: Where thelinesof the ship are drawn out full-size and the templates for thetimbers are made.
mousing: Several turns of lightlinearound the mouth of a hook, to prevent unhooking accidents.^[2]
mulie: Abargerigged with aspritsailmain, and a largegaff riggedmizzenaforethe steering wheel. It is sheeted to the saddlechock.^[2]
multipurpose vessel: Acargo shipthat has fittings to carry standard shipping containers and retractabletweendecksthat can be moved out of the way so that the ship can carry bulk cargo.
multiservice tactical brevity code: Codes used by various military forces to convey complex information in a few words.
muster drill: An exercise conducted by thecrewof a ship prior to embarking on a voyage. Passengers are required to participate in the drill so that they can be instructed how to evacuate safely in the event of an emergency on board the ship.
muster station: A specific location on a vessel planned as a gathering place during an emergency or a muster drill. If a person is believed missing, all passengers must report to their muster station for a head count.
muzzle: Iron ban around themastto hold theheelof thesprit.^[2]
M.S. (or MS): An abbreviation formotor ship,used before a ship's name.
M.V. (or MV): An abbreviation formotor vessel,used before a ship's name.
M.Y. (or MY): An abbreviation formotor yacht,used before a yacht's name.

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N

name ship: A ship whose name also is used to refer to her entireclassof ships. Usually but not always the first ship of her class to be completed and enter service, in which case the termname shipcan be used as a synonym forlead ship.
natural harbour: A body of water protected from the weather by virtue of its being mostly surrounded by land, and deep enough to provideanchoragefor the vessels using it.
narrowboat: A type of boat designed specifically to fit the narrow canal locks of the United Kingdom.
narrows: A narrow part of a navigablewaterway.
nautical: Of or pertaining to sailors, seamanship, or navigation; maritime.
nautical chart: A map of a sea or ocean area and adjacent coastal regions, intended specifically for navigation at sea. Nautical charts usemap projectionsdesigned for easy use with hand instruments, such as theMercator projection,and indicate depths, hazards,landmarks,aids to navigationsuch asbuoys,andashorefacilities of interest tomariners.Nautical charts are generally originally published by government agencies such as the U.S.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,and are now provided in both print form and digital for use in chartplotters.
nautical mile: A unit of length corresponding to approximately oneminute of arcoflatitudealong anymeridian arc.By international agreement, it is equivalent to exactly 1,852 metres (6,076 ft; 1.151 mi).
naval programme: The British system of authorizing naval construction by an annualbillinParliament.
naval infantry: 1.Sailorssubordinated to anavytrained and equipped to operateashoretemporarily as an organized infantry force, but at other times responsible for the normal duties of sailors aboard ship.; 2. A specialized, permanent force of troops subordinated to a navy and responsible for infantry operations ashore. Although more specialized than sailors trained to operate temporarily as naval infantry and bearing similarities to amarineforce ormarine corps,such permanent naval infantry forces often lack the full capabilities of a marine force. Naval infantry forces also usually differ from marine forces in being subordinated directly to a navy rather than to a separate branch of naval service such as a marine corps.
navigation: All activities related to determining, plotting, and tracking the position andcourseof a ship in order to keep track of its position relative to land while at sea. Navigation charts have been used since ancient times, and remain in use as back-ups to modern satellite-basedpositioning systems.Numerous map projections including the common Mercator projection were developed specifically to make navigation at sea simple to perform with straight-edges and compasses.
navigation light: Alsoposition lightorrunning light
A source of illumination on a vessel intended to give information to other vessels on her position, heading, or status.
navigation rules: Rules of the roadthat provide guidance on how to avoid collision and also used to assign blame when a collision does occur.
nay: A reply in the negative, synonymous with "no". The opposite of "aye".
net cutter: 1. (Fisheries patrol), alsotrawlwire cutter:A device employed by theIcelandic Coast Guardduring the "Cod Wars"to cut thetrawlingwires of foreign fishing trawlers working within Iceland's claimed exclusive fisheries zones.; 2. (Submarine): A device, sometimes powered by explosives, mounted on thebowof asubmarineto cut through anti-submarine netting.; 3. (Torpedo): A scissors-like or pistol-powered device on the nose of atorpedointended to assist the torpedo in breaking throughtorpedo nets.
net laying ship: Alsonet layer,net tender,gate ship,orboom defence vessel.
A type of navalauxiliary shipequipped for and primarily tasked with layingtorpedo nets oranti-submarine nets to protect individual ships at anchor, harbors, or other anchorages fromtorpedoattack and intrusions bysubmarines.
net tender: An alternative term for anet laying ship.
New Company ship: A term used for a ship trading between England and ports east of theCape of Good Hopefor the English Company Trading to the East Indies, a new company chartered in 1697 to compete with the "old"East India Company.The term fell into disuse when the two companies merged in 1707.^[14]
night boat: (United States) A type ofsteamboatthat provided sleeping quarters for passengers on overnight voyages, as opposed to aday boatthat had no need of such facilities.
nipper: A short rope used to bind acableto the "messenger" (a movinglinepropelled by thecapstan) so that the cable is dragged along, too (used where the cable is too large to be wrapped around the capstan itself). During the raising of ananchor,the nippers were attached and detached from the (endless) messenger by the ship's boys. Hence the term for small boys: "nippers".
nock: The throat of themainsail.^[2]
no room to swing a cat: The entireship's companywas expected to witness floggings, assembled on deck. If it was very crowded, thebosunmight not have room to swing thecat o' nine tails(the whip).
non-self-sustaining: Seeself-sustaining.
nun: A type of navigationalbuoy,often cone-shaped, but if not, always triangular in silhouette, colored green inIALA region Aor red inIALA region B(the Americas, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines). In channel marking its use is opposite that of a "can buoy".

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O

oakum: Any material, often tarredhempfibres picked from old untwisted ropes, used forcaulkinggaps or seams between the planks ofhulls.
oar: A pole, usually of wood, with a blade at one end and a handle at the other, which is pivoted on a fulcrum on the side of a boat to provide propulsion by pushing the blade through the water.^[15]
oar crutch: A metal (or sometimes plastic) fitting that acts as the fulcrum point of anoar.It usually takes the form of a U-shape, with a pin underneath the bottom of the "U". The pin rotates in a socket in the boat'sgunwale,and the oar rests in the "U".^[16]See alsorowlock.^[11]
ocean liner: Seeliner.
officer's country: The part of a naval vessel containing the residential quarters andwardroomfor commissioned officers. Officer's country is off-limits to enlisted personnel unless they are there on official business.
offing: The more distant part of the sea as seen from the shore, generally implying theopen oceanbeyond anchoring ground.
offshore: 1. Moving away from the shore.; 2. (of a wind) Blowing from the land to the sea.; 3. At some distance from the shore; located in the sea away from the coast.
oiler: 1. (ship) A naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks which refuels other ships.; 1. (occupation) The job title of aseamanholding a junior position in a ship's engineering crew, senior only to the engine roomwiper.
oilskins: Alsooilies.
Foul-weather clothing worn by sailors.
old man: Crew's slang for thecaptain,master,or commanding officer of a vessel.
old salt: Slang for an experiencedmariner.
on board: Alsoonboard.
Seeaboard.
on her own bottom: Pluralon their own bottoms.
Said of a vessel making a voyage without being carried aboard another vessel; e.g. "theyachtcrossed the ocean on her ownbottom",or in the plural," yachts rarely cross the ocean on their own bottoms ".
on station: A ship's destination, typically an area to be patrolled or guarded.
on the beach: 1. ARoyal Navyterm that means "retired from the Service."^[17]; 2. Onshore leave.
on the hard: A boat that has beenhauledand is now sitting on dry land.
open registry: An organization that will registermerchant shipsowned by foreign entities, generally to provide aflag of convenience.
ordinary: Seein ordinary.
ordinary seaman: 1. Aseamanin the British Royal Navy in the 18th century who had between one and two years of experience at sea. Later, a formal rank in the Royal Navy for the lowest grade of seaman, now obsolete.; 2. The second-lowest rank in the United States Navy from 1797 to 1917, betweenlandsmanandseaman.Renamed "seaman second class"in 1917.; 3. Theratingfor entry-level personnel in thedeck departmentof a ship in theUnited States Merchant Marine.An ordinary seaman (abbreviated "OS" ) is considered to be serving an apprenticeship to become anable seaman.
ore carrier: A type ofbulk carrierspecially designed to carryore.
oreboat: Alsoironboat.
AGreat Lakesterm for a vessel primarily used in the transport of iron ore.
orlop deck: 1. The lowestdeckof aship-of-the-line.; 2. The deck covering in thehold.
oscar: 1. International signal for aman overboard.; 2. Nickname for a water rescue training dummy. See alsoparadummy.
outboard: 1. Situated outside thehullof a vessel.; 2. Situated within a vessel but positioned away (or farther away, when contrasted with another item) from hercenterline.; 3. Farther from thehullof a ship; e.g. "the larger boat was tied up alongside the ship outboard of the smaller boat".; 4. Farther from thepieror shore; e.g. "the tanker and cargo ship were tied up at the pier alongside one another with the tanker outboard of the cargo ship".; 5. Anoutboard motor.; 6. A vessel fitted with an outboard motor.
outboard motor: A motor mounted externally on thetransomof a small boat. Outboard motors are often mounted in a way that makes them easily movable, such that the boat may be steered by rotating the whole motor with respect to the boat's bearing, instead of or in addition to using arudder.
outdrive: The lower part of asterndrive.
outhaul: Alineused to control the shape of asail.
outrigger: 1. Generally, any structure projecting from the side of a vessel.; 2. Any contraposing floatriggingbeyond the side of a vessel to improve the vessel's stability.; 3. A thin, long, solid hull used to stabilize the inherently unstable main hull of anoutrigger canoeor asailboat.; 4. A variety of structures projecting from akeelboatby which therunning riggingmay be attached outboard of thehull.; 5. A pole or series of poles projecting from afishing vesselthat allow the vessel to trawl with more fishing lines in the water without the lines tangling and allowing lures and bait to simulate a school of fish.; 6. A triangular frame on arowboatorgalleythat holds therowlockaway from thesaxboardorgunwaleto optimize leverage for the rowers. Also called arigger.
outward bound: To leave the safety ofport,heading for the open ocean.
over-canvassed: To have too great a sail area up to safely maneuver in the current wind conditions.
over-reaching: Holding a course too long whiletacking.
over the barrel: Adult sailors were flogged on the back or shoulders while tied to a grating, but boys were beaten instead on the posterior (often bared), with a cane orcat o' nine tails,while bending, often tied down, over the barrel of a gun, known askissing the gunner's daughter.
overbear: To sail downwind directly at another ship, stealing the wind from its sails.
overboard: Off or outside a vessel. If something or someone falls, jumps, or is thrown off of a vessel into the water, the object or person is said to have gone overboard. Seeman overboard.
overfalls: Dangerously steep and breaking seas due to opposing currents and wind in a shallow area, or strong currents over a shallow rocky bottom.
overhead: The ceiling of any enclosed space below decks in a vessel, essentially the bottom of the deck above.
overhaul: Hauling thebuntlineropes over the sails to prevent them fromchafing.
overtaking sea: Seas approaching a vessel from between 15° to port or starboard ofasternat a speed greater than that of the vessel.^[18]
overwhelmed: Capsizedorfoundered.
owner: Traditional Royal Navy term for thecaptain,a survival from the days when privately owned ships were often hired for naval service.
ox-eye: A cloud or other weather phenomenon that may be indicative of an upcoming storm.

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P

packet: Alsopacket boatorpacket ship.
1. Originally, a vessel employed to carry post office mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies, and outposts.; 2. Later, any regularly scheduled ship carrying cargo or passengers, as inpacket trade.
packet trade: Any regularly scheduled cargo, passenger, or mail trade conducted by ship.
packetman: Aseamanaboard a ship engaged inpacket trade.
paddle box: A covering, usually made of wood, for the upper part of apaddle wheelon apaddle steamer.
paddle guards: Seeguards.
paddy wester: Traditional Royal Navy term for a young or inexperienced seaman.
pagoda mast: A large and distinctive type offoremastinstalled aboardImperial Japanese Navybattleshipsandbattlecruisersduring modernization and reconstruction of the ships in the 1930s. A pagoda mast was created by strengthening a ship's existingtripod foremastand adding platforms to it forsearchlights,lookouts,shelters, and other structures, giving the mast the appearance of apagodatemple.
painter: A rope attached to thebowof a vessel, used to make the vesselfastto adockor a larger vessel, including when towedastern.^[19]
palace steamer: The term for a number of luxurioussteamships that carried passengers and cargo on theGreat LakesofNorth Americabetween 1844 and 1857.
palm: A protective device, usually leather, worn on the hand when working with a sail needle to repair sails.
panting: The pulsation in and out of thebowandsternplating as the ship alternately rises and plunges deep into the water.
paravane: 1. (weapon) A device stabilized by vanes that functions as an underwater glider and is usually streamed from the bow of a vessel and towed alongside, intended to cut the mooring of submerged mines or otherwise destroy them.^[20]; 2. (water kite) A towed underwater object with hydrofoils, of use in commercial and sport fishing, water sports, marine exploration, and military operations, sometimes equipped with sensors and also of use in exerting a sideward holding force on a vessel. Also called awater kite.
parbuckle: A method of lifting a roughly cylindrical object such as aspar.One end of a rope is made fast above the object, a loop of rope is lowered and passed around the object, which can be raised by hauling on the free end of rope.
parley: A discussion or conference, especially between enemies, over terms of a truce or other matters.
parrel: A movable loop or collar, used to fasten ayardorgaffto its respectivemast.A parrel still allows the spar to be raised or lowered and swivel around the mast. It is sometimes made of wire or rope and fitted with beads to reduce friction.
part brass rags: Fall out with a friend. From the days when cleaning materials were shared between sailors.
passageway: An interior corridor or hallway on a ship.
passenger-cargoman: Seecargo liner.
passenger-cargo ship: Seecargo liner.
patache: Alsopatajeorpatax.
A type of very light and shallow Spanish sailing vessel of the 15th through 18th centuries with twomasts, resembling a cross between abrigand aschooner.Originally a type ofwarship,but later in use as a trading vessel.
pawls: Small bars used to stop the barrel of awinchorcapstanmoving backward under an increased load or if the turning power was reduced. In early capstans, the pawls had to be manually moved in and out of the notches in which they worked. Later capstans had automatic pawls that dropped into notches as the barrel turned. In breaking out ananchor,a crew would "heave and pawl" if the bow was rising and falling with the waves, so giving a varying load on thecable.^[21]
pay off: 1. To let a vessel's head fall off from the wind (toleeward).^[2]; 2. During theAge of Sail,the practice of paying a crew its wages for the voyage when a vessel completed her voyage, at which point the crew was said to bepaid off.; 3. In British and Commonwealth usage, todecommissiona warship, e.g. "The old destroyerpaid offafter returning to port at the end of her final cruise. "
paying: Filling a seam (withcaulkingor pitch), lubricating the runningrigging;paying withslush,protecting from the weather by covering with slush. See alsothe devil to pay.
paymaster: The officer responsible for all money matters in Royal Navy ships including the paying and provisioning of the crew, all stores, tools, and spare parts. See alsopurser.
pea coat: Heavy topcoat originally made from pilot cloth.^[22]Officers and chief petty officers wear a variation with gold buttons called areeferor a longer model called abridge coat.
peace cruiser: U.S. Navy term of the early 20th century for obsoletecruisers andgunboats used in policing and diplomatic roles.^[23]
peak: 1. The upperaftermostcorner of afore-and-aftsail;used in many combinations, such aspeak-halyards,peak-brails,etc.^[2]; 2. The narrow part of a vessel's bow, or theholdwithin it.; 3. The extremity of ananchorfluke; the bill.
peaks: The uppermostbrailson themainsail.Upper and lower peaks are normal, but a barge may carry a third set, too.^[2]
pelagic: 1. Living in theopen oceanrather than coastal or inland waters (e.g. a pelagic shark).; 2. Taking place in the open ocean (e.g. pelagic fishing, pelagic sealing).
pelican hook: Also called aslip-hookorDavey hook.
A hook with a hinge in the curve of the hook, normally held closed by a metal ring that keeps the two hinged parts together. Can be instantly released by knocking the ring along the hook so that it frees one of the hinged parts which swings open and releases whatever the hook is holding. Often seen on opening sections of guard rails and life-raft lashings, but also used on more heavily loaded components.^[11]^[24]
pendant: 1. A length of wire or rope secured at one end to amastorsparand having ablockor other fitting at the lower end.; 2. A length of wire or rope hooked to atackleonleeboards.^[2]; 3. An alternate spelling ofpennant.^[25]
pennant: A long, thin triangular flag flown from themastheadof a military ship (as opposed to aburgee,the flags thus flown on yachts).
picaroon: An obsolete (circa 17th century) term for apirate.
picket boat: A boat on sentry duty, or one placed on a line forward of a position to warn against an enemy advance.
pier: A raised structure, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars, used industrially for loading and unloading commercial ships, recreationally for walking and housing attractions at a seaside resort, or as a structure for use by boatless fishermen. The lighter structure of a pier contrasts with the more solid foundations of aquayor the closely spaced piles of awharf.In North America, the term "pier" used alone connotes either a pier used (or formerly used) by commercial shipping or one used for fishing, while in Europe the term used alone connotes a recreational pier at a seaside resort.
pier-head jump: When a sailor is drafted to awarshipat the last minute, just before she sails.
pilot: A specially knowledgeable person qualified to navigate a vessel through difficult waters, e.g. harbour pilot, etc.
pilot boat: A type of boat used to transport maritimepilotsbetween land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting.
pilot ladder: A highly specialized form ofrope ladder,typically used to embark and disembarkpilotsover the side of a ship. Sometimes confused withJacob's ladders,but the design and construction of pilot ladders is governed tightly by international regulation and includes spreaders – elongated versions of the standard machined step – rather than the type of steps generally found on Jacob's ladders.
pilothouse: An alternative term for aship'sbridgeorwheelhouse.
PIM: Points (or plan) of intended movement. The charted course for a naval unit's movements.
pinas: Alsopinis
A type of two-mastedschoonerwith a largebowsprit,clipper bow,andtransom sternbuilt in theTerengganuarea on the east coast of theMalay Peninsula.
pinnace: 1. (ship's boat) A small, light boat propelled byoarsor asail,used as atenderto larger vessels during theAge of Sail.; 2. (full-rigged pinnace) A small "race built"galleon,square-riggedwith either two or threemasts.; 3. In modern usage, any small boat other than alaunchorlifeboatassociated with a larger vessel.
pintle: The pin or bolt on which a ship'srudderpivots. The pintle rests in thegudgeon.
pipe (bos'n's): Alsobosun's call.
A whistle used byboatswains(bosuns or bos'ns) to issue commands. Consisting of a metal tube that directs the breath over an aperture on the top of a hollow ball to produce high-pitched notes. The pitch of the notes can be changed by partly covering the aperture with the finger of the hand in which the pipe is held. The shape of the instrument is similar to that of a smoking pipe.
pipe down: A signal on thebosun's pipeto signal the end of the day, requiring lights (and smoking pipes) to be extinguished and silence from the crew.
piping the side: Asaluteon thebosun's pipe(s)performed in the company of the deck watch on thestarboardside of thequarterdeckor at the head of thegangway,to welcome or bid farewell to the ship'scaptain,senior officers, and honoured visitors.
piracy: An act of robbery or criminal violence at sea by the occupants of one vessel against the occupants of another vessel (and therefore excluding such acts committed by the crew or passengers of a vessel against others aboard the same vessel). Piracy is also distinguished fromprivateering,which is authorized by national authorities and therefore a legitimate form of war-like activity by non-state actors.
pirate: One who engages in an act ofpiracy.
pitch: A vessel's motion, rotating about thebeam/transverse axis, causing theforeandaftends to rise and fall repetitively.
pitchpole: To capsize a boat stern over bow, rather than by rolling over.
pivotting: To turn a sailingbargein shallow water by dropping theleeboardso it drags in the mud, then putting thehelmhard over.The maneuver is often used to enter congested harbours.
plane: To skim over the water at high speed rather than push through it.
Plimsoll line: AlsoNational Load Line.
A special marking, positionedamidships,that indicates thedraftof the vessel and the legal limit to which the vessel may be loaded for specific water types and temperatures.
plotting room: Seetransmitting station.
pocket battleship: British term for the German Navy'sDeutschland-classcruisers, which entered service in the 1930s. The ships hadbattleship-like armament and armor but were of cruiser size and faster than battleships of the time and were intended to serve as commerce raiders. Classified by the German Navy asPanzerschiffe( "armored ships" ).
point: A unit ofbearingequal to the angle made by1⁄32of a circle, i.e. 11.25 degrees. A turn of 32 points is a complete turn through 360 degrees.
point up: Alsohead up.
To change the direction of a sailboat so that it is more upwind, i.e. to bring thebowwindward.This is the opposite offalling off.
points of sail: The course of a sailing vessel in relation to the direction of the wind, divided into six points:in irons(pointed directly into the wind),close hauled(sailing as close into the direction of the wind as possible),close reach(between close hauled and beam reach),beam reach(perpendicular to the wind),broad reach(wind behind the vessel at an angle), andrunning downwind,running before the wind,or simplyrunning(wind directly behind the vessel).
polacca: Alsopolacre.
A 17th-century sailing vessel commonly seen in the Mediterranean, similar to axebecwith two or threemasts;two-masted polaccas were known asbrig-polaccasand three-masted polaccas asship-polaccasorpolacca-settees.Polacca-settees had alateensail on theforemast,a European-stylesquare rigon themainmast,and agaffor lateen on themizzenmast.
polacca-settee: A three-mastedpolacca.
polacre: Another name for apolacca.
polacre-xebec: A type ofxebecwith asquare rigon herforemast,lateensails on her other masts, abowsprit,and twoheadsails.A polacre-xebec differed from afeluccain that a felucca had only lateen sails.
pontoon: A flat-bottomed vessel used as aferry,barge,orcar float,or afloatmoored alongside ajettyor a ship to facilitate boarding.
poop deck: A highdeckon theaftsuperstructure of a ship. The deck forms a roof over the "poop cabin" in the aft of the ship.^[26]
pooped: 1. (of a ship or boat) to have a wave break over the stern when travelling with a following sea.^[27]This contingency, that can cause significant damage to the ship, is also referred to as "pooping".^[28]; 2. (colloquially) Exhausted.^[27]
port: 1. (facility): A maritime facility on a sea coast, in an estuary, or on a river with loading areas at which a vessel can bring aboard or discharge cargo or passengers.; 2. A place along a coast or riverbank where a vessel can take shelter, often including loading and unloading facilities for vessels.; 3. A city or town associated with a such a facility or sheltering area.; 4. (direction): The left side of a ship or vessel when facing forward (formerlylarboard). Denoted with a red light at night.^[2]; 5. Toward the left-hand side of the ship when facing forward (formerly "tolarboard").; 6. (rowing): Asweep rowerwho rows with oneoaron one side of a boat and primarily on the port (left) side of the boat.
port of registry: Theportlisted in a vessel's registration documents and lettered on herstern.Often used incorrectly as a synonym forhome port,meaning the port at which the vessel is based, but it may differ from the port of registry.
port tack: When sailing with the wind coming from theportside of the vessel. Vessels on port tack must give way to those onstarboard tack.
porthole: Also simplyport.
An opening in a ship's side, especially a round one for admitting light and air, fitted with thick glass and, often, a hinged metal cover, used as a window.
portolan: An obsolete form of nautical chart used prior to the development of lines of latitude and longitude that indicated distances and bearing lines between ports.
position light: An alternative term fornavigation light.
post-captain: An obsolete alternative form of the rank ofcaptainin theRoyal Navy;once achieved, promotion thereafter was entirely due to seniority.
post ship: The British term used from the second half of the 18th century until 1817 for asixth rateship-riggedsailing warship armed with 20 to 26 guns, smaller than afrigatebut large enough to require apost-captainas her commanding officer.
powder hulk: Ahulkused to storegunpowder.
powder magazine: A small room/closet area in thehullof the ship used for storinggunpowderin barrels, or "kegs", usually located centrally so as to have easy access to the grated loading area. Sometimes may be an enclosed closet with a door, so it can be locked and only the captain would have the key, similar to how rum is stored.
pratique: The license given to a ship to enter port on assurance from her captain that she is free from contagious disease. A ship can signal a request for pratique by flying a square solid-yellow flag. The clearance granted is commonly referred to asfree pratique.
predreadnought: A term used retrospectively after 1906 for a wide variety of steambattleshipsbuilt between the 1880s and c. 1905 designed with only a few large guns for long-range fire, relying on an intermediate secondary battery used at shorter ranges for most of their offensive power, and havingtriple-expansion steam engines.They were rendered obsolete by the revolutionarydreadnoughtbattleships, which began to appear in 1906 and differed from predreadnoughts in havingsteam turbinepropulsion and an "all-big-gun" armament layout in which the ship's primary gun power resided in a primary battery of its largest guns intended for use at long range, with other gun armament limited to small weapons intended for close-range defense againsttorpedo boatsand other small warships.
press gang: Formed body of personnel from a ship of theRoyal Navy(either a ship seeking personnel for its own crew or from a "press tender" seeking men for a number of ships) that would identify and force ( "press" ) men, usually merchant sailors, into service on naval ships, usually against their will.
preventer: Alsogybe preventerandjibe preventer.
A sail controllineoriginating at some point on theboomleading to a fixed point on the boat'sdeckorrail(usually acleatorpad eye) used to prevent or moderate the effects of an accidentaljibe.
Principal Naval Transport Officer: In British usage, a Principal Naval Transport Officer is a shore-basedflag officerorcaptainresponsible for sea transport duties, and for assisting the Senior Naval Officer in the preparation of naval orders and conductingdisembarkations.
Principal Warfare Officer(PWO): One of a number of Warfare branch specialist officers.
prison ship: Alsoprison hulk.
A vessel used as a prison, often to hold convicts awaiting transportation to penal colonies; particularly common in the British Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
private ship: In British usage, a commissionedwarshipin active service that is not being used as theflagshipof aflag officer.The term does not imply in any way that the ship is privately owned.
privateer: Alsoprivate man of war.
A privately owned ship authorised by a national power (by means of aletter of marque) to conduct hostilities against an enemy.
prize: A property captured at sea in virtue of the rights of war, e.g. an enemy warship or merchant vessel.
prize crew: Members of a warship's crew assigned to man a vessel taken as a prize.
promenade deck: An open-air upperdeckof apassenger shipon which passengers can stroll or relax.
propeller: 1. (fixed) A propeller mounted on a rigid shaft protruding from the hull of a vessel, usually driven by an inboard motor.; 2. (folding) A propeller with folding blades, furling to reduce drag on a sailing vessel when not in use.
propeller walk: Alsoprop walk.
The tendency for apropellerto push thesternsideways. In theory, a right-hand propeller in reverse will walk the stern toport.
prow: 1. The forwardmost part of a vessel'sbowabove herwaterline.; 2. An alternative term for thebowof a vessel, sometimes used poetically.
puddening: Fibres of old rope packed betweensparsor used as a fender.^[29]
pulling: (of an oar, as used at sea) using an oar for propulsion of a boat where each person (of several) uses one oar. This contrasts withrowing (at sea), where each person uses two oars, one each side of the boat. Seerowfor a full explanation of the complexities of the strict definitions.^[30]^: 135
pump boat: Anoutrigger canoepowered by a smallgasoline engineordiesel engine,used in thePhilippinesand bySama-Bajaumigrants and refugees inSabahand easternIndonesia.
punt: A flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water and typically propelled by pushing against the riverbed with a pole. In this way it differs from agondola,which is propelled by anoar.
punting: Boating in apunt.
purchase: A mechanical method of increasing force, such as atackleor lever.^[2]
purser: The person who buys, stores, and sells all stores on board ships, including victuals, rum, and tobacco. Originally a private merchant, latterly a warrant officer.

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Q

quarter: Designation for the aft part of the ship between 120° and 180° to starboard (thestarboard quarter), or 180° and 240° to port (theport quarter).
quarterdeck: The aftermostdeckof awarship.During theAge of Sail,the quarterdeck was the preserve of the ship's officers.
quartering sea: Seas approaching a vessel from between 105° and 165° to port or starboard. Aft of abeam seaand abeam of afollowing sea.^[18]
quartermaster: 1. In merchant marine usage, the seaman responsible for steering a ship. In naval usage, additional duties in running the ship's routine are included.^[31]; 2. US Navy enlisted rating (QM) who, in addition to the above duties, assists with the navigation of the ship.^[32]^[31]
Queen'sRegulations: AlsoKing's Regulations.
The standing orders governing the BritishRoyal Navyissued in the name of the currentMonarch.
quay: 1. A stone or concrete structure on navigable water used for loading and unloading vessels, generally synonymous with awharf,although the solid foundations of a quay contrast with the closely spaced piles of a wharf. When "quay" and "wharf" are used as synonyms, the term "quay" is more common in everyday speech in the United Kingdom, manyCommonwealthcountries, and Ireland, while "wharf" is more commonly used in the United States.; 2. To land or tie up at a quay.
quayside: 1. An area alongside aquay.; 2. Being alongside a quay, e.g. "The ship is moored quayside."
quickwork: Alsolining.
The ceiling inside thehullabove the turn of thebilge,usually being of lighter dimensions than the ceiling lower down (spirketting).^[4]
quoin: A wedge used to assist in the aiming of a cannon

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R

rabbet: Alsorebate.
A groove cut in wood to form part of a joint.
radar: An electronic system designed to transmit radio signals and receive reflected images of those signals from a "target" in order to determine the bearing and distance to the target. The term is an acronym for "radio detection and ranging".
radar reflector: A special fixture fitted to a vessel or incorporated into the design of certainaids to navigationto enhance their ability to reflectradarenergy. In general, these fixtures materially improve the visibility for use by vessels with radar.
raft: A flat structure used for support or transportation over water, lacking ahulland kept afloat by buoyant materials or structures such as wood, balsa, barrels, drums, inflated air chambers such as pontoons, or extruded polystyrene blocks.
raft ship: Another name for adisposable ship.
rail meat: A term used to describe the members of a sailboat crew that are using their body weight to control the angle ofheelof the boat.
rake: To incline from the perpendicular; something so inclined is said to berakedorraking(e.g. astem,stern,mast,funnel, etc.).
ram: 1. A weapon consisting of an underwater prolongation of thebowof a vessel to form an armored beak, intended to be driven into thehullof an enemy vessel in order to puncture the hull and disable or sink that vessel.; 2. An armoredwarshipof the second half of the 19th century designed to use such a weapon as her primary means of attack.; 3. To intentionally collide with another vessel with the intention of damaging or sinking her.; 4. To accidentally collide bow-first with another vessel.
range: 1. To lay out a rope or chain on deck in a zig-zag or (for rope) a figure‐eight pattern (as opposed to in acoil) so that it can run freely. The zig-zag pattern may be described asflakes.^[11]^[31]; 2. The difference between the heights of the high and lowtides– a figure that will vary from place to place and day to day.^[31]; 3. The distance from an observer to a target, such as in gunnery.^[31]
range clock: A clockwork device used aboard awarshipto continuously calculate the distance orrangeto an enemy ship.
range lights: Seeleading lights.
rating: Alsorateorbluejacket.
1. In British usage, a junior enlisted member of a country'snavy;i.e., any member of the navy who is not an officer orwarrant officer.; 2. In contemporaryU.S. NavyandU.S. Coast Guardusage, rating is theoccupational specialtyof an enlisted member of the service,ratedenotes enlisted pay grade, andrankgenerally applies to commissioned officer pay grades.; 3. Aclassification systemof Royal Navy sailing warships.
ratlines: Alsorattlinsorratlins.
The rungs fastened between theshroudspermanently rigged frombulwarksandtopsto themastto form rope ladders enabling access to thetopmastsandyards.^[2]
razee: 1. A sailing ship that has been cut down to reduce the number ofdecks.; 2. To cut down a sailing ship to reduce the number of decks.
reach: 1. A section of a stream or river along which similar hydrologic conditions exist, such as discharge, depth, area, and slope.^[33]; 2. In sailing usage, a straight section of water that can be traversed in a singlereachingmaneuver, withouttacking.
reaching: Sailing across the wind; i.e. bearing anywhere between about 60° and 160° relative to the direction from which the wind is blowing. Reaching can be further subdivided into "close reaching" (about 60° to 80°), "beam reaching" (about 90°), and "broad reaching" (about 120° to 160°). Comparebeatingandrunning.
reaching sail: Asailspecifically designed for tighter reaching legs. Reaching sails are often used in racing with a true wind angle of 35 to 95 degrees. They are generally used before the wind angle movesaftenough to permitspinnakersto be flown.
ready about: A call to indicate imminenttacking.See alsogoing about.^[2]
Receiver of Wreck: A government official whose duty is to give owners ofshipwrecksthe opportunity to retrieve their property and ensure that law-abiding finders of wrecks receive an appropriate reward.
receiving hulk: Alsoreceiving ship.
Ahulkused in harbor to house newly recruited sailors before they are assigned to a crew.
Red Duster: A traditional nickname for theRed Ensign,thecivil ensignflown by civilian vessels of the United Kingdom.
Red Ensign: AlsoRed Duster.
A British flag flown as anensignby certain British ships. Since 1854, it has been flown by Britishmerchant ships(except for those authorized to fly theBlue Ensign) as the United Kingdom'scivil ensign.Prior to 1864, ships of theRoyal Navy's Red Squadron also flew it, but its naval use ended with the reorganisation of the Royal Navy in 1864.
red right return: A phrase used as a mnemonic to remember that the navigational standard for a vessel entering ( "returning to" ) a port in the Americas (excludingGreenland), Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines is for her to steer so that red-markednavigational aidslie tostarboard(to the "right" ) of an observer facingforwardon the vessel, while green-marked aids must lie toport(i.e. to the "left" ). This contrasts with the rest of the world, where the standard is the opposite, i.e. green markers must lie to starboard and red ones to port.
red-to-red: A passage of two vessels moving in the opposite direction on theirportsides, so called because the red navigation light on one of the vessels faces the red light on the other vessel.
reduced cat: Alsoboy pussy.
^[34] A light version of thecat o'nine tailsfor use on young sailors.
reef: 1. (noun) Rock or coral that is either partially submerged or fully submerged but shallow enough that a vessel with a sufficientdraftmay touch or runaground.; 2. (verb) To temporarily reduce the area of asailexposed to the wind, usually to guard against adverse effects of strong wind or to slow the vessel.^[2]
reef-points: Lengths of rope attached to asailand used to tie up the part of a sail that is taken out of use whenreefed.In older systems, such assquareorgaff rigs,the reef points take some of the load on the sail and distribute it to theboltrope;with slab reefing, the reef-points just keep the sail fabric controlled in a tidy manner. Reef points may either be sewn to each side of the sail or passed through eyelets.^[27]^[11]^[35]
reef-bands: Long pieces of rough canvas sewn across the sails to give them additional strength.
reef-tackles: Ropes employed in the operation of reefing.^[36]
reefer ship: Also simplyreefer.
1. A refrigerated cargo ship used to carry perishable goods that require refrigeration.; 2. A shipboard refrigerator.
reeve: To thread alinethroughblocksin order to gain a mechanical advantage, such as in ablock and tackle.^[36]
regatta: A series of boat races, usually of sailboats or rowboats but occasionally of powered boats.
regular ship: A term used by the BritishEast India Companyfrom the 17th to the 19th centuries for merchant ships that made "regular voyages" for the company between England (later theUnited Kingdom) and ports east of theCape of Good Hope,a trade over which the company held a strict monopoly. The companycharteredmost of its ships; "regular ships" were those under long-term charter, and the company kept their operations under tight control. A set of "regular ships" set off for Asian ports during each sailing season (September through April), and returned up to two years later. The status and role of "regular ships" differed from that of ships the company referred to aschartered ships,country ships,extra ships,andlicensed ships.^[14]
relative bearing: Abearingrelative to the direction in which the vessel is pointing or traveling; the angle between the vessel's forward direction and an object, as measured clockwise from thebow.See alsoabsolute bearing.
repair ship: A navalauxiliary shipdesigned to provide maintenance support to other ships.
replenishment oiler: A navalauxiliary shipwhich provides fuel and dry stores to other ships.
research vessel: A ship designed and equipped to carry out research at sea, especiallyhydrographic surveys,oceanographicresearch,fisheries research,navalresearch,polarresearch, andoil exploration.
reserve fleet: A collection of naval vessels fully equipped for service but partially or fully decommissioned because they are not currently needed. In the modern United States, a reserve fleet is sometimes informally called aghost fleet.During theAge of Sailand well into the 19th century, ships in a reserve fleet were said to bein ordinary.
rib tickler: A bargeman's name for thetiller.^[2]
riding light: A light hung from theforestaywhen atanchor.^[2]
riding turn: a type of jam of the rope on a winch drum: the heavily loaded part of the rope unintentionally rises over the successiveturns on the winch, so stopping them from moving.^[37]
rig: 1. The arrangement ofmasts,sails,andriggingon a sailing vessel.^[38]; 2. To fit a sailing vessel with its masts, sails or rigging.^[38]
rigging: The system ofmastsandlineson ships and other sailing vessels.^[36]
rigging chocks: Thick blocks of wood fixed outside therailsto take the chain plates for theshrouds.^[2]
rigging screw: A bottle screw used to keep wires taut.^[2]
righting: The process of restoring acapsizedvessel to upright condition.
righting couple
righting moment: The force that tends to restore a ship to upright equilibrium once aheelhas altered the relationship between the vessel'scenter of buoyancyandcenter of gravity.
rigol: The rim or "eyebrow" above aportholeorscuttle.
rip rap: A man-made pile of rocks and rubble used as a base to support anaid to navigation,often an offshorelighthouse.
ro-ro: Seeroll-on/roll-off ship.
roads: Seeroadstead.
roadstead: Alsoroads.
A sheltered area outside a harbour where a ship can lie safe at anchor, often situated in a "shallow indentation of the coast".^[39]
Roaring Forties: An area of persistent strong westerly winds found in theSouthern Hemisphere,generally between the latitudes of40and50degrees south. During theAge of Sail,ships took advantage of the Roaring Forties to speed their trips, andyachtsailors still do today.
rode: Alsoanchor rode.
The anchorline,rope, orcableconnecting theanchor chainto the vessel.
rogue wave: Any unusually large wave for a givensea state;formally, a wave whose height is more than twice thesignificant wave heightof that sea state (i.e. the mean of the largest third of waves in a wave record).
roll: 1. The side-to-side motion of a vessel as it rotates about thefore-aft(longitudinal) axis.Listingis a lasting, stable tilt, orheel,along this longitudinal axis.; 2. Another name for the longitudinal axis itself (e.g. the "roll axis" ).
roller
rolling swell: Swell that has increased in height due to influence of the bottom in shallow water, but before it is high enough to break.^[31]
roll-on/roll-off ship: AlsoROROorro-ro.
A vessel designed to carry wheeled cargo that can drive on and off the ship on its own wheels.
rolling-tackle: A number of pulleys, engaged to confine theyardto theweather sideof amast;this tackle is much used in a rough sea.^[40]
rolling vang: A second set of sprit-headvangsplayed out forward to rail near thebows,used to give additional control and support when needed in aseaway.^[2]
romper: In aconvoy,a ship that breaks ranks and "romps" ahead out of formation with the other ships.
ropes, the: 1. Allcordage;thelinesin therigging.; 2. Any cordage of over 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.^[40]
rope's end: A summary punishment device used as aflog.
rope yarn: 1. A period, traditionally on Wednesday afternoons, when a tailor boarded a sailing warship while the vessel was in port; thecrewwas excused from most duties and had light duty mending uniforms and hammocks and darning socks. When the ship was at sea, the crew similarly was excused from most duties on Wednesday afternoons to engage in mending chores. Wednesday afternoons, like Sundays, thus were a more social time when crewmen rested from normal duties, similar to a Sunday, and, because the crew used rope yarn for mending, Wednesday afternoon became known asrope yarn Sunday.; 2. After uniforms began to require less care, and through the mid-20th century, a period on Wednesday afternoons when naval crew members were excused from their regular duties to run personal errands.; 3. Since the mid-20th century, any period of free time when a naval crew is given earlylibertyor otherwise excused from its normally scheduled duties.; 4. One of the threads in a rope.^[40]
round to: To turn thebowof a vessel into the wind.
rove: Past tense ofreeve.^[36]
row: 1. (in general speech) to propel a boat withoars; 2. (more precisely, as used at sea) to propel a boat with oars, where each rower handles two oars, one on each side of the boat. This contrasts with the inland waters definition. When, at sea, a person is working just one oar, this is termedpulling^[30]^: 135; 2. (more precisely, as used at in inland waters) to propel a boat with oars, where each rower uses just one oar. On inland waters, one person using two oars, one on each side of the boat, is termedsculling^[30]^: 135
rowlock: 1. The cutout in thewashstrakeof a boat into which an oar is placed, so providing a fulcrum when the oar is in use.^[41]; 2. A common term for anoar crutch,the u-shaped metal fitting, with a pin underneath that fits in a socket in thegunwaleof a boat to provide the fulcrum for anoar.^[11]See alsothole pin.
royal: 1. On large sailing ships, amastright above thetopgallantmast.; 2. Thesailof such a mast.
rubbing strake: An extra plank fitted to the outside of thehull,usually at deck level, to protect thetopsides.
rudder: A steering device that is placedaftand pivoted about a (usually vertical) axis to generate ayawingmoment from the hydrodynamic forces that act on the rudder blade when it is angled to the flow of water over it. There are several types of rudder, which generally divide into outboard or inboard. An outboard rudder is hung (hinged) on thesternof the vessel. An inboard rudder has astockwhich passes through a gland in thehull,with the structure of the hull continuing towards the stern above the rudder. A spade rudder is hinged solely on the stock and has no lower bearing to help take the loads. Other rudder types may be hinged on an extension of thekeelor on askeg.Rudders may be balanced, by having some of the blade extend in front of the stock. On simple watercraft, the rudder may be controlled by atiller—essentially, a stick or pole attached to the top of the rudder to allow it to be turned by a helmsman. In larger vessels, the rudder is often linked to asteering wheelvia cables, pushrods, or hydraulics.
rudder stop: A fitting that limits the swing of the rudder.
rudderstock: The structural part of arudderthat transmits the torque created by thetilleror steering gear to the rudder blade. It may consist of a steel tube which passes through bearings in the hull above the rudder, or with a stern-hung rudder, is the structure carrying all or some of the pintles or gudgeons on which the rudder pivots.
ruffle: A serrated iron ring attached to the barrel of theanchorwinchand to which thepawlis applied to prevent backruns of theanchor chain.^[2]
rum-runner: Seego-fast boat.
rummage: Alsoromage.
1. A place or room for thestowageof cargo in a vessel.; 2. The act of stowing cargo aboard a vessel.; 3. To arrange (cargo, goods, etc.) in theholdof a vessel; to move or rearrange such goods; the pulling and moving about of packages incident to close stowage aboard a vessel.; 4. To search a vessel for smuggled goods, e.g. "The customs officers rummaged the ship."
rummage sale: A sale of damaged cargo (from Frencharrimage).
run: 1. Thesternof the underwater body of a ship from where it begins to curve upward and inward.; 2. A voyage, particularly a brief or routine one.
running before the wind: Also simplyrunning.
Sailing more than about 160° away from the direction from which the wind is blowing (i.e. moving in the same or nearly the same direction as the wind). If moving directly away from the wind, it is called adead run.Comparereachingandbeating.
running backstays: Abackstaythat can be released and moved out of the way so that it does not interfere withsailsorsparson theleeward side.Ontacking,the new windward running backstay must be set up promptly to support the mast.^[2]
running gear: 1. The propellers, shafts, struts, and related parts of amotorboat.; 2. Therunning riggingof a sailing vessel.
running light: An alternative term fornavigation light.
running rigging: Alsorunning gear.
Riggingused to manipulatesails,spars,etc. in order to control the movement of a sailing vessel. Contraststanding rigging.^[42]

Contents:Top	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	See also	References

S

safe harbour: Aharbourthat provides safety from bad weather or attack.
safe haven: Asafe harbour,including natural harbours, which provide safety from bad weather or attack.
safety briefing: Seemuster drill.
saddle chock: A transverse beam placed over thetransomwithfairleadsfor mooring warps.^[2]
sagging: A condition in which thehullof a vessel deflects downward so the ends of thekeelare higher than the middle. The opposite ofhogging.Sagging can occur when the trough of a wave isamidshipsor during loading or unloading of a vessel and can damage her or even break her in half.
sail: 1. A piece of fabric attached to avesseland arranged such that it causes the wind to drive the vessel along. Sails are typically attached to the vessel and manipulated by sailors via a combination ofmast,spars,andropes.; 2. The power harnessed by a sail or sails to propel a vessel.; 3. To use sail power to propel a vessel.; 4. A trip in a boat or ship, especially a sailboat or sailing ship.; 5. In American usage, a tower-like structure on the dorsal (topside) surface ofsubmarinesconstructed since the mid-20th century. A submarine's sail is similar in appearance to a fabric sail or fin, and is referred to as afinin British and Commonwealth usage. It also superficially resembles theconning towerof submarines built before the mid-20th century, but differs from a conning tower in that a submarine conning tower contained instruments and controls for the periscopes to direct the submarine and launchtorpedoattacks, while a submarine sail (or fin) does not perform these functions.
sail drive: A non-steerable drive leg fitted through the bottom of a sailboat carrying a propeller. Compareazimuth thrusterandsterndrive.
sail loft: A large open space used bysailmakersto spread outsails.
sail-plan: A set of drawings showing various sail combinations recommended for use in various situations.
sailing canal boat: Seecanal schooner.
sailing canal schooner: Seecanal schooner.
sailing skiff: Seeskiff.
sailmaker: A craftsman who makes and repairssails,working either on shore in asail loftor aboard a large, oceangoing sailing ship.
sailorman: London term for a sailingbarge,or a bargeman.^[2]
sally ship: A method of freeing a vesselgroundedon mud, in which the crew forms a line and runs back and forthathwartshipsto cause her to rock back and forth, breaking the mud's suction and freeing her with little or no damage to thehull.When this is required, the crew is given the order "Sally ship!"
saloon: A social lounge on a passenger ship.
saltie: Great Lakes term for a vessel that sails the oceans.
salty dog: Slang for asailor,especially for aseamanin the navy.
salvage tug: Sometimes called awrecking tug.
A specializedtugboatused to assist ships in distress or in danger of sinking, or to salvage ships which have already sunk or run aground.
salvor: A person engaged in the salvage of a ship or items lost at sea.
sampan: A relatively flat-bottomed Chinese wooden boat from 3.5 to 4.5 metres (11 to 15 ft) long, generally used in coastal areas or rivers and as traditional fishing boats. Some have a small shelter, and they may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. It is unusual for sampans to sail far from land as they are not designed to survive rough weather.
sampson post: A strong vertical post used to fasten the anchor cable or mooring warps, for towing another vessel, or to support a ship'swindlass,theheelof a ship'sbowsprit,the base of a cargo derrick or any other heavy load. In a smaller vessel, is usually fastened to the keel at its lower end.^[27]^[11]
sandsucker: Abargethat collects sand from the bottom of lakes.
SB
S.B.: Prefix for "sailing barge",used before a ship's name.
scandalize: To reduce the area and efficiency of asailby expedient means (slacking the peak and tricing up thetack) without properlyreefing,thus slowing boat speed. Also used in the past as a sign of mourning.
scantlings: Dimensions of a ship's structural members, e.g.frame,beam,girder,etc.
schooner: A type of sailing vessel characterized by the use offore-and-aftsails on two or moremastswith the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts. First used by the Dutch in the 16th or 17th century. Atopsail schoonerhas a square topsail (and may also have a topgallant) on the foremast.
schooner barge: A type ofbargeeither converted from aschooneror purpose-built as a barge with a schoonerrig,primarily in use from the 1860s to the 1940s, initially on theGreat Lakesand later in salt-water environments as well. A schooner barge required a smaller crew than a schooner and needed to be towed, but under favorable conditions could hoistsails to reduce fuel consumption by the vessel towing her.^[43]^[44]
schuyt: Another name for aDutch barge.
scope: The length of cable extended when a ship rides at anchor.
scow: 1. A method of preparing ananchorfor tripping by attaching ananchor cableto the crown and fixing to the ring by a lightseizing(also known asbecue). The seizing can be broken if the anchor becomes fouled.; 2. A type of clinkerdinghy,characteristically beamy and slow.; 3. An inland racing boat with nokeel,a large sail plan, and a planing hull.
scow schooner: A vessel with ascow-like (def. 2)hulland aschoonerrig. Scow schooners appeared on theGreat Lakesduring the 1820s and served there into the 20th century, and also were common onSan Francisco Bayand inNew Zealand.^[45]
scow sloop: A vessel with ascow-like (def. 2)hulland aslooprig. Scow sloops were common inNorth Americaby 1725.^[45]
Screaming Sixties: Also called theShrieking Sixties.
Strong westerly winds found in theSouthern Hemisphere,south of60 degrees.They are stronger than the similar "Roaring Forties"to their north.
screecher: A specialty sail which can be used as an upwindgenoa sail,reachingsail, or downwind sail. The name comes from combining "spinnaker"and" reaching ".
screw: 1. Apropeller.; 2. Propeller-driven (e.g. ascrew frigateorscrew sloop).
scud: A name given by sailors to the lowest clouds, which are mostly observed in squally weather.
scudding: A term applied to a vessel when carried furiously along by a tempest.
scull: 1. (v.) In sport or recreational rowing, especially on inland water, to propel a boat by oars, where each of one or several persons uses two oars, one on each side of the boat. This contrasts with the maritime traditional working boat or naval usage, where this activity is calledrowing.^[30]^: 135; 2. (v.) To propel a boat with a single oar resting in a notch at the stern, using a figure of eight motion of the blade of the oar, which is continuously immersed in the water; 3. (n.) Anoarused for sculling; 4. (n.) A boat propelled by sculling, generally for recreation or racing
scuppers: Originally a series of pipes fitted through a ship's side from inside the thicker deck waterway to the topside planking in order to drain water overboard, with larger quantities drained through freeing ports, which were openings in thebulwarks.
scuttle: 1. A small opening, or lid thereof, in a ship'sdeckorhull.; 2. To sink a vessel deliberately.
scuttlebutt: 1. A barrel with a hole in it, used to hold water that sailors would drink from. By extension (in modern naval usage), a shipboard drinking fountain or water cooler.; 2. Slang forgossip.
scuttling: Making a hole in the hull of a vessel or openingseacocks,especially in order to sink a vessel deliberately.
sea: 1. The ocean.; 2. A body of salt water smaller than an ocean and generally forming part of, or connecting with, an ocean or a larger sea.; 3. A large lake, usually one with salty or brackish water.; 4. Theswellof an ocean or sea.; 5. A single wave, e.g., "A largeseastruck the ship. "
sea anchor: A stabilizer deployed in the water forheaving toin heavy weather. It acts as a brake and keeps the hull in line with the wind and perpendicular to the waves. Often in the form of a large bag made of heavy canvas. See alsodrogue.
sea chest: A watertight box built against the hull of the ship communicating with the sea through a grillage, to which valves and piping are attached to allow water in for ballast, engine cooling, and firefighting purposes. Also, a wooden box used to store a sailor's effects.
sea shanty/chanty/chantey: Work song to accompany rhythmical labor.
sea state: The general condition of the free surface on a large body of water with respect to wind waves and swell at a certain location and moment, characterized by statistics, including thewave height,period,andpower spectrum.The sea state varies with time, as the wind conditions or swell conditions change.
sea trial: The testing phase of a boat, ship, or submarine, usually the final step in her construction, conducted to measure a vessel's performance and general seaworthiness before her owners take delivery of her.
seaboat: 1. Aship's boatkept ready for immediate use at sea, and used, for example, for retrieving a man overboard, or taking a boarding party to another vessel. Usually rigged with patent disengaging gear that allows both falls to be released simultaneously and quickly, so enabling the boat to be launched from a ship with way on.^[46]; 2. A term used for any vessel when assessing her physical behavior at sea. A vessel that performs well in challenging weather or sea conditions such as heavy seas isa good seaboat,while one which does not isa bad seaboat.
seaboots: High waterproof boots for use at sea. In leisure sailing, known assailing wellies.
seacock: Avalvein thehullof a vessel used to allow seawater into or out of the vessel. Seacocks are used to admit seawater for purposes such as cooling an engine, feeding a saltwater faucet, orscuttlinga vessel, or to drain a sink or toilet into the sea. Onwarships,seacocks may be used to floodammunition magazineswith seawater to prevent them from exploding during a fire.
seakeeping: The ability of a watercraft to remainseaworthyin the conditions she encounters while underway. A vessel with a good seakeeping ability is very seaworthy even in rough weather.
sea-kindly: (of a boat or ship) Having a comfortable motion in rough seas^[47]
sealer: A vessel designed for or engaged in seal hunting.
sealing: 1. The hunting ofseals.; 2. The internal lining of the sides and bottom of thehold.Alsoceiling.^[2]
seaman: A generic term for asailor,or (part of) a low naval rank.
seamount: A large geologic landform rising from the ocean floor that does not reach the surface; an underwater mountain.
seaworthy: Certified for and capable of safely sailing at sea.
second mate: Also called asecond officer.
A licensed member of the deck department of amerchant ship,third – or, on someocean liners,fourth – in command; a watchkeeping officer, customarily the ship'snavigator.Other duties vary, but the second mate is often the medical officer and in charge of maintaining distress-signaling equipment. On oil tankers, the second mate usually assists the chief mate with tank-cleaning operations.
see you on the one: AlsoCUOTO.
Used principally by pilots and river tug and barge deck and officer crew as a friendly farewell (similar to the phrase "catch you later" ) or more properly used in vessel to vessel VHF (or when needed ship's whistle) communication, along with its companion phrase "see you on the two" to indicate which side a head-to-head vessel crossing is going to occur. The correct response to the challenge is to repeat it back to the apposing vessel in agreement, and if not in agreement to ask for an alternative arrangement. The "on the one" indicates a single whistle sound signal, or port to port crossing, whilst "on the two" is a dual (two) whistle sound signal, or starboard to starboard crossing. In the US, a "one whistle" or port to port crossing is the normal and preferred crossing side.
seekers: London term for sailingbargesthat sought cargo, carrying cargo for other merchants at a fee, rather than for the owner.^[2]
seiner: A fishing vessel rigged to fish byseining.
seize: To bind tworopestogether with small line.^[48]
self-sustaining: Amerchant shipthat can unload herself with no assistance from harbor facilities isself-sustaining,while a ship that needs harbor facilities to unload isnon-self-sustaining.Self-sustaining ships are more expensive to build, maintain, and operate than non-self-sustaining ships, but have the advantage of being able to operate in less-developed ports that lack infrastructure.
self-unloader: Great Lakes slang term for a vessel with a conveyor or some other method of unloading the cargo without shoreside equipment.
semi-dreadnought: An advanced type ofpredreadnoughtbattleshipof the very early 20th century with an "all-big-gun" armament of mixed calibers. A semi-dreadnought differed from a conventional predreadnought, which had only a few large guns for long-range fire and relied on an intermediate secondary battery used at shorter ranges for most of her offensive power, but also differed from adreadnoughtbattleship, which dispensed with an intermediate secondary battery in favor of an all-big-gun main battery of the same caliber for use at long range. A semi-dreadnought had greater firepower at longer ranges than a conventional predreadnought, but lacked the long-range firepower of a dreadnought.
sennet: Cord formed by plaiting rope-yarn by hand. There are many types of plait, which may be flat, round, or square in section, and many uses.^[49]^[31]
sennet whip: A summary punitive implement.
serve: Cover a rope or splice by wrapping with thin line to protect it.^[2]Compare withwhipping
set: The direction toward which the current flows.
settle: (of a ship or boat): sink lower in the water, often prior to sinking altogether.
sextant: A navigational instrument used to measure a ship'slatitude.
shackle: U-shaped iron, with a screw pin at the open end used for securingstaystosails,allowing easy removal.^[2]
shaft: 1. Apropeller shaft.The termshaftcan be used instead of "propeller"to describe the number of propellers a ship has, e.g.,The ship has two shaftsorThe ship's engines drive three shafts.; 2. To push or propel (a boat) with a pole.^[50]
shaft alley: The section of a ship that houses the propulsion shaft, running from the engine room to thestuffing box.
shaft log: A shaped piece of timber or metal fitted to a vessel'sdeadwood,keel,orkeelsonat the point where thestern tubepasses through the hull.^[51]
shakedown cruise: Also simply called ashakedown.
A cruise performed before a ship enters service or after major changes such as a crew change, repair, or overhaul during which the performance of the ship and her crew are tested under working conditions.
shakes: Pieces of barrels or casks broken down to save space. They are worth very little, leading to the phrase "no great shakes".
shallop: 1. A term used for a variety of boats and small ships used for coastal navigation beginning in the 17th century.; 2. A large boat armed with cannon used by the Danes asgunboatsduring theGunboat War(1807–1814).
shanghaied: The condition of a crewman involuntarily impressed into service on a ship.
sheave: (traditionally pronounced "shiv" ) The wheel in ablock,which rotates as the rope runs.^[2]
sheave-hole: A hole or slot in aspar,fitted with asheaveto allow a rope to run.^[48]
sheer: The upward curve of a vessel's longitudinal lines as viewed from the side.^[2]
sheer line: The intersection of the externalhullsurface and the maindecksurface, shown by a line on thesheer plan.
sheer plan: Inshipbuilding,a diagram showing anelevationof the ship'ssheerviewed from thebroadside.
sheet: A rope attached to theclewand used to control the setting of asailin relation to the direction of the wind. The sheet is often passed through atacklebefore being attach to fixed points on the deck, or in the case of abarge,to a traveller on the main horse.^[2]
sheet anchor: Historically, the heaviestanchoraboard a sailing ship, to be used only in case of emergency, and locatedamidships.In more general usage, the term has come to mean a person or thing that is very reliable in times of emergency.^[52]For example, during thefirst inauguration of Thomas Jefferson,he advocated, "the preservation of the General [Federal] Government in its whole constitutional vigor, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home and safety abroad."^[53]
sheet bend: Abendto attach a rope to a smalleyeorclew,e.g. to attach a hammock to a clew or apainterto theJacobs Ladder.^[54]
shell: Also called afine boatin the United Kingdom.
An extremely narrow, and often disproportionately long, rowing boat outfitted with longoars,outriggersto hold theoarlocksaway from the boat, and sliding seats, specifically designed for racing or exercise.
shelter deck: An upperdeckhaving no overhead protection from the weather itself, but sheltering the deck below it.
shift colors: 1. Changing the flag and pennant display when a moored vessel becomes underway, and vice versa. A highly coordinated display that ships take pride in; the desired effect is that of one set of flags vanishing while another set flashes out at precisely the same time.; 2. Slang for changing out of one's Navy uniform into civilian clothes to go ashore. (The US Navy's newsletter for retired personnel is nicknamedShift Colorsfor this reason.)^[55]
shift tides: Sighting the positions of the Sun and Moon using asextant,using anautical almanacto determine the location and phase of the Moon, and calculating the relative effect of thetideson the navigation of the ship.^[56]^[57]
ship: 1. Strictly, a sailing vessel of three-masts or more andsquare-riggedon allmasts.^[58]^[59]; 2. More generally, any medium or larger seagoing vessel. Smaller vessels or those used in sheltered waters are generally called boats. Exceptions include submarines which are always referred to as boats.^[59]; 3. To send (an item or cargo) via waterborne transport, or in the derived meaning, by any means of transport (such as rail).^[60]; 4. To bring something aboard a vessel.^[60]; 5. To put something in its place aboard a vessel, ready for use.^[60]; 6. To take employment to serve aboard a vessel.; 7. To embark or travel on a vessel.; 8. To take water over the bow or sides of a vessel, e.g., "The freightershippeda great deal of water during the storm. "
ship a sea: (Of a ship or boat): be flooded by a wave.
ship breaking: Also calledship cracking,ship demolition,ship dismantling,orship recycling.
The demolition of ships for spare parts and scrap metal. A ship on her way to be scrapped is said to be going tothe breakers.
ship cemetery: Another name for aship graveyard.
ship classification society: Alsoship classification organisationorship classification organization
A non-governmental organization that establishes and maintains technical standards for the construction and operation ofships and offshore structures.
ship-of-the-line: A type of sailingwarshipconstructed from the 1600s through the mid-1800s to serve as part of theline of battle;one of the largest and most powerful warships of the era.
ship graveyard: Also called aship cemetery.
1. A location where thehullsof discarded ships are left to decay and disintegrate.; 2. An area whereshipwrecksaccumulate due to hazardous navigation conditions, deliberatescuttling,or losses in combat.; 3. Ananchoragefor ships of areserve fleet.
ship over: To reenlist. When a sailor extends his or her service another term.
ship-polacca: A three-mastedpolacca.
ship rig: Seefull-rigged ship.
ship sloop: A type ofsloop-of-warintroduced in the 1740s that had threesquare-riggedmasts(in contrast to thebrig sloopintroduced in the 1770s, which had two masts).
ship stores: The materials, supplies and equipment required for the navigation, maintenance, operation and upkeep of a ship.
ship taken up from trade: SeeSTUFT.
ship's bell: Striking the ship's bell is the traditional method of marking time and regulating the crew's watches. Each bell (from one to eight) represents a 30-minute period since the beginning of a four-hourwatch.For example, in the classical system, "Three bells in the morning watch" represents 90 minutes since the beginning of the morning watch, or 5:30 AM. "Eight bells" indicates the end of a watch.
ship's biscuit: Seehard tack.
ship's company: Thecrewof a ship.
ship's complement: The number of persons in a ship'screw,including officers.
ship's husband: A legal term for an agent based on land, who has authority to make repairs and attend to the management, equipment, and general management of a ship in the home port.^[61]^[62]
ships husbandry: All aspects of maintenance, cleaning, and general upkeep of the hull, rigging, and equipment of a ship. It may also be used to refer to aspects of maintenance which are not specifically covered by the technical departments.^[63]^[64]
shipbreach: Another name for ashipwreck.
shipping: 1. Passage or transport on a ship;maritime transport.; 2. The body of ships belonging to one country, port, or industry.
shipshape: Meticulously neat and tidy. A sailor is expected to keep his or her quartersshipshape,with all items arranged neatly and securely, both to save space aboard ship and because of the danger posed by loose objects if the ship encounters turbulent seas.
shipwreck: 1. The remains of a ship that has sunk.; 2. The remains of a ship that has runagroundsuch that she is no longerseaworthy.; 3. An event in which a ship sinks or otherwise becomes a wreck.
shipwrecking: To wreck a ship through a mishap.
shipwrecked: A person marooned due to the loss of a ship he or she was aboard is said to beshipwrecked.
shipwright: A person who designs, builds, and repairs ships, especially wooden ones.
shipyard: A facility whereshipsor boats are built and repaired. Routinely used as a synonym fordockyard,although dockyard is sometimes associated more closely with a facility used for maintenance and basing activities, while shipyard sometimes is associated more closely with a facility used in construction.
shoal: Shallow water that is a hazard to navigation.
shoal draught: An especially shallowdraughton a vessel, making the vessel capable of sailing in unusually shallow water.
shore leave: Free time given to officers and crew of a naval vessel when they are off duty and allowed to disembark and spend time on land. See alsoliberty.
short stay: The relative slackness of ananchor chain;"short stay" means the chain is somewhat slack, and neither vertical nor fully extended.
shorten: 1. To take in the slack of (a rope).; 2. To reduce (sail) by taking it in, e.g. "shorten sail".
shot across the bow: A shot fired close to and in front of a moving vessel to warn her to stop, often for boarding.
show your true colors: To display the correct flag ( "colors" ) for your ship's sovereign allegiance after using a false or misleading flag, or flying no flag at all, to approach an unsuspecting enemy ship.
Shrieking Sixties: Seescreaming Sixties.
shrimper: A fishing vessel rigged forshrimp fishing.
shroud: A rope or cable serving to support amastfrom either side.
show your true colors: To display your correct flag after approaching an unsuspecting enemy by flying an misleading flag.
sick bay: A compartment reserved for medical purposes.
sideboy: One of an even-numbered group of seamen posted in two rows on thequarterdeckwhen a visiting dignitary boards or leaves the ship, historically to help (or even hoist) him aboard.
sided: (of atimberin a wooden hull) The identifier of a measurement of a timber in a wooden hull, used, together withmoulded,instead of width and thickness which could be ambiguous – length, the third dimension is not ambiguous. Sided identifies the measure across the surface of an individual timber which is at right angles to the moulded direction. Therefore this is the dimension across the top of a keel, the fore and aft face of a frame, or the athwartships face of stem or stern post.^[65]
sidewheel: 1. A side-mountedpaddle wheelused for propulsion by apaddle steamer.; 2. Propelled by sidewheels (e.g. "sidewheelsteamer").
sidewheeler: Apaddle steamerpropelled by a pair ofpaddle wheels,one mounted on each side.
single-banked: (of the arrangement of oars on a boat) having only one oarsman seated on eachthwart,operating one oar on one side of the boat, with the oars alternating between port and starboard along the length of the boat. This contrasts withdouble-banked,where two oarsmen are seated on each thwart, each of whom operates one oar on their side of the boat. A third arrangement is to have one rower on each thwart working two oars, one on each side of the boat.^[30]^: 135
single up: to reduce the number of mooring lines to a minimum immediately prior to getting under way. In a small vessel this would usually be a reduction to a mooring line at just the bow and the stern. In a larger vessel this may be a reducton to headrope, sternrope and two springs.^[66]
siren: A sound signal that uses electricity or compressed air to actuate either a disc or a cup-shaped rotor.
sister ship: Ashipof the same class as, and therefore virtually identical in design and appearance to, another ship. Sister ships share an identical or nearly identicalhullandsuperstructurelayout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment. Often, sister ships become more differentiated during their service lives as their equipment (and, in the case of military ships, their armament) are separately altered.
skaffie: A type of small sailing vessel used for fishing, primarily during the 19th century and mostly in theMoray Firthregion ofScotland.
skeg: A downward or sternward projection from thekeelin front of therudder.Protects the rudder from damage, and inbilge keelersmay provide one "leg" of a tripod on which the boat stands when the tide is out.
skeleton crew: A minimal crew, usually employed during an emergency or when a vessel is inactive, generally consisting of the minimum number of personnel required to maintain or operate the vessel.
skiff: A small boat, traditionally a coastal or river craft, for leisure or fishing, with a single person or small crew. Sailing skiffs have developed into high-performance competitive classes.
skipjack: A type of sailboat used as a traditional fishing boat on theChesapeake Bayforoyster dredging.It arose around the end of the 19th century as the successor to thebugeyeas the chief oystering boat on the bay.
skipper: Thecaptainof a ship.
skysail: A squaresailset above theroyals,typically only carried by largebarquesand ships, such as thePrimrose Hill(1885),Oweenee(1819), andMushkosa(1819).^[29]^[67]
skyscraper: A small triangular sail above theskysail.Used in light winds on a few ships.^{[citation needed]}
slack tide: The period between rising tide and falling tide, or the period between falling tide and rising tide when there is no tidal-induced current.
slamming: Slamming occurs when wave or wind action cause part of the vessel to rise out of the water and then slam back down onto the surface of the sea.
slave ship: A large cargo ship specially converted for the transportation ofslavesin theslave trade.Also known as aslaverorGuineaman,the latter term deriving from theGuineacoast ofWest Africa.
slaver: Another name for aslave ship.
slide: The cabinhatchon abarge.^[68]
sling: 1. To pass a rope around something in preparation for attaching a hoisting or loweringtackleto it.; 2. A band of rope or iron for securing ayardto amast;chiefly used in the plural,slings.
slip: 1. To let go a rope at a precise moment, such as when releasing the last attachment to a buoy, when getting under way.^[69]; 2. To slip ananchor:to let go the anchor cable, abandoning the anchor so as to get under way in an emergency, rather than spend time hauling in the cable to raise the anchor in the normal way. The released anchor cable is usually buoyed to aid recovery later.^[69]; 3. The difference between the theoretical distance traveled per revolution of a vessel's propeller and the actual advance of the vessel.; 4. In marine engineering, the motion of the center of resistance of the float of a paddle wheel or the blade of anoarthrough the water horizontally.; 5. In marine engineering, the difference between a vessel's actual speed and the speed it would have if the propelling instrument acted upon a solid.; 6. In marine engineering, the velocity of the backward current of water produced by the propeller relative to still water.; 7. In marine insurance, a memorandum of the particulars of a risk for which a policy is to be executed, usually bearing the broker's name and initialled by the underwriters.
slip rope: A mooring rope that is intended to be the last to be released when getting under way and is arranged so that it can be released from on-board. An example of this would be a rope that is led from the ship (or boat), through a ring on a mooring buoy, and then back to the ship.^[70]
slipway: A ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. Slipways are used for building and repairing ships and boats. They are also used for launching and retrieving small boats on trailers towed by automobiles and flying boats on their undercarriage.
sloop: In modern usage (fromcirca1850s), a single-masted fore and aft sailing rig with one headsail set on the forestay, and a mainsailabaftthe mast. The sloop rig is very common in modern leisure sailing vessels. In older usage, a sloop may have more than one headsail, but with the jib (the outer headsail) also set on a stay. This differentiates from acutterof the same era, where the jib would be set flying and a running bowsprit was used. Any bowsprit that might be fitted on a sloop was part of the standing rigging and remained in place at all times.^[71]
sloop-of-war: 1. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a small sailingwarshipcarrying 18 or fewer guns with a single continuous gundeck.; 2. In the 18th and 19th centuries, any sailing warship bearing fewer than 20 guns.; 3. In the 19th-century US Navy, the term used for the type of sailing warship known in other navies as acorvette.; 4. In the early and mid-20th century, a small oceangoing warship not intended for fleet deployments, and used instead for convoy escort, gunboat duties, etc.
slop chest: A ship's store of merchandise, such as clothing, tobacco, etc., maintained aboard merchant ships for sale to thecrew.
slush: Greasy substance obtained by boiling or scraping the fat from empty salted meat storage barrels, or the floating fat residue after boiling the crew's meal. In theRoyal Navy,it was a perquisite of the ship's cook, who could sell it or exchange it (usually for alcohol) with other members of the crew. Used for greasing parts of the running rigging of the ship and therefore valuable to themasterandbosun.
slush fund: The money obtained by the cook sellingslushashore. Used for the benefit of the crew (or the cook).
smack: A traditional fishing boat used off the coast of England and the Atlantic coast of America for most of the 19th century and in small numbers up to the mid-20th century. Originally acutter-rigged sailing boat, after about 1865 lengthened and given aketchrig. Some had atopsailon themizzen mast,others abowspritcarrying ajib.
small bower: The smaller of twoanchorscarried in thebow.
smoking lamp: Restricted flame source lighted only during authorized smoking hours.^[22]
snag: 1.Snag,alsodeadhead:A tree or tree branch fixed in the bottom of a navigable body of water and partially submerged or rising nearly to the surface that can pierce and sink vessels. Snags were a particularly severe hazard in the 19th and early 20th centuries; to besnaggedis to suffer damage from or to be sunk by such a hazard.; 2. An underwater obstruction on which equipment trailed from a vessel, such as fishing lines and nets, becomes caught, sometimes resulting in loss of the equipment.
snagboat: A river boat resembling abargewith asuperstructurefor crew accommodations, equipped withdeck-mounted cranes and hoists for removingsnags and other obstructions from rivers and other shallow waterways.
snatch block: Ablockwith one cheek that is hinged, so that the bight of a rope can be inserted in the block (as opposed to threading the end of the rope into an ordinary block).^[72]
snipe: 1. Member of a ship's engineering department.; 2. Mythical object of a "snipe hunt"for inexperienced crewmembers.
snotter: A short rope, spliced together at the ends and covered with hide, that is seized to themastto hold the lower end of asprit.^[73]
snotty: Royal Navyslang for amidshipman.^[74]
snow: A form ofbrigwhere thegaffspankeror driver is rigged on a "snow mast", a lightersparsupported in chocks close behind themainmast.
snub: To quickly stop a line that is running out - usually by taking or tightening a turn on a bollard, cleat or winch drum.^[75]
snug loaded: When all the cargo on abargeis stowed below in theholdand there is nothing ondeck.In contrast to carrying a stack.^[68]
soft eye: An eye splice without a thimble fitted.
SOG: An abbreviation of "speed over ground", the speed of the vessel relative to the Earth (and as shown by a GPS). Referenced on many fishing forums.
soogee: To wash down (as the deck and paintwork of a ship.)^[76]
SONAR: 1. Anacronymfor "sound navigation and ranging", a method of using sound pulses to detect, range, and sometimes image underwater targets and obstacles or the bed of the sea. See alsoecho soundingandASDIC.; 2. The equipment used to conduct such searches, ranging, and imaging.
SOS: International distress signal.
sou'wester: 1. A storm originating from the southwest.; 2. A type of waterproof hat with a wide brim over the neck, worn in storms.
soul, souls: With a quantifier, can apply to the number of people on board ship; hence,SOS,"Save Our Souls".^[77]
sounding: Sounding; 1. Measuring the depth of the water. Traditionally done by "swinging the lead",now more commonly byecho sounding.; 2. Measuring the depth of liquid stored in a tank onboard a vessel, typically used to determine its volume. See alsoUllage.
spanker: Afore-and-aftorgaff-riggedsailon the aftmost mast of asquare-riggedvessel and the main fore-and-aft sail (spanker sail) on the aftmost mast of a (partially) fore-and-aft rigged vessel such as aschooner,barque,orbarquentine.^[49]
spanker-mast: The aftmostmastof afore-and-aftorgaff-riggedfive-masted vessel such as aschoonerorbarquentine.Afull-riggedship has aspanker sailbut not a spanker-mast (seejigger-mast).^[48]
spar: A wooden (in later years also iron or steel) pole used to support various pieces ofriggingandsails.The big five-mastedfull-riggedtall shipPreussen(German spelling:Preußen) had crossed 30 steel yards, but only one wooden spar – the littlegaffof itsspankersail.
spar torpedo: A weapon consisting of a bomb placed at the end of a longsparand attached to a boat.
speaking tube: Seecommunication tube.
spencer: Atrysail.^[48]
spider band: Alsospider hoop.
An iron band around the base of amastthat holds a set of ironbelaying pins.^[2]
spindrift: Finely divided water swept from the crests of waves by strong winds. The presence of spindrift may be used to approximately estimate wind speed.
spinnaker: 1. A largesailflown in front of the vessel while heading downwind.^[78]; 2. Aheadsailsetwindwardwhen running before the wind. The bargeman's spinnaker is histopmaststaysail,tacked to the mast, and sheeted round the weather crosstree.^[2]
spinnaker pole: Asparused to help control aspinnakeror otherheadsail.
spirketting: The thicker planks of theceiling,found at the bottom of theholdand continuing up the inside of the hull to the start of thequickwork(or lining).^[4]
splice: To join lines (ropes, cables, etc.) by unravelling their ends and intertwining them to form a continuous line; to form an eye or a knot by splicing.^[73]
splice the mainbrace: An order given aboard naval vessels to issue thecrewwith a drink, traditionallygrog.The phrase "splice the mainbrace" is used idiomatically meaning to go ashore onliberty,intending to go out for an evening of drinking.
splinter fleet: Alsosplinter navy
Informal term for wooden boats of various types the United States armed forces used during World War II. Some of the boats were civilian vessels brought into service for the war, while others were built during the war specifically for wartime service. Some were transferred toAlliedcountries.
split lugsail: Two sails,foresailandmainsailon alugsailyard,removing the need to dip the yard around the mast every time the vesseltacked.^[79]
sponson: A projection from the side of a vessel for protection, stability, or the mounting of equipment such as armaments orlifeboats.A sponson that extends a hull dimension at or below thewaterlineserves to increase flotation or add lift when underway. In salvage of a damaged or disabled vessel, a sponson may be a flotation tank attached to provide stability or buoyancy.
spoke: Spoke (to) another ship, as in "Spoke a brig from Rio" inNarrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of NantucketbyEdgar Allan Poe.
sponsor: The person, traditionally a woman, who christens a ship at its launching ceremony.
spotting top: A platform on amastused to aid ingun laying.
spreader: Asparon a sailboat used to deflect theshroudsto allow them to better support themast.^[2]
spring: A mooring warp that goes from thebowto a position on thequaysidelevel with thestern(backspring) or led forward from the stern to a point level with the bow (forespring). A spring may be used in conjunction with the engine to swing the bow or stern away from a quayside to enable safe departure.^[80]
springs: Big tides caused by the alignment of the Moon and Sun.^[68]
sprit: Asparthat supports aspritsail.It is attached to themastnear thedeckand extends diagonally up to the peak of the sail. It is steadied byvangs.^[2]
spritsail: 1. Afore-and-aftsail,where the peak is supported by asprit.It may be free-footed or use aboom.; 2. A rig that uses a spritsail.^[2]; 3. A square-sail flown beneath thebowsprit.^[81]
sprittie: Aspritsail-riggedbarge.^[2]
spurling pipe: A pipe that connects to the chain locker, from which theanchor chainemerges onto thedeckat thebowof a ship.
squadron: 1. In general, any significant group ofwarshipsconsidered too small to be afleet,but otherwise not strictly defined by size. In some navies, the termflotillamay be used instead of or in addition tosquadron.; 2. Such a group of warships assigned to and named after a particular ocean, sea, or geographical region, commanded by anadmiralwho may be the naval commander-in-chief in that theatre, e.g. theAsiatic Squadron,theNorth Atlantic Squadron,etc.; generally synonymous with similar naval formations known asstations.; 3. During theAge of Sail,a temporary subdivision of a fleet.; 4. A temporary detachment of ships from a fleet.; 5. Especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a permanent battle formation of a fleet, equipped and trained to operate as a tactical unit under the overall command of the fleet or when detached from the fleet.; 6. Especially in modern usage, an administrative naval command responsible for the manning, training, supply, and maintenance of a group of ships or submarines but not for directing their operations at sea.
square: To place at right angles with themastorkeeland parallel to the horizon, e.g. "to square the yards".
square meal: A sufficient quantity of food. Meals on board ship were served to the crew on a square wooden plate in harbor or at sea in good weather. Food in theRoyal Navywas invariably better or at least in greater quantity than that available to the average landsman. However, while square wooden plates were indeed used on board ships, there is no established link between them and this particular term. The OED gives the earliest reference from the US in the mid-19th century.
square rig: A generic type ofsailandriggingarrangement in which the primary driving sails are carried onyardsthat are perpendicular, or "square",to thekeelof the vessel and to themasts.A ship mainly so rigged is said to besquare-rigged.^[48]
square rigger: Asquare-riggedship.
squared away: Yardsheld rigidly perpendicular to theirmastsand parallel to thedeck.This was rarely the best trim of the yards for efficiency but made a pretty sight for inspections and in harbor. The term is applied to situations and to people figuratively to mean that all difficulties have been resolved or that the person is performing well and is mentally and physically prepared.
squat effect: The phenomenon by which a vessel moving quickly through shallow water creates an area of lowered pressure under itskeelthat reduces the ship's buoyancy, particularly at the bow. The reduced buoyancy causes the ship to "squat" lower in the water than would ordinarily be expected, and thus its effectivedraughtis increased.
squid: A derogatory term for a US Navy sailor.
SS
S.S.: To the purist, a prefix for Screw Steamer (i.e. with screw propulsion, meaning propellers). It is used before the name of a ship. Compare with "PS", which stands for "Paddle Steamer". Widely used as an abbreviation for "Steam Ship".
stack: Alsofunnel.
1. Another name for afunnel.; 2. Deck cargo.^[2]
stack marking: A logo or other type of livery on a ship'sstackindicating which private entity, such as a shipping line, or government agency owns or operates her. Generally, all the ships belonging to the fleet of a single company or agency will have the same stack marking.
stackie: Abargedesigned to take a large deck cargo, usually of hay or straw needed to feed working horses.^[2]
stanchion: A vertical post near the edge of adeckthat supports life-lines; atimberfitted in between the frame heads on a wooden hull or a bracket on a steel vessel, approx one meter high, to support thebulwarkplank or plating and therail.
stand: (of a ship or its captain) To steer, sail, or steam, usually used in conjunction with a specified direction or destination, e.g. "The ship stood out of the harbor" or "The ship stood toward the east" or "The ship stood toward the missing vessel's last known position".
stand-on (vessel): A vesseldirectedto keep her course and speed where two vessels are approaching one another so as to involve a risk of collision.
standing part: The section of a rope at acleator ablockthat is under tension, as opposed to the loose end.^[2]
standing rigging: Riggingthat supportsmastsandsparsand is not manipulated during normal operations. Contrastrunning rigging.^[48]
stanliff: A heavy wire cable attached to themastat thehoundsto support the weight of aspritsailat theheel.^[2]
starboard: The right side of a ship or boat; towards the right-hand side of a vessel facing forward (toward thebow).^[2]Denoted with a green light at night. Derived from the old steering oar or "steerboard", which preceded the invention of therudder.
starboard tack: When sailing with the wind coming from thestarboardside of the vessel. Vessels on starboard tack generally have right-of-way over vessels onport tack.
starter: A rope used as a punitive device. Seeteazerandtogey.
stateroom: 1. A superior cabin for a vessel's officer.; 2. In American usage, a private passenger cabin on a transport or cruise ship.
station: 1. In chiefly 19th- and early 20th-century usage, a naval formation under a commander-in-chief who controls all naval operations, and sometimes all naval shore facilities, within a specified geographic area (e.g. theChina Station,theEast Indies Station,etc.); sometimes synonymous withsquadron.; 2. InNewfoundland,aharbouror cove with a foreshore suitable for a facility to support nearby fishing.; 3.Naval station:a naval base (anaval air stationis a base for naval aircraft).; 4.Coaling station:a facility that supplies ships with coal.
station ship: A ship assigned to a particular station, such as a port or a geographic area, usually to support naval vessels and operations. A station ship may patrol the local area, or provide personnel to other ships, or provide fuel or services such as repairs.
stay: 1. A strongropesupporting amastand leading from the head of one mast down to some other mast or other part of the vessel; anyriggingrunning fore (forestay) and aft (backstay) from a mast to thehull.The stays support a mast's weight forward and aft, while theshroudssupport its weight from side to side.^[82]; 2. To incline forward, aft, or to one side by means of stays, e.g. to "stay a mast".; 3. Totack;put on the other tack, e.g. to "stay ship".; 4. To change; tack; go about; be in stays, as a ship.; 5. Astationor fixedanchoragefor vessels.; 6.In staysorhove in stays:in the act of going about while tacking.; 7.Miss stays:an unsuccessful attempt to tack.
stayfall: A flexible wire cable rove throughblocks,one on thestemheadand one on the end of theforestay.This is the means by which themainmastis lowered.^[2]
staysail: Asailwhoseluffis attached to astay.If set on the most forward (or only)mast,a staysail is aheadsail.Where more than one headsail is set, the staysail is generally the one closest to the mast.^[11]^: headsail
steamer: Alsosteamboatorsteamship.
A vessel equipped withsteam propulsion.
steerage: 1. The effect of thehelmon a vessel; the act of steering a vessel.; 2. A 19th- and early 20th-century term for the section of a passenger ship that provided inexpensive accommodation with no individual cabins.
steerageway: The minimum speed at which a vessel answers thehelm,below which she cannot be steered. Speed sufficient for therudderto "bite".
steering flat: The compartment on a vessel that contains the steering gear.
steering oar: Alsosteering board.
A long, flat board oroarthat went from thesternto well underwater, used to steer vessels before the invention of therudder.Traditionally on thestarboardside of a ship (the "steering board" side).
steersman: Another name for ahelmsman.
steeve: 1. Asparor derrick with ablockat one end, used for stowing cargo.; 2. To incline upwards at an angle (used especially of abowsprit) rather than lie horizontally; to set at a particular upwards incline.^[49]
stem: 1. An extension of thekeelat the forward end of a ship.; 2. On abarge,the foremosttimberset vertically to the keel, forming the head of the stem; it carries theforestayand otherrigging.^[2]
stern: The rear part of a ship, technically defined as the area built up over thesternpost,extending upwards from the counter rail to thetaffrail.Contrastbow.
stern chaser: Seechase gun.
stern tube: 1. The tube under thehullbearing the tailshaft for propulsion (usually at thestern).; 2. Atorpedo tubemounted in the stern of a submarine.
sterncastle: Another name for anaftercastle.
sterndrive
stern drive: Also: Z-drive
A propeller drive system similar to the lower part of anoutboard motorextending below the hull of a larger power boat or yacht, but driven by an engine mounted within the hull. Unlike a fixed propeller (but like an outboard), the boat may be steered by twisting the drive. See alsoinboard motor.
sternender: Great Lakesslang for a vessel which has all of hercabinsaft.
sternlight: A whiterunning lightdisplayed on thesternof a vessel.
sternpicker: Agillnetterthat fishes by deploying agillnetfrom thestern.
sternpost: The upright structural member (orpost) at thesternof a (usually wooden) ship or boat, to which are attached thetransomsand the rearmost corner part of the stern. It rests on ( "fays to" ) the ship'skeel,and may be vertical or tilted ( "raked" ) slightly aft.
sternsheets: 1. The area at thesternof an open boat.^[27]; 2. The benches at thesternof an open boat that forms the or seating in the stern.^[27]
sternwalk: An external walkway or gallery for the use of officers installed on thestern,chiefly of British warships until the early 20th century.
sternway: The reverse movement of a boat or watercraft through the water.
sternwheel: 1. Astern-mountedpaddle wheelused for propulsion by apaddle steamer.; 2. Propelled by a sternwheel (e.g. a "sternwheelsteamer").
sternwheeler: Apaddle steamerpropelled by asternwheel.
steward: A member of a vessel's crew involved in commissary duties or in personal services to passengers or other crew members.
stiff: Astiffvessel is one with ametacentric heighthigh enough to make her more stable and less prone to rolling than other vessels. A stiff vessel contrasts with atendervessel.
stood: Seestand.
stocks: The frame that supports a ship or boat when it is being built.
stoker: Seefireman.
Stone Fleet: Afleetof old ships loaded with stone, sand, or dirt andscuttledby theUnited States Navyduring theAmerican Civil Warto block ports of theConfederate States of Americain 1861 and 1862.
stone frigate: InformalRoyal Navyterm for a naval shore establishment.
stopper knot: A knot tied in the end of arope,usually to stop it passing through a hole; most commonly afigure-eight knot.
stoppers: A short rope to check a cable in a fixed position.Anchor stoppershold theanchorwhen catted,bitt stoppersanddeck stoppersare used to retain the cable when at anchor,shroud stopperscontain a damaged shroud, andforetackandsheet stopperssecure thetacksuntil they are belayed.^[83]
storeship: Alsostore shiporstores ship.
1. During theAge of Sailand immediately afterwards, a captured ship used to stow supplies and other goods for naval purposes.; 2. Since the mid-20th century, a type of naval ship that provides supplies, such as frozen, chilled, and dry provisions, and propulsion and aviation fuel towarshipsat sea for an extended period. In some navies, synonymous withreplenishment oiler,fleet replenisher,orfleet tanker.
stove: Alsostove in.
(past tense ofstave,often applied as present tense) To smash inward; to force a hole or break in, as in a cask, door, ship'shull,or other (wooden) barrier.
stow: To store or put away, e.g. personal effects, tackle, or cargo.
stowage: The amount of room for storing materials on board a ship.
stowaway: A trespasser on a ship; a person aboard a ship without permission and/or without payment, who usually boards undetected, remains hidden aboard, and jumps ship just before makingportor reaching a port's dock; sometimes found aboard and imprisoned in thebriguntil the ship makes port and the prisoner can be transferred to the custody of police or military.
straggler: In a convoy, a ship that is unable to maintain speed and falls behind.
straight decker: 1. Originally, ashipbuilt with herpilothouseforwardand enginesaftto provide a continuousholdin between, a design commonly associated with ships which operate on theGreat LakesinNorth America.; 2. In more recent usage, a Great Lakesbulk carrierwhich lacks self-unloading machinery.
strake: A continuous line of planking on a woodenhullgoing from bow to stern. In a small boat, this is usually a single plank, in a larger vessel a strake is several planks joined end to end. In a steel hull the same term can be applied to a continuous line of steel plates all fastened at the same level.^[84]
stretcher: An inclined foot rest attached to the boat, to which a rower may place and in some instances (usually in competition) attach his feet.
strike: 1. To haul down or lower (a flag, mast, etc.).; 2. To surrender the vessel to the enemy, from "strike the colors".; 3. To remove a naval vessel's name from a country's naval register (after which the vessel is consideredstricken).; 4. An attack by a naval combat asset.; 5. To undergo training (as a "striker" ) to qualify for an enlistedrating.
strike the colors: To surrender the vessel to an enemy, from the custom during theAge of Sailof lowering the vessel'sensignto indicate that she is surrendering.
stringer: a longitudinal structural element of ahull.In a wooden hull this is usually atimberfastened to the inner faces of theframes, going the length of the hull. In a fibreglass hull, stringers are usually moulded in fibreglass against the inner skin of the hull over a lightweight timber or other core material, so having a "top hat" section – this moulded structure runs in a generally fore and aft direction.^[85]^[11]
studding sails: (pronounced/ˈstʌnsəl/) Long and narrowsails,used in lighter winds, on the outside of the largesquare sails.^[48]
STUFT: British and Commonwealth acronym forShip Taken Up From Trade,which refers to a civilian ship requisitioned for naval or other government service.
stumpy: 1. Aspritsailbargewithout atopmast.Normal form before 1850, the stumpies sprit was longer than those used intopsailbarges, as themainsailwas cut with a higher peak.^[2]^[86]; 2. A tops'l barge underway without her topsails set.^[2]
STW: An abbreviation of "speed through (the) water"; the speed of the vessel relative to the surrounding water (and as shown by aLog). Used in navigation.
subchaser: Seesubmarine chaser.
submarine: 1. Generally, a watercraft capable of independent operations underwater, able to renew its own power and breathing air. A submarine differs from asubmersible,which has more limited underwater capabilities. By naval tradition, any submarine is referred to informally as a "boat" regardless of its size.; 2. Most commonly, a large, crewed vessel capable of independent underwater operations.; 3. Historically and colloquially, a broad category of vessels capable of submerged operations, including large, crewed submarines but also medium-sized and smaller vessels such asmidget submarinesandwet subsand vessels technically considered submersibles because they require external support, such asremotely operated vehiclesandautonomous underwater vehicles.
submarine chaser: Alsosubchaser
A small naval vessel designed forantisubmarine warfare,introduced duringWorld War Iand obsolete by the late 20th century.
submarine tender: A naval auxiliary ship designed to supplysubmarinesand support their operations. Known in British English as asubmarine depot ship.
submersible: A small watercraft capable of operating underwater but which requires the support of a surface vessel, a surface platform, a shore team, or a larger undersea vessel such as asubmarine.A submersible contrasts with a submarine in that a submarine is capable of fully autonomous operations, including generation of its own power and breathing air. However, colloquially, the term "submarine" often indiscriminately refers to any vessel capable of underwater operations, including those that technically are submersibles.
sunfish: A personal-sized, beach-launched sailingdinghywith apontoon-typehull,daggerboard,andlateen sailmounted to an un-stayedmast.
supercargo: A person aboard a vessel who is employed by the cargo owner. Duties include selling merchandise in ports, as well as buying and receiving goods for the return voyage.
superfiring: Superfiring armament is a naval military building technique in which two (or more) turrets are located in a line, one behind the other, with the second turret located above ( "super" ) the one in front so that the second turret can fire over the first.
superstructure: The parts of a ship or boat, including a sailboat, fishing boat, passenger ship, or submarine, that project above her maindeck.This does not usually include itsmastsor any armament turrets.
surface warfare officer/specialist: U.S. Navy qualification and insignia for surface warfare training.
surfboat: Alsosurf boat.
Anoar-driven boat designed to enter the ocean from a beach in heavy surf or large waves. Surfboats often play a lifesaving or rescue role when rescuers need to reach victims of a mishap directly from a beach.
surge: 1. A vessel's transient motion in aforeandaftdirection.; 2. To let a small amount ofropeon a bollard or winch drum pay out – a controlled slackening of a rope under tension.^[11]
survey vessel: Any type of ship or boat that is used for mapping a body of water's bottom,benthic zone,full water column, and surface for purposes ofhydrography,generaloceanography,marine salvage,dredging,marine archaeology,or the study of marine habitats.
S/V: An abbreviation of "Sailing Vessel", used before the ship's name.
swallow: The gap in the shell of a block through which a line passes over a sheave.^[31]
swatchway: A twisting channel navigable by shallow vessels at high water, generally found betweensandbanks(e.g. in theThames Estuary) or between a sandbank and the shore.
sway: 1. A vessel's lateral motion from side to side.; 2. (verb) To hoist, e.g. "sway up my dunnage".^[87]
sweep: 1. A longoarused to row, steer, or maneuver an unpoweredlighteror sailing vessel when there is no wind.^[31]; 2.Rowing:Arowerwho rows with a singleoarand primarily on only one side of a boat.; 3. (verb) To search for an underwater object using a towed submerged line or device which will snag on the target.^[31]; 4. (verb) To clear a body of water of dangers such snaval minesand obstructions, e.g.,minesweeping.
swept: Cleared of dangers such asnaval minesand obstructions, e.g., "Thesweptchannel was safe for vessels to use. "
swig
swigging: To take up the last bit of slack on a line such as ahalyard,anchor line, or dockline by taking a single turn round acleatand alternately heaving on the rope above and below the cleat while keeping the tension on the tail.
swimhead
swim-head: Having a straight overhanging bow and stern.^[31]
swimmie: Alsomuffie.
Abargewith a square overhangingbow,such as a swimheadlighter.^[2]
sweat: A technique to finally tension ahalyard,by pulling alternatively on the tail from thecleatand at right angles on the taut standing line.^[2]
swinging the compass: Measuring the accuracy in a ship's magneticcompassso its readings can be adjusted, often accomplished by turning the ship and taking bearings on reference points. Essentially synonymous with "swinging the ship".
swinging the lamp: Tellingsea stories.Refers to lamps slung from thedeckheadthat swing while at sea, and often used to describe a storyteller who is exaggerating.
swinging the lead: 1. Measuring the depth of water beneath a ship using alead-weightedsounding line.Regarded as a relatively easy job.; 2. Feigning illness, etc., in order to avoid a difficult job.
swinging the ship: Turning the ship and steadying her on various headings while taking bearings on reference points to measure the accuracy of her magnetic compass. Essentially synonymous with "swinging the compass".
switch tack: Alsochange tack.
To changecourseorheading.

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T

tabernacle: Alsomast case.
A large bracket attached firmly to thedeck,to which the foot of themastis fixed. It has two sides or cheeks and a bolt forming the pivot around which the mast is raised and lowered.^[2]
tack: 1. A leg of the route of a sailing vessel, particularly in relation totackingand tostarboard tackandport tack.; 2. Another name forhardtack.; 3. The front bottom corner of asail.^[2]; 4. Aropeor purchase holding down theclewof acourse.^[88]
tacking: 1. A sailing manoeuvre by which a sailing vessel whose desired course is into the wind (i.e. in the opposite direction from which the wind is blowing) turns itsbowtoward and through the wind, such that the direction from which the wind fills the sails changes from one side of the boat to the other, thereby allowing progress in the desired direction. A series of tacking moves, effectively "zig-zagging" back and forth across the wind, is calledbeating,and allows the vessel to sail directly upwind, which would otherwise be impossible.^[88]; 2. Another name forgoing about.
tacking duels: In sailboat racing, on an upwind leg of the race course, the complex manoeuvres of lead and overtaking boats to vie for the aerodynamic advantage of clear air. This results from the ongoing strategy of the lead boat's effort to keep the following boat(s) in the blanket of disturbed bad air he is creating.
tackle: A pair ofblocksthrough which is rove aropeto provide an advantageouspurchase.Used for lifting heavy loads and to raise andtrim sails.^[2]
tactical diameter: The perpendicular distance between a ship's course when thehelmis puthard overand her course when she has turned through 180 degrees; the ratio of the tactical diameter divided by the ship'slength between perpendicularsgives a dimensionless parameter that can be used to compare the manoeuvrability of ships.
taffrail: Arailat thesternof a boat that covers the head of the counter timbers.
tail: The loose end of a rope that has been secured to awinchor acleat.^[2]
tailshaft: A kind of metallic shafting (a rod of metal) to hold the propeller and connected to the power engine. When the tailshaft is moved, the propeller may also be moved for propulsion.
taken aback: An inattentivehelmsmanmight allow the dangerous situation to arise where the wind is blowing into the sails "backwards", causing a sudden (and possibly dangerous) shift in the position of the sails.
taking the wind out of his sails: To sail in a way that steals the wind from another ship. Compareoverbear.
taking on water: Alsotaking waterandtaking in water.
Said of a vessel, to fill with water slowly, either because of a leak or because of waves washing across the deck. The term can be used to describe water entering the vessel by waves washing over herboworstern,e.g., "The freightertook waterover her bow, "or" The motorboattook waterover her stern. "A vessel which continues totake on watereventually will sink.
tall ship: A large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel.
tally: The operation of haulingaftthesheets,or drawing them in the direction of the ship'sstern.
tanker: Alsotank shiportankship.
A ship designed to transport liquids in bulk.
target ship: A vessel, typically an obsolete or capturedwarship,used for naval gunnery practice or for weapons testing. The term includes both ships intended to be sunk and ships intended to survive and see repeated use as targets.
tartane: Alsotartan.
A small,lateen-rigged,single-mastedsailing ship used in the Mediterranean for fishing and coastal trade from the 16th century to the late 19th century.
Task Force: Any temporary naval organisation composed of particular ships, aircraft, submarines, military land forces, or shore service units, assigned to fulfill certain missions. Seemingly drawn originally fromRoyal Navyheritage, the emphasis is placed on the individual commander of the unit, and references to "CTF" are common for "Commander Task Force".
tattle tale: Light cord attached to a mooring line at two points a few inches apart with a slack section in between (resembling an inchworm) to indicate when the line is stretching from the ship's rising with the tide. Obviously only used when moored to a fixed dock or pier and only on watches with a flood tide.
tell-tale: Alsotell-tail.
A light piece of string, yarn, rope, or plastic (often magnetic audio tape) attached to astayor ashroudto indicate the local wind direction. They may also be attached to the surface and/or theleechof asailto indicate the state of the air flow over the surface of the sail. They are referenced when optimizing thetrimof the sails to achieve the best boat speed in the prevailing wind conditions. Seedogvane.
tender: 1.n.A type of navalauxiliary shipdesigned to provide advanced basing services in undeveloped harbors to seaplanes, flying boats, torpedo boats, destroyers, or submarines.; 2.n.Alsoship's tender,a vessel used to provide transportation services for people and supplies to and from shore for a larger vessel.; 3.n.A vessel used to maintain navigational aids, such as buoys and lighthouses.; 4.adj.Atendervessel is one with ametacentric heightlow enough to make her less stable and more prone to rolling than other vessels. A tender vessel contrasts with astiffvessel.
stiff: Astiffvessel is one with ametacentric heighthigh enough to make it more stable and less prone to rolling than other vessels. A stiff vessel contrasts with atendervessel.
TEV
T.E.V.: A prefix for "turbo-electricvessel ", used before a ship's name.
texas: A structure or section of asteamboatthat includes thepilothouseand the crew's quarters, located on thehurricane deck,in this case also called thetexas deck.
texas deck: Alsohurricane deck.
Thedeckof asteamboaton which itstexasis located.
thimble: A round or heart-shaped grooved ring of iron inserted into aneye-splice.^[49]
third mate: Alsothird officer.
A licensed member of the deck department of amerchant ship,typically fourth, or on some ocean liners fifth, in command; a watchkeeping officer, customarily also the ship's safety officer, responsible for the ship's firefighting equipment,lifeboats,and other emergency systems. Other duties of the third mate vary depending on the type of ship, its crewing, and other factors.
third officer: Seethird mate.
thole pin: A vertical wooden peg or pin inserted through thegunwaleto form a fulcrum foroarswhen rowing. Often used in pairs to create a gap in which the oar is placed, but used singly if the oar has a thickened section pierced with a hole which takes the thole pin. See alsorowlock.
throat: 1. The forward top corner of a squarefore-and-aftsail.^[2]; 2. The end of thegaff,next to themast.^[89]
three sheets to the wind: On a three-masted ship, having thesheetsof the three lower courses loose will result in the ship meandering aimlessly downwind. Also used to describe a sailor who has drunk strong spirits beyond his capacity.
thunderboat: Alternative term for ahydroplane.
thwart: Pronounced/θwɔːrt/.
A bench seat across the width of an open boat.
tier: Vessels moored alongside each other offshore.^[90]
tiller: A lever used for steering, attached to the top of therudder stock.Used mainly on smaller vessels, such asdinghiesand rowing boats.
tilt boat: A square sailferryoperating out of Gravesend. Not less than 15 tons, carrying no more than 37 passengers, it had 5 oarsmenaforethe mast.^[91]
timber: A general term for the individual pieces of the structural framework on which a wooden hull is built – for example a component of aframe^[85]
timber drogher: Another name for adisposable ship.
timber ship: Another name for adisposable ship.
timoneer: A name given, on particular occasions, to thesteersmanof a ship. From the Frenchtimonnier.
tin can: United States Navy slang for adestroyer;often shortened tocan.
tinclad: A lightly armored steam-powered rivergunboatused by the United States Navy during theAmerican Civil War(1861–1865). Also called alight draft.A tinclad had thin iron armor, or in some cases thick wooden bulwarks rather than armor, sufficient to protect her machinery spaces and pilothouse against rifle fire but not against artillery fire. A tinclad contrasted with anironclad,which had armor thick enough for protection against artillery fire.
tingle: A thin temporary patch.
toe-rail: A low strip running around the edge of thedecklike a lowbulwark.It may be shortened or have gaps in it to allow water to flow off the deck.
toe the line: Alsotoe the mark.
At parade, sailors and soldiers were required to stand in line, their toes in line with a seam of thedeck.
tompion: Alsotampion.
A block of wood inserted into the barrel of a gun on a 19th-centurywarshipto keep out the sea spray; also used for covers for the ends of the barrels of the guns on more modern ships, the larger of which are often adorned with the ship's crest or other decoration.
tonnage: 1. Any of various measures of the size or cargo-carrying capacity of a ship in terms of weight or volume.; 2.Builder's Old Measurement,alsotons burden:a volumetric measurement of cubic capacity used to calculate the cargo capacity of a ship, used in England and later the United Kingdom, from approximately 1650 to 1849 and in the United States from 1789 to 1864. It estimated the tonnage of a vessel based on her length and maximumbeam.The British formula yielded a slightly higher value than the U.S. formula.; 3.Deadweight tonnage:the total weight a vessel can carry, exclusive of the mass of the vessel itself.; 4.Displacementtonnage: the total weight of a vessel.; 5.Gross register tonnage:the total internal volume of a vessel, with one gross register ton equal to 100cubic feet(2.8316846592cubic meters).; 6.Gross tonnage:a function of the volume of all of a ship's internal spaces.; 7. Lightship or lightweight tonnage: the weight of a ship without any fuel, cargo, supplies, water, passengers, etc. on board.; 8.Net register tonnage:the volume of cargo a vessel can carry.; 9.Net tonnage:the volume of all cargo spaces on a ship.; 10.Thames Measurementtonnage: the volume of a small vessel, calculated based on her length and beam.
top: The platform at the upper end of each (lower)mastof asquare-riggedship, typically one-fourth to one-third of the way up the mast. The main purpose of a top is to anchor theshroudsof thetopmastthat extend above it. See alsofighting top.^[92]
topgallant: Themastorsailsabove thetops.Seetopgallant mastandtopgallant sail.^[88]
tophamper: 1. A collective term for themasts,yards,sails,andriggingof a sailing ship, or for similarly insubstantial structures above the upperdeckof any ship.^[93]; 2. Unnecessarysparsand rigging kept aloft on a vessel's masts.
topman: A crewmember stationed in atop.
topmast: The second section of themastabove thedeck;formerly the upper mast, later surmounted by thetopgallant mast;carrying thetopsails.^[88]
topmast pole: Part of thesparbetween the hounds and the truck.^[2]
topping lift: A line that is part of theriggingon a sailing boat; it applies upward force on asparorboom.The most common topping lift on a modern sailing boat is attached to the boom.^[92]
topsail: The secondsail(counting from the bottom) up amast.These may be eithersquaresails orfore-and-aftones, in which case they often "fill in" between the mast and thegaffof the sail below.
topsail schooner: Aschoonerthat sets a squaretopsailon yards carried on the foremast. Atopgallantmay also be set above the topsail. (The term does not apply to a schooner setting just fore and aft topsails above gaff sails.) There is some terminological variation, both over time and place, on what square sails a vessel may set and still be termed a schooner.^[94]^[95]^[96]
topsides: The part of thehullbetween thewaterlineand thedeck.See alsoabove-water hull.
torpedo: 1. Prior to about 1900, the term for a variety of explosive devices designed for use in water, includingmines,spar torpedoes,and, after the mid-19th century, "automotive", "automobile", "locomotive", or "fish" torpedoes (self-propelled weapons which fit the modern definition oftorpedo).; 2. Since about 1900, a term used exclusively for a self-propelled weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with its target or in proximity to it.
torpedo boat: A small, fast, cheap naval vessel of the latter part of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century designed to carrytorpedoes into combat, thus threatening much largerwarships. Replaced during the second half of the 20th century by thefast attack craft.
torpedo net: A heavy net a ship could deploy around herself using booms orspars while at anchor, moored, or otherwise stationary to protect herself fromtorpedoattack. A torpedo net hung at a distance from thehullsufficient to detonate a torpedo without significant damage to the ship. Torpedo nets first appeared in the late 1870s and were used through theWorld War Iera, and they were used again duringWorld War II.
touch and go: 1. The bottom of the ship touching the bottom, but notgrounding.; 2. Stopping at adockorpierfor a very short time without tying up, to let off or take on crew or goods.; 3. The practice of aircraft onaircraft carrierstouching the carrierdeckand taking off again without dropping hooks.
towing: The operation pulling a vessel or equipment through the water by means of lines.^[31]
traffic separation scheme: Shipping corridors marked by buoys that separate incoming from outgoing vessels. Sometimes improperly calledsea lanes.
trailboard: A decorative board at thebowof a vessel, sometimes bearing the vessel's name.
training ship: A ship used to train students assailors,especially a ship employed by a navy or coast guard to train future officers. The term refers both to ships used for training at sea and to old, immobilehulksused to house classrooms.
tramp freighter: Acargo shipengaged in thetramp trade.
tramp steamer: Asteamshipengaged in thetramp trade.
tramp trade: The shipping trade on the spot market in which the vessels involved do not have a fixed schedule or itinerary or publishedports of call.This contrasts with freight liner service, in which vessels make regular, scheduled runs between published ports.
tramper: Any vessel engaged in thetramp trade.
transmitting station: British term for a room located in the interior of a ship containing computers and other specialised equipment needed to calculate the range and bearing of a target from information gathered by the ship's spotters and range finders. These were designated "plotting rooms" by the United States Navy.^[97]
transom: 1. A lateral member fastened inside thesternpost,to which thehulland deckplanks are fitted.^[2]; 2. Theaft"wall" of thestern;often the part to which an outboard unit or the drive portion of asterndriveis attached.; 3. A more or less flat surface across the stern of a vessel.Dinghiestend to have almost vertical transoms, whereasyachts' transoms may be raked forward or aft.
Transom stern: Asternwhich ends in a vertical "wall," ortransom,a flat area that extends from thewaterlineor a point above the waterline up to the deck.
transport: Seetroopship.
travellers: 1. Small fittings that slide on a track, rod, or line. The most common use is for the inboard end of themainsheet.; 2. A more esoteric form of traveller consists of "slight iron rings, encircling thebackstays,which are used for hoisting thetop-gallant yards,and confining them to the backstays ".^[92]; An iron ring that moves on the main horse on a sailing barge. It is fitted with an eye onto which is hooked the main sheet, of the loose-footedmainsail.^[2]
trawler: 1.Commercial trawler:a fishing boat that uses atrawl netordragnetto catch fish.; 2. A fisherman who uses a trawl net.; 3.Naval trawler:a converted trawler, or a boat built in that style, used for naval purposes.; 4.Recreational trawler:a pleasure boat built in the style of a trawler.
treenail: Alsotrenail,trennel,ortrunnel.
A wooden peg, pin, or dowel used to fasten pieces of wood together, such as thehull,gunwales,thwarts,etc.^[92]
trial trip: A (usually short) voyage for a new ship to test its capabilities and ensure that everything is functioning correctly. A new ship will usually have one or more trial trips before embarking on itsmaiden voyage.
triangular trade: A historical term for a pattern of trade among threeportsor regions in which each port or region imports goods from one of the other two ports or regions in which there is no market for its exports, thus rectifying trade imbalances between the three ports or regions as well as allowing vessels to take the best advantage of prevailing winds and currents along the three trade routes. The best known example is the Atlantic triangular trade pattern of the late 16th through the early 19th centuries, in which vessels carried finished goods from northeastern North America or Europe to Africa, slaves from Africa to the Americas, and cash crops and raw materials from the Americas to either northeastern North America or Europe.
trice: To lift up something by means of aroperunning through a block set above it, to get it out of the way. Most commonly used in tricing up the tack of a loose-footed gaff sai to reduce sail area and (sometimes) to give better visibility to the helmsman.^[11]^[98]
trick: A period of time spent at the wheel, e.g. "my trick's over".
trim: 1. The relationship of a ship'shullto thewaterline.; 2. Adjustments made tosailsto maximize their efficiency.
trimaran: A vessel with threehulls.
trimmer: Sometimescoal trimmer.
A person responsible for ensuring that a vessel remains "in trim" (that the cargo and fuel are evenly balanced). An important task on a coal-fired vessel, as it could get "out of trim" as coal is consumed.
tripod mast: A type ofmastintroduced aboardwarshipsin the first decade of the 20th century, consisting of three large cylindrical tubes or columns supporting a raised platform forlookoutsand fire control equipment and later forradarantennas and receivers. In succeeding decades, tripod masts replaced the earlier pole masts andlattice masts.Tripod masts persisted in some navies until the 1960s, when plated-in structures began to replace them, and in other navies until the early 2000s, whenstealthdesigns began to move away from any type of open mast.
tripping line: A buoyed line attached to the crown of an anchor to facilitate breaking it out.
troller: A fishing vessel rigged to fish bytrolling.
trooping: Operating as atroopship.
troopship: Alsotroop ship,troop transport,ortrooper.
Any ship used to carry soldiers. Troopships are not specially designed for military operations and, unlikelanding ships,cannot land troops directly onto a shore; instead they unload troops at aharboror onto smaller vessels for transportation to shore.
truck: 1. A circular disc or rectangle of wood or a wooden ball- or bun-shaped cap near or at the top of a wooden mast, usually with holes or sheaves in it through which signalhalyardscan be passed. Trucks are also used on wooden flagpoles to keep them from splitting. Themain truckis located on themain mast,themizzen truckon themizzen mast,and so on.^[88]; 2. A temporary or emergency place for alookout.
true bearing: Anabsolute bearingusingtrue north.
true north: The direction of the geographicalNorth Pole.
truncated counter: A countersternthat has been truncated to provide a kind oftransom.It may have windows, serving a largeaftstateroom. Popular on larger cruising yachts.
truss: The rope or iron used to keep the center of ayardto themast.
trysail: Alsospencer.
A small, strong,fore-and-aftsailsetabaft(behind) themainmastor other mast of a sailing vessel in heavy weather.^[88]
tugboat: Alsotug.
A boat that manoeuvers other vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs are powerful for their size and strongly built, and some are ocean-going.
tumblehome: Ahullshape, when viewed in a transverse section, in which the widest part of the hull is someway belowdecklevel.
tuna clipper: A fishing boat based on theUnited States West Coastand used for commercial tuna fishing. A typical tuna clipper is diesel-powered, has herdeckhouseforward and her bait tanks aft, and is outfitted with iron racks around herstemfrom which her crew uses heavybamboopoles to fish for tuna.
turn: A rope passing behind or around an object such as a cleat, bollard or winch drum, usually with the purpose of controlling the rope.^[99]See alsoriding turn
turn to (turn two): A term meaning "get to work", often hand-signed by two fingers and a hand motion in turning fashion.
turnbuckle: Seebottlescrew.
turret: 1. Originally (in the mid-to-late 19th century), a rotating, enclosed, armored, cylindrical box with guns that fired through gunports. Turret-equipped ships contrasted sharply with those equipped withbarbettes,which in the second half of the 19th century were open-topped armored rings over which rotating gun(s) mounted on a turntable could fire.; 2. Since the late 19th century, an enclosed, armored, rotating gunhouse mounted above a barbette, with the gun(s) and their rotating turntable mounted in the barbette protected by the gunhouse; in 20th- and 21st-century usage, this generally is any armored, rotating gun installation on awarship.
turtleback deck: A weather deck that has a distinct convex rounded over shape, similar to the back of a turtle. Used on ships of thewhalebacktype and on the forward weather deck oftorpedo boats."^[100]
turtling: Indinghy sailingespecially (but also in other boats), a boat is said to be "turtling" or to "turn turtle" when the boat is fully inverted with themastpointing near vertically downwards, but may remain floating.^[A]^[101]^[102]^[103]
tweendeck: Adeckon a generalcargo shiplocated between themain deck(orweather deck) and theholdspace. A general cargo ship may have one or two tweendecks (or none at all).
tweendeck space: The space on atweendeckavailable for carrying cargo or other uses.
tweendecker: A generalcargo shipequipped with one or moretweendecks.
two six heave: A command used to co-ordinate a group of people pulling on a rope. Originally a sailing navy term referring to the two members of a gun crew (numbers two and six) who ran out the gun by pulling on the ropes that secured it in place.
two blocks: When the twoblocksin atacklehave become so close that no further movement is possible as in chock-a-block.^[2]
tye: A chain or rope used for hoisting or lowering ayard.A tye runs from the horizontal center of a given yard to a correspondingmastand from there down to atackle.Sometimes more specifically called achain tyeor arope tye.^[88]

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U

ullage: A measurement of the empty space in large tanks or holds for bulk solids. Used to determine quantity of material in tank for volume and stability calculations. Often used in place ofsoundingfor tanks which may carry more viscous or aggressive liquids; or if the tank is extremely deep.
unassisted sailing: Any sailing voyage, usually single-handed, with no intermediate stops or physical assistance from external sources.
under the weather: Serving awatchon theweather sideof the ship, exposed to wind and spray.
under keel clearance: The available depth of water below the keel.^[104]
under way
underway: (of a vessel) At sea; i.e. not atanchor,madefastto the shore, oraground.This definition has legal importance in theInternational Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.^[105]
underwater hull: Alsounderwater ship.
The underwater section of a vessel beneath thewaterline,normally not visible except when indrydockor, historically, whencareened.
underway replenishment: A method employed by navies to transfer fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another whileunderway.Sometimes abbreviated asUNREP.
U.N.P.O.C.: An abbreviation for "Unable to navigate, probably on course"; a 19th-century term used in log books of vessels left without accuratenavigationalguidance due to poor visibility and/or proximity to theNorth Pole(where magnetic compasses are difficult or impossible to use). Dropped out of common usage in the 1950s with improvements in maritime navigational aids.
unreeve: To pull a rope from asheaveorblock.^[2]
unship: 1. To remove from a vessel.; 2. To remove anoarormastfrom its normal position.
up-and-down: The description given to the position of theanchor chain,usually used when the anchor is being raised and indicating that the chain has been hauled in tightly such that the vessel is floating directly above the anchor, which is just about to be broken out of the ground. Used more rarely to refer to a situation where the anchor chain is slack and hangs vertically down from thehawsepipe.^[31]
up-behind: An order toslackoff quickly and run slack to a belaying point. This order is given when a line or wire has been stopped off or falls have beenfour-in-handand the hauling part is to be belayed.
upbound: 1. Traveling upstream, against the current.^[106]; 2. In theGreat Lakesregion, traveling westward (terminology used by theSaint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation).^[107]
uppers: Alsopeaks.
Thebrailsabove themains.^[2]
upper-yardmen: Specially selected personnel destined for high office.^{[citation needed]}

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V

V-hull: The shape of a boat or ship in which the sections of thehullbottom slope downward in a straight line to thekeel.
vang: 1. Alineleading from thegaffto either side of thedeck,used to prevent the gaff from sagging.^[88]; 2. One of a pair of ropes leading from the deck to the head of aspritsail.It steadies thespritand can be used to control the sail's performance during atack.The vang fall blocks are mounted slightlyaforethe main horse while rolling vangs are extrapreventerswhich lead forward to keep the sail toleewardin heavy weather.^[2]; 3. An abbreviation ofboom vangorgaff vang.
vanishing angle: The maximum degree ofheelafter which a vessel becomes unable to return to an upright position.
vedette: Alsovedette boat.
A small naval patrol boat used for scouting enemy forces.
veer away: To let go aropegently.^[108]
vertical replenishment: A method of supply of seaborne vessels by helicopter. Abbreviated VERTREP.
very good
very well: An affirmative response given by a senior to the report of a junior, e.g. if thehelmsmanreports, "Rudder is amidship, sir," an officer might respond, "Very good" or "very well."^[31]
vessel: Any craft designed for transportation on water, such as ashiporboat.
vessel of opportunity: A vessel not normally used for a specific function, but available and suitable for temporary application, often requiring temporary fitting or loading of necessary equipment.
viol: Alsovoyl.
A large rope used to unmoor or heave up theanchor.^[108]
voice pipe
voice tube: Seecommunication tube.
voyage: 1. A long journey byship.; 2. To go on such a journey.
voyl: Seeviol.

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W

waft: Another name for asignal flag.
waist: The centraldeckof a ship between theforecastleand thequarterdeck.^[109]
waist clothes: Alsoarmingsorfights.
Colored cloths or sheets hung around the outside of a ship's upper works, both fore and aft, and before thecubbridgeheads, used as an adornment during ceremonious occasions and as a visual screen during times of action in order to protect the men aboard.
wake: Turbulence in the water behind a moving vessel. Not to be confused withwash.
wale: A thickerstrake,consisting of a wooden plank or group of planks, in the outer skin of thehull,running in a fore-and-aft direction, to provide extra stiffening in selected regions.^[4]
wardroom: 1. The living quarters of a naval ship that are designated for the use ofcommissioned officersother than the captain.; 2. A collective term for the commissioned officers of a naval ship excluding her captain; e.g. "The captain rarely referred to his wardroom for advice, and this led to their discontent".
warm the bell: Royal Navy slang from the Age of Sail for doing something unnecessarily or unjustifiably early. Holding a half-hourmarine sandglassused until the early 19th century to time watches under one's coat or in one's hand to warm it allegedly expanded the glass's neck to allow the sand to flow more quickly, justifying ringing the bell rung every half-hour to announce the passage of time on watch earlier than if the glass was cold, hencewarming the belland shortening the length of the watch.^[110]
warp: 1. To move a vessel by hauling on alineor cable that is fastened to ananchororpier,especially so as to move a sailing ship through a confined or restricted space such as in a harbour.^[111]; 2. A line or cable used in warping a ship.^[2]; 3. The length of theshroudsfrom thebolsterto thedeadeye.^[111]
warship: Alsocombatant ship,a ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare, typically belonging to the armed forces of a state, usually anavy.Unlike amerchant ship,which carries cargo or passengers, a warship carries only weapons, ammunition, and supplies for its crew. Anauxiliary warshipis a merchant ship taken into naval service and armed for use as a warship. The termbattleshipsometimes is used as a synonym forwarship,but this is incorrect, asbattleshiphas a far narrower meaning and refers only to a specific type of warship.
wash: The waves created by a moving vessel. Not to be confused withwake.
washstrake: An additionalstrakefastened above the level of thegunwaleof an open boat to increase thefreeboard.^[112]
watch: A period of time during which a part of thecrewis on duty. Changes of watch are marked by strokes on theship's bell.
watchstanding: Alsowatchkeeping.
The allocation of crew or staff to specific roles on a ship in order to operate it continuously. These assignments, known aswatches,are divided into regularly scheduled work periods of several hours or longer to ensure that some portion of the crew is always occupying the roles at all times. Those members of the crew who are on watch at a given time are calledwatchkeepers.
water bus: A watercraft used to provide transportation on a scheduled service with multiple stops, usually in an urban environment, analogous to the way a bus operates on land. It differs from awater taxi,which is a similar watercraft that provides transport service to various locations on demand rather than on a predetermined schedule, analogous to the way ataxicaboperates on land, although in North America these terms are often used interchangeably. A water bus also differs from aferry,which usually refers to a watercraft that shuttles between only two points.
water kite: Seeparavane(definition 2).
water taxi: A watercraft used to provide transportation on demand to various locations, usually in an urban environment, analogous to the way ataxicaboperates on land. It differs from awater bus,which is a similar watercraft that provides transportation on a scheduled service with multiple stops rather than at the rider's will, analogous to the way a bus operates on land, although in North America these terms are often used interchangeably. A water taxi also differs from aferry,which usually refers to a watercraft that shuttles between only two points.
watercraft: Any vessel intended for transportation on water, e.g.ships,boats,personal watercraft,etc.
waterline: The line where thehullof a ship meets the water's surface.
watersail: Asailhung below theboomongaff rigboats for extra downwind performance when racing.^[88]
watertender: Seefireman(definition 1).
waterway: 1. Any navigable body of water.; 2. Astrakeof timber laid against theframesorbulwarkstanchionsat the margin of a laid woodendeck,usually about twice the thickness of the deck planking.
way: Speed, progress, or momentum, or more technically, the point at which there is sufficient water flow past a vessel'srudderfor it to be able to steer the vessel (i.e. when the rudder begins to "bite", sometimes also called "steerage way".) To "make way" is to move; to "have way on" or "to have steerage way" is to have enough speed to control the vessel with its rudder; to "lose way" is to slow down or to not have enough speed to use the rudder effectively. "Way enough" is acoxswain's command that the oarsmen stop rowing and allow the boat to proceed by its existing momentum.
way-landing: An intermediate stop along the route of asteamboat.
way-lay: The verb's origin, fromwegelage,means "lying in wait, with evil or hostile intent". So to bewaylaidrefers to a ship that has been taken off its course, route, orwayby surprise, typically by unfortunate or nefarious means. InHerman Melville's 1851 novelMoby-Dick,the great white whale waylaid thePequodand sank it, with only a few souls surviving in lifeboats.^[113]
waypoint: A location defined by navigational coordinates, especially as part of a planned route.
ways: The timbers ofshipyardstocks that slope into the water and along which a ship or large boat islaunched.A ship undergoing construction in a shipyard is said to beon the ways,while a ship scrapped there is said to bebroken up in the ways.Also known as aslipway.
wearing ship: Tackingaway from the wind in asquare-riggedvessel. See alsogybe.
weather deck: Adeckthat is continually exposed to the weather – usually either themain deckor, in larger vessels, the upper deck.
weather gage: Alsoweather gaugeorweather-beam.
Favorable position over another sailing vessel with respect to the wind.
weather helm: The tendency of a sailboat to turn towindwardin a strong wind when there is no change in therudder's position. This is the opposite oflee helmand is the result of a dynamically unbalanced condition. See alsocenter of lateral resistance.
weather ship: A ship stationed in the ocean as a platform from which to record surface and upper-air meteorological observations for use in weather forecasting.
weather side: Alsowindward sideor simplywindward.
The side of a ship exposed to the wind, i.e. the side facing upwind or the direction from which the wind is blowing. Contrastlee side.
weatherly: A ship that is easily sailed and maneuvered, or which makes littleleewaywhen sailing towindward.
weigh anchor: To heave up ananchorpreparatory to sailing.^[2]
well: A place in the ship'sholdfor pumps.
well-found: Properly set up or provisioned.
West Indiaman: A British term used in the 18th and 19th centuries for any merchant sailing ship making voyages between theOld Worldand theWest Indiesor the east coast of theAmericas,in contrast to anEast Indiaman,which made voyages to the East Indies or South Asia. The term most frequently was applied to British, Danish, Dutch, and French ships.
wet: (of a ship) Prone to taking water over herdecksat sea. For example, a ship that tends to take water over herbowcan be said to be "wet forward."
wetted area: In sailboating, the portion of thehullimmersed in water (i.e. below thewaterline).
whaleback: 1. A type of cargo steamship of unusual design formerly used on theGreat Lakesof North America, notably for carrying grain or ore. The hull continuously curved above thewaterlinefrom vertical to horizontal, and when the ship was fully loaded, only the rounded portion of her hull (the "whaleback" proper) was visible above the waterline. With sides curved in towards the ends, whalebacks had aspoon-shaped bowand a very convex upper deck.; 2. A type of high-speedlaunchfirst designed for theRoyal Air ForceduringWorld War II,or certain smaller rescue and research vessels most common in Europe that, like the Great Lakes vessels, have hulls that curve over to meet the deck, although the "whaleback" designation comes not from the curve along thegunwaleas in the Great Lakes vessels, but from the fore-and-aft arch in the deck.; 3. A sheltered portion of the forward deck on certain British fishing boats designed, in part, so that water taken over thebowis more easily shed over the sides. The feature has been incorporated into some pleasure craft – aboard which it is known as awhaleback deck– based on the hull design of older whaling boats.
whaleboat: 1. A type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well.; 2. On modern warships, a relatively light and seaworthy boat used for transport of the ship's crew.; 3. A type of vessel designed as alifeboator "monomoy" used for recreational and competitive rowing in the San Francisco Bay area and coastal Massachusetts.; 4. Informally, anywhaling shipof any size.; 5. Informally, any vessel engaged inwhale watching.
whaler: 1.Alsowhaling ship.A specialized vessel designed for catching or processingwhales.; 2. A person engaged in the catching or processing of whales.; 3. In the Royal Navy, aMontagu whaler,aship's boatoften used as aseaboat.
wharf: A structure on the shore of a harbor or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or moreberths(i.e. mooring locations), and may also includepiers,warehouses,or other facilities necessary for handling the ships. The term "wharf" is generally synonymous withquay,although the solid foundations of a quay contrast with the closely spaced piles of a wharf. When "quay" and "wharf" are used as synonyms, the term "quay" is more common in everyday speech in the United Kingdom, manyCommonwealthcountries, and Ireland, while "wharf" is more commonly used in the United States.
wharfage: 1. A collective term fordocks,piers,quays,andwharfs.; 2. A collective term for all wharfs in a given port, area, country, region, etc.; 3. A fee charged for the use of a wharf.
wheel: Alsoship's wheel.
The usual steering device on larger vessels: a wheel with a horizontal axis, connected by cables to therudder.
wheelhouse: Alsopilothouseand often synonymous withbridge.
The location on a ship where thewheelis located.
whelkie: A small sailingpram.
wherry: A type of boat traditionally used for carrying cargo or passengers on rivers and canals in England, particularly on the River Thames and the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads.
whiff: A chiefly British term for a narrowclinker-builtskiffhavingoutriggersand designed for one oarsman.
whip: A small singleblocktackle,used to raise light loads from a hold.^[111]
whip upon whip: Connecting twowhipstogether. This runs more smoothly than using a double block with single block tackle, which would have the equivalent purchase. Can be used fortopsailandtop-gallanthalliards.^[111]
whipping: The binding with twine of the loose end of aropeto prevent it unravelling.^[2]
whipstaff: A vertical lever connected to atiller,used for steering on larger ships before the development of theship's wheel.
whiskers: Spreaders from thebowto spread thebowspritshrouds.
whiskerstay: One of the pair ofstaysthat stabilize thebowsprit,horizontally affixed to the forward end of the bowsprit and just aft thestem.
white horses: Alsowhitecaps.
Foam or spray on wave tops caused by stronger winds (usually aboveForce4).
White Ensign: A British flag flown as anensignby certain British ships. Prior to 1864, ships of theRoyal Navy's White Squadron flew it; since the reorganisation of the Royal Navy in 1864, it has been flown by all Royal Navy ships andshore establishments,yachtsof members of theRoyal Yacht Squadron,and ships ofTrinity Houseescorting thereigning monarchof the United Kingdom.
wide berth: To leave room between two ships moored (berthed) in order to allow space for manoeuvring.
Williamson turn: A type ofman overboard rescue turn.Other variations include the Anderson turn, the quick turn, and the Scharnow turn.
winch: A mechanical device for pulling on a rope (such as asheetorhalyard), usually equipped with apawlto assist in control. It may be hand-operated or powered.
wind-over-tide: Sea conditions in which a tidal current and a wind are moving in opposite directions, leading to short, heavy seas.
windage: The wind resistance of a boat.
windbound: A condition wherein a ship is detained in one particular station by contrary winds.
winding tackle: Atackleformed of two tripleblocksor a triple and a double, used to raise heavy loads such as guns and anchors.^[111]
windjammer: A large iron- or steel-hulledsquare-riggedsailing ship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries with three, four, or fivemasts,built mainly between the 1870s and 1900 to carry cargo on long voyages.
windlass: Awinchmechanism, usually with a horizontal axis, designed to move very heavy loads. Used where mechanical advantage greater than that obtainable byblock and tacklewas needed (such as raising theanchoron small ships).^[111]
windsail: A wide tube or funnel of canvas used to convey a stream of air into the lower compartments of a ship for ventilation.
windward: In the direction that the wind is coming from. Contrastleeward.
wing: An extension on the side of a vessel, e.g. abridge wingis an extension of thebridgeto both sides, intended to allow bridge personnel a full view to aid in the manoeuvring of the ship.
wiper: The most junior rate among personnel who work in the engine room of a ship, responsible for cleaning the engine spaces and machinery and assisting the engineers as directed. A wiper is often serving an apprenticeship to become anoiler.
working up: Training on a warship to achieve the best possible effectiveness, usually after commissioning or a refit.^[114]
worm, parcel and serve: Example of the preservation of acable,showing different sections serviced by various techniques, includingworming, parcelling and serving

Often collectively calledservice.
To apply a multilayered protection against chafing and deterioration to a section oflineby layingyarnsto fill in thecuntlines(worming), wrapping marline or other smallstuffaround it (serving), and stitching a covering of canvas over all (parcelling).^[115]It can be applied to the entire length of a line, such as ashroud,or selectively to specific parts of a line, such as over the spliced ends of astay,where the chafe on the middle section of the stay precludes complete protection.
wrecking tug: Another name for asalvage tug.

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X

xebec: Variously spelledzebec,xebeck,xebeque,xebecque,zebeck,zebecque,chebec,orshebeck.
1. A Mediterranean sailing ship, usually employed for trading, that is propelled by a combination oflateen sailsand oars and characterized by a distinctive hull with a pronounced overhangingbowandstern;early xebecs had twomastsand later ones had three.; 2. A small, fastwarshipof the 16th to 19th centuries similar in design to a trading xebec and used almost exclusively in the Mediterranean Sea. This kind of xebec was slightly smaller than a contemporaryfrigateand mounted slightly fewer guns.
xebec-frigate: A European warship that appeared late in the history of thexebec.It was fullysquare-riggedbut otherwise designed like an ordinary xebec.
XO
X.O.: An abbreviation ofexecutive officer.

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Y

yacht: Any boat or ship designed specifically for recreational use. The term includes sailing yachts, motor yachts, and steam yachts.
yard: 1. A horizontalsparfrom which a squaresailis suspended.^[115]; 2. The spar on which alugsailorGunter sailis set.^[116]; 3. Adockyardorshipyard.
yard name: The name initially given to a ship during its construction. The yard name may or may not be the same as the officially registered name, which is provided after completion of the vessel.
yard number: The number assigned to a ship built by a particularshipyard.Each shipyard typically numbers the ships that it has built in consecutive order. One use is to identify the ship before a name has been chosen.
yard tackle: Tackleused to raise boats.^[115]
yardarm: The very end of ayard.Often mistaken for the yard itself, which refers to the entirespar.As in to hang "from the yardarm" and the sun being "over the yardarm" (late enough to have a drink).^[88]
yar: (of a vessel, especially a sailing vessel) Quick, agile, and easy to steer,hand,andreef.
yarr: Acknowledgement of an order, or agreement. Alsoaye, aye.
yaw: A vessel's rotational motion about the vertical axis, causing the fore and aft ends to swing from side to side repetitively.
yawl: 1. Afore-and-aft-riggedsailing vessel with two masts, main and mizzen, the mizzen stepped abaft the rudder post.; 2. An un-decked boat, often beach-launched, worked under both oar and sail, and generallyclinker-built.Used for fishing, serving ships in anchorages, salvage work, etc. Those from the northern parts of Britain tended to be double-ended.^[30]^: 74
yawl boat: A rowboat on davits at the stern of the boat.
yeoman: A U.S. Navy enlisted rating (YN) responsible for administrative duties.

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Z

zebec: An alternative spelling ofxebec.
zulu: A type of Scottish sailboat introduced in 1879, used for fishing. A zulu iscarvel-built,with the vertical stem of afifieand the steeply raked stern of askaffie;two masts rigged with three sails (fore, mizzen, and jib); and a longer deck and shorterkeelthan previous Scottish fishing boats, allowing greater maneuverability. The term "zulu" came from theZulu War,which the United Kingdom fought in 1879 at the time the zulu was introduced.

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Notes

^However, "to turn turtle" means putting a turtle on its back by grabbing it by the flipper, and conversely is used to refer to a vessel that has turned upside-down, or has cast off its crew.

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Bennett, Jenny (2005).Sailing Rigs, an Illustrated Guide.London: Chatham Publishing.ISBN 1-86176-243-7.
Biddlecombe, George (1990) [1848].The art of rigging: containing an explanation of terms and phrases and the progressive method of rigging expressly adapted for sailing ships.New York:Dover Publications.ISBN 0-486-26343-6.(1848 edition)
Carr, Frank (1951).Sailing Barges(Revised ed.). London: Peter Davies.
Cunliffe, Tom(2016).Hand, Reef and Steer: Traditional Sailing Skills for Classic Boats(second, Kindle ed.). London and New York: Adlard Coles Nautical.ISBN 978-1-4729-2588-6.
Harland, John (1984).Seamanship in the Age of Sail: an account of the shiphandling of the sailing man-of-war 1600-1860, based on contemporary sources.London: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN 978-1-8448-6309-9.
Kammen, Michael G.(2017).A Machine That Would Go of Itself: The Constitution in American Culture.Routledge.ISBN 978-1-4128-0583-4.
Karamanski, Theodore J.(2000).Schooner Passage: Sailing Ships and the Lake Michigan Frontier.Wayne State University Press.ISBN 0-8143-2911-X.
Kerchove, René de baron (1961).International Maritime Dictionary: An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Useful Maritime Terms and Phrases, Together with Equivalents in French and German(2 ed.). Van Nostrand Reinhold.ISBN 978-0-442-02062-0.OCLC 1039382382.
Mayne, Richard (2000).The Language of Sailing.Chicago, Ill: Fitzroy Dearborn; Taylor & Francis.ISBN 1-57958-278-8.
Palmer, Joseph (1975).Jane's Dictionary of Naval Terms.London: Macdonald and Janes.ISBN 0-356-08258-X.
Steffy, J. Richard (1994).Wooden ship building and the interpretations of shipwrecks(5th printing ed.). College Station: Texas A & M University Press.ISBN 978-1-60344-520-7.
Steffy, J. Richard (2013) [1994]."Illustrated Glossary of Ship and Boat Terms".In Catsambis, Alexis (ed.).The Oxford Handbook of Maritime Archaeology (Oxford Handbooks).Oxford: Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-537517-6.
Underhill, Harold (1952).Deep-water sail.Glasgow: Brown, Son & Ferguson, Nautical publishers.
Underhill, Harold (1955).Sailing Ships Rigs and Rigging(2nd ed.). Glasgow: Brown, Son & Ferguson, Nautical publishers.
Walker, George K., ed. (2011).Definitions for the Law of the Sea: Terms Not Defined by the 1982 Convention.Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.ISBN 978-90-04-21161-2.

[101] However, "to turn turtle" means putting a turtle on its back by grabbing it by the flipper, and conversely is used to refer to a vessel that has turned upside-down, or has cast off its crew.

[FOOTNOTEUnderhill1955111-1] Underhill 1955,p. 111.

[Thames_Sailing_Barge_glossary-2] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be ^bf ^bg ^bh ^bi ^bj ^bk ^bl ^bm ^bn ^boRenouf, David (2017)."Glossary of Barge terms".Thames Sailing Barges.Archived fromthe originalon 2016-10-23.

[FOOTNOTESteffy1994276-3] Steffy 1994,p. 276.

[FOOTNOTESteffy2013-4] Steffy 2013.

[5] Admiralty Manual of Seamanship.Vol. I. London: HMSO. 1964.

[smyth-6] Smyth, William Henry(1867).The Sailor's Word-Book.Glasgow: Blackie & Co.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer19757-7] Palmer 1975,p. 7.

[8] C.W.T. Layton; Peter Clissold; A.G.W. Miller."Dictionary of Nautical Words and Terms"(PDF).www.ssgreatbritain.org.Glasgow: Brown, son and Ferguson ltd., Nautical Publishers.Retrieved2023-08-31.

[9] M. Ben-Yami (1987).Purse-seining with Small Boats.Vol. 13 of Food and Agriculture Organization: FAO training series (illustrated ed.). Food & Agriculture Org.ISBN 978-92-5-102267-2.

[10] "Ship and Boat Building Terms"(PDF).www.iims.org.uk.Retrieved2023-08-31.

[PBO-11] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^kRead, David (11 November 2014)."Glossary of Nautical Terms".Practical Boat Owner.Retrieved2019-12-02.

[FOOTNOTESteffy1994275-6-12] Steffy 1994,p. 275-6.

[PNA-13] John P. Comstock, ed. (1967).Principles of Naval Architecture(Revised ed.). SNAME.

[threedecksshiproles-14] "East India Company Ships – The Maritime Service 1600 to 1834".eicships.threedecks.org.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975164-15] Palmer 1975,p. 164.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer197554-16] Palmer 1975,p. 54.

[17] "Royal Navy Diction & Slang".Hmsrichmond.org.Retrieved2012-09-18.

[Saunders_V3_1965-18] Saunders, Harold E. (1965). "10: Definitions and nomenclature for Seakeeping". In Taggart, Robert (ed.).Hydrodynamics in ship design.Vol. 3. New York, NY: Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. p. 156.

[19] Manual of Seamanship.Vol. 1. London: HMSO. 1937.

[20] Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1922)."Paravane".Encyclopædia Britannica(12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company.

[FOOTNOTEHarland1984260–261,_276-21] Harland 1984,pp. 260–261, 276.

[NHHC-22] "Origin of Navy Terminology".Naval History and Heritage Command.Retrieved2022-03-22.

[23] Friedman, Norman (1984).U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History.Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute.ISBN 0-87021-739-9.,pp. 23-40, 48-50, 54-56.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975111-24] Palmer 1975,p. 111.

[25] "pendant".Oxford English Dictionary(Online ed.).Oxford University Press.(Subscription orparticipating institution membershiprequired.)

[FOOTNOTEIMD1961598Poop,_Poop_deck-26] IMD 1961,p. 598, Poop, Poop deck.

[FOOTNOTEMayne2000-27] Mayne 2000.

[FOOTNOTEIMD1961598Pooping-28] IMD 1961,p. 598, Pooping.

[FOOTNOTEUnderhill1955112-29] Underhill 1955,p. 112.

[McKee_1983-30] McKee, Eric (1983).Working Boats of Britain, Their Shape and Purpose(1997 ed.). London: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN 0-85177-277-3.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975-31] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿPalmer 1975.

[32] "U.S. Navy Quartermaster Careers | Navy.com".www.navy.com.Retrieved2022-03-25.

[33] What is a reach?US Geological Survey

[34] "Whipping to win: Measured violence, delegated sovereignty and the privatised domination of non-human life",Law and the Question of the Animal,Routledge, p. 118, 11 February 2013,ISBN 978-1-135-09528-4

[FOOTNOTECunliffe2016125-35] Cunliffe 2016,p. 125.

[FOOTNOTEBiddlecombe199024-36] Biddlecombe 1990,p. 24.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975200-37] Palmer 1975,p. 200.

[M-W-38] "Rig".Merriam-Webster Dictionary.2023.Retrieved2023-04-15.the distinctive shape, number, and arrangement of sails and masts of a ship or to fit out with rigging

[FOOTNOTEWalker2011284-39] Walker 2011,p. 284.

[FOOTNOTEBiddlecombe199025-40] Biddlecombe 1990,p. 25.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975205-41] Palmer 1975,p. 205.

[FOOTNOTEBiddlecombe199026-42] Biddlecombe 1990,p. 26.

[43] "Schooner Barge".New Jersey Scuba Diving.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-02-20.Retrieved2021-02-28.

[FOOTNOTEKaramanski200035–41-44] Karamanski 2000,pp. 35–41.

[scowschooner-45] Golloway, Tori, L., Tamara L. Thomen, Caitlin N. Zant, and Victoria Kiefer,Scow Schooners: A Regional AnalysisWisconsin Historical Society, undated, pp. 2, 7 Accessed July 8, 2021

[FOOTNOTEManual_of_Seamanship:_Volume_11937244–252-46] Manual of Seamanship: Volume 1 1937,pp. 244–252.

[FOOTNOTEMayne2000253-47] Mayne 2000,p. 253.

[FOOTNOTEUnderhill1955113-48] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^gUnderhill 1955,p. 113.

[FOOTNOTEUnderhill1955114-49] Underhill 1955,p. 114.

[50] tionary.com Shaft

[51] .hu Boating Shaft Log

[52] "Sheet-anchor".Your Dictionary.Retrieved2021-06-17.

[FOOTNOTEKammen2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksid_x4uDwAAQBAJpgPP43_43]-53] Kammen 2017,p.43.

[FOOTNOTEAdmiralty_manual_of_seamanship1972159-54] Admiralty manual of seamanship 1972,p. 159.

[55] "Shift Colors".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-20.Retrieved2011-06-24.

[56] Leonard George Carr Laughton; Roger Charles Anderson; William Gordon Perrin (1958).The Mariner's Mirror.Society for Nautical Research.^{[full citation needed]}

[57] "shift, v.^13.b.".OED Online.Retrieved2009-04-29.^{[dead link]}

[FOOTNOTEBennett20058-58] Bennett 2005,p. 8.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975222-59] Palmer 1975,p. 222.

[OED_ship-60] "ship".Oxford English Dictionary.

[61] "ship's husband".Merriam-Webster.Retrieved2021-08-30.

[62] Van Huis, William A. (1991). "Admiralty Opens its Doors to Agency Contracts which Are Maritime in Nature".Illinois University Law Journal.17:173.

[Nelson-63] Nelson, Mark."Ship's Husbandry".Jackspeak of the Royal Canadian Navy.ReadyAyeReady.com.Retrieved2017-03-19.

[64] Staff. "1: Hull Maintenance".Ship Husbandry(PDF).Royal Australian Navy Apprentice Training Establishment.

[FOOTNOTESteffy19942780-65] Steffy 1994,p. 2780.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975229-66] Palmer 1975,p. 229.

[FOOTNOTEUnderhill1952196-67] Underhill 1952,p. 196.

[FOOTNOTEBenhamFinchKershaw1986187-68] Benham, Finch & Kershaw 1986,p. 187.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975231-69] Palmer 1975,p. 231.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975232-70] Palmer 1975,p. 232.

[FOOTNOTEBennett200549–51-71] Bennett 2005,pp. 49–51.

[FOOTNOTEManual_of_Seamanship:_Volume_11937115-72] Manual of Seamanship: Volume 1 1937,p. 115.

[FOOTNOTEBiddlecombe199030-73] Biddlecombe 1990,p. 30.

[74] "Snotty definition and meaning".Collins English Dictionary.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975234-75] Palmer 1975,p. 234.

[76] Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Soogee. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved May 3, 2024, fromhttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soogee

[77] ""soul, n."",OED Online,Oxford University Press, def III.9a, March 2022,retrieved2022-04-15

[FOOTNOTEMayne2000[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidFp63wWByImQCpgPA282_282]-78] Mayne 2000,p.282.

[FOOTNOTECarr195163-79] Carr 1951,p. 63.

[FOOTNOTEMayne2000[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidFp63wWByImQCpgPA284_284]-80] Mayne 2000,p.284.

[81] "Shiprigging – The Way a VOC ship was rigged".

[FOOTNOTEBiddlecombe199031-82] Biddlecombe 1990,p. 31.

[FOOTNOTEBiddlecombe199032-83] Biddlecombe 1990,p. 32.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975247-84] Palmer 1975,p. 247.

[FOOTNOTESteffy2013281-85] Steffy 2013,p. 281.

[FOOTNOTECarr195171-86] Carr 1951,p. 71.

[FOOTNOTEBiddlecombe199033-87] Biddlecombe 1990,p. 33.

[FOOTNOTEUnderhill1955115-88] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^jUnderhill 1955,p. 115.

[FOOTNOTEBiddlecombe199034-89] Biddlecombe 1990,p. 34.

[90] "tier".Oxford English Dictionary.Vol. XVIII (2nd ed.).Oxford University Press.1989. p. 74.

[FOOTNOTECarr195137-91] Carr 1951,p. 37.

[FOOTNOTEBiddlecombe199035-92] Biddlecombe 1990,p. 35.

[93] Keegan, John(1989).The Price of Admiralty.New York: Viking. p.281.ISBN 0-670-81416-4.

[FOOTNOTECunliffe201626-94] Cunliffe 2016,p. 26.

[95] MacGregor, David R (1997).The Schooner, Its Design and Development from 1600 to the Present.London: Chatham Publishing. p. 48.ISBN 1-86176-020-5.

[96] Greenhill, Basil(1951).The Merchant Schooners(1988 ed.). London: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN 0-85177-475-X.

[97] Friedman, Norman (1985).U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 173.ISBN 0-87021-715-1.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975272-98] Palmer 1975,p. 272.

[FOOTNOTEPalmer1975275-99] Palmer 1975,p. 275.

[Abbot-100] "World War II Naval Dictionary".U.S.S. ABBOT DD 629. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-12-12.Retrieved2014-02-19.

[102] Smyth, W. H.;Belcher, E.(1867).The sailor's word-book: An alphabetical digest of nautical terms, including some more especially military and scientific... as well as archaisms of early voyagers, etc.London:Blackie and Son.pp.702–703.

[Oxford-103] "turtle, turn turtle (of a boat) 'to turn over completely while sailing'".Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.Oxford University Press. 2013.Retrieved2013-12-03.

[OxfordDictionaries-104] "Definition of turtle in English" turn turtle "(chiefly of a boat) 'turn upside down'".Oxford Dictionaries.Oxford University Press.2013. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-12-04.Retrieved2013-12-03.

[Gilardoni_Presedo_2017-105] Gilardoni, Eduardo O.; Presedo, Juan P. (2017).Navigation in Shallow Waters.Livingston, Scotland: Witherbys.ISBN 978-1-85609-667-6.

[106] "International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2022-03-26.Retrieved2022-04-11.

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[SLSDC-108] "Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System: An overview of North America's most dynamic waterway"(PDF).Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2019-02-21.Retrieved2019-11-17.

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[110] "waist definition".Dictionary.com.Retrieved2008-12-11.

[111] Oxford Reference: Warm the bell

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[FOOTNOTEAdmiralty_manual_of_seamanship1972214-113] Admiralty manual of seamanship 1972,p. 214.

[114] Moby Dick, Melville H

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[FOOTNOTEBiddlecombe199038-116] Biddlecombe 1990,p. 38.

[Leather_1979-117] Leather, John (1979).Spritsails and Lugsails(1989 ed.). Camden, Maine: International Marine Publishing Company.ISBN 0-87742-998-7.

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v t e Passage planning
General references	American Practical Navigator
Nautical charts	Chart correction
Lights and buoys	List of lights
Geographic information	Coast Pilots Sailing Directions Distances Between Ports
Celestial navigation	Nautical almanac
Tidal information	Tide tables
Radio information	Radio Navigational Aids
Periodicals	Notice to mariners Local Notice to Mariners
See also	Glossary of nautical terms (A–L) Glossary of nautical terms (M–Z)

v t e Works about sailing
Books	Bowditch's American Practical Navigator Chapman Piloting Coast Pilots The Cruise of the Snark The Last Grain Race Light List Local Notice to Mariners Nautical almanac Notice to Mariners Radio Navigational Aids Sailing Alone Around the World Sailing Directions Sea Survival: A Manual Swallows and Amazons series Two Years Before the Mast
Magazines	Australian Sailing Blue Water Sailing Boating Life Classic Boat Lakeland Boating Vene WoodenBoat Yachting
See also	Glossary of nautical terms (A–L) Glossary of nautical terms (M–Z)

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

See also

Notes

References

Sources