NAUTICAL TERMS

abaft: toward or at the stern of a ship; further aft

affreightment: hiring of a vessel

afterdeck: deck behind a ship's bridge

afterguard: men who work the aft sails on the quarterdeck and poop deck

ahull: with sails furled and helm lashed to the lee-side

amidships: midway between the bow and stern of a ship

astern: at the stern of a ship

backstay: stay extending from ship's mastheads to the side of the ship

bee: hardwood on either side of bowsprit through which forestays are reeved

belay: to secure a rope by winding on a pin or cleat

bilge: lower point of inner hull of a ship

binnacle: case in which a ship's compass is kept

bitts: posts mounted on a ship for fastening ropes

bluepeter: blue flag with white square in centre used as ship's signal

boatswain: ship's crewmember in charge of equipment and maintenance

bobstay: rope used on ships to steady the bowsprit

bollard: short post on a wharf or ship to which ropes are tied

boltrope: strong rope stitched to edges of a sail

bottomry: using the ship as collateral to finance a sea voyage

bow: front of a ship

bower: anchor carried at bow of a ship

bowline: rope used to keep weather edge of a sail taut

bowsprit: spar that extends at bows of a ship

brails: ropes on edge of sail for hauling up

bream: to clean a ship's bottom by burning off seaweed

bulwark: the side of a ship above the deck

bumpkin: spar projecting from stern of ship

bunt: middle of sail, fish-net or cloth when slack

buntline: rope attached to middle of square sail to haul it up to the yard

burgee: small ship's flag used for identification or signalling

cable: heavy rope or chain for mooring a ship

cabotage: shipping and sailing between points in the same country

camber: slight arch or convexity to a beam or deck of a ship

capstan: upright device for winding in heavy ropes or cables

cathead: projection near the bow of a ship to which anchor is secured

chine: the intersection of the middle and sides of a boat

chock: metal casting with curved arms for passing ropes for mooring ship

clew: corner of sail with hole to attach ropes

coaming: raised edge around ship's hatches to keep water out

cocket: official shipping seal; customs clearance form

cofferdam: narrow vacant space between two bulkheads of a ship

cog: single-masted, square-sailed ship with raised stern

companionway: stairs from upper deck of ship to lower deck

cordage: ropes in the rigging of a ship

cringle: loop at corner of sail to which a line is attached

crosstrees: horizontal crosspieces at a masthead used to support ship's mast

davit: device for hoisting and lowering a boat

deadeye: rounded wooden block with hole used to set up ship's stays

deadwood: timbers built into ends of ship when too narrow to permit framing

demurrage: delay of vessel's departure or loading with cargo

dodger: shield against rain or spray on a ship's bridge

dogwatch: a short, evening period of watch duty on a ship

downhaul: rope for holding down or hauling down a sail or spar

dromond: large single-sailed ship powered by rowers

dyogram: ship's chart indicating compass deflection due to ship's iron

earing: line for fastening corner of a sail to the gaff or yard

escutcheon: part of ship's stern where name is displayed

fairlead: ring through which rope is led to change its direction without friction

fardage: wood placed in bottom of ship to keep cargo dry

fiddley: iron framework around hatchway opening

flagstaff: flag pole at stern of a ship

fluke: part of an anchor that fastens in the ground

forebitt: post for fastening cables at a ship's foremast

forecabin: cabin in fore part of ship

forecastle: short raised deck at fore end of ship; fore of ship under main deck

forefoot: foremost end of ship's keel

foremast: mast nearest the bow of a ship

foresail: lowest sail set on the foremast of square-rigged ship

forestay: stay leading from the foremast to the bow of a ship

frap: to draw a sail tight with ropes or cables

freeboard: distance between waterline and main deck of a ship

futtock: rib of a ship

gaff: spar on which head of fore-and-aft sail is extended

gaff-topsail: triangular topsail with its foot extended upon the gaff

gangway: either of the sides of the upper deck of a ship

garboard: plank on a ship´s bottom next to the keel

genoa: large jib that overlaps the mainsail

grapnel: small anchor used for dragging or grappling

groundage: a charge on a ship in port

gudgeon: metal pin or bearing connecting rudder to a boat

gunnage: number of guns carried on a warship

gunwale: upper edge of the side of a ship

gybe: to swing a sail from one side to another

halyard: rope or tackle for hoisting and lowering sails

hank: series of rings or clips for attaching a jib or staysail to a stay

hawse: distance between ship's bow and its anchor

hawsehole: hole for ship's cable

hawser: large rope for mooring or towing a ship

headsail: sail set forward of the foremast of a ship

holystone: sandstone material used to scrape ships' decks

inboard: inside the line of a ship's bulwarks or hull

jack-block: pulley system for raising topgallant masts

jackstay: iron or wooden bar running along yard of ship to which sails fastened

jib: small triangular sail extending from the head of the foremast

jibboom: spar forming an extension of the bowsprit

jibe: to change a ship's course to make the boom shift sides

jurymast: mast erected on ship in place of one lost

kedge: small anchor to keep a ship steady

keelhaul: to punish by dragging under keel of ship

keelson: lengthwise wooden or steel beam in ship for bearing stress

kentledge: pig-iron used as ballast in ship's hold

lagan: cargo jettisoned from ship but marked by buoys for recovery

lanyard: rope or line for fastening something in a ship

larboard: left side of a ship

lastage: room for stowing goods in a ship

lateen: triangular sail rigged on ship's spar

laveer: to sail against the wind

lazaret: space in ship between decks used for storage

leeboard: wood or metal planes attached to hull to prevent leeway

leech: a vertical edge of a square sail

loxodograph: device used to record ship's travels

luff: windward side of a ship; forward edge of fore-and-aft sail

lugsail: four-sided sail bent to an obliquely hanging yard

lutchet: fitting on ship's deck to allow mast to pivot to pass under bridges

mainmast: sailing ship's principal mast

mainsail: principal sail on a ship's mainmast

mainsheet: rope by which mainsail is trimmed and secured

manrope: rope used as a handrail on a ship

martingale: lower stay of rope used to sustain strain of the forestays

mizzen: three-masted vessel; aft sail of such a vessel

mizzenmast: mast aft or next aft of the mainmast in a ship

moonraker: topmost sail of a ship, above the skyscraper

oakum: old ropes untwisted for caulking the seams of ships

orlop: lowest deck in a ship having four or more decks

outhaul: rope used to haul a sail taut along a spar

outrigger: spar extended from side of ship to help secure mast

pallograph: instrument measuring ship's vibration

parrel: band by which a yard is fastened to a mast

patroon: captain of a ship; coxswain of a longboat

poop: enclosed structure at stern of ship above main deck

primage: fee paid to loaders for loading ship

purser: ship's officer in charge of finances and passengers

quarterdeck: part of ship's deck set aside by captain for ceremonial functions

quartering: sailing nearly before the wind

rake: the inclination of a mast or another part of a ship

ratline: small rope forming a rung of a rope ladder on a ship

reef: to reduce area of a sail by rolling or folding part of it

reeve: to pass a rope through a ring

roach: curved cut in edge of sail for preventing chafing

roband: piece of yarn used to fasten a sail to a spar

rostrum: spike on prow of warship for ramming

rowlock: contrivance serving as a fulcrum for an oar

royal: small sail on royal mast just above topgallant sail

scud: to sail swiftly before a gale

scupper: hole allowing water to drain from ship´s deck

scuttles: portholes on a ship

sheer: fore-and-aft curvature of a ship from bow to stern

shrouds: ropes supporting the mast of a ship

sidelight: coloured lights on side of a ship under way at night

skeg: part of ship connecting the keel with the bottom of the rudderpost

skysail: sail above the royal sail

skyscraper: triangular sail on a ship above the royal

slipway: ramp sloping into water for supporting a ship

snotty: naval midshipman

spanker: sail on the mast nearest the stern of a square-rigged ship

spinnaker: large triangular sail opposite the mainsail

spirketting: inside planking between ports and waterways of a ship

sponson: platform jutting from ship´s deck for gun or wheel

sprit: spar crossing a fore-and-aft sail diagonally

spritsail: sail extended by a sprit

starbolins: sailors of the starboard watch

staysail: fore-and-aft sail hoisted on a stay

steeve: to set a ship's bowsprit at an upward inclination

stemson: supporting timber of a ship

stern: back part of a ship

sternpost: main member at stern of a ship extending from keel to deck

sternway: movement of a ship backwards

stevedore: dock worker who loads and unloads ships

stokehold: ship´s furnace chamber

strake: continuous band of plates on side of a ship

stunsail: light auxiliary sail to the side of principal sails

supercargo: ship's official in charge of business affairs

taffrail: rail round the stern of a ship

thole: pin in the side of a boat to keep oar in place

tiller: handle or lever for turning a ship's rudder

timberhead: top end of ship's timber used above the gunwale

timenoguy: rope stretched from place to place in a ship

topgallant: mast or sail above the topmast and below the royal mast

topmast: ship's mast above the lower mast

topsail: ship's sail above the lowermost sail

tranship: to transfer from one ship to another

transire: ship's customs warrant for clearing goods

transom: transverse timbers attached to ship's sternpost

treenail: long wooden pin used to fix planks of ship to the timbers

trice: to haul in and lash secure a sail with a small rope

trysail: ship's sail bent to a gaff and hoisted on a lower mast

tuck: part of ship where ends of lower planks meet under the stern

turtleback: structure over ship´s bows or stern

unreeve: to withdraw a rope from an opening

walty: inclined to tip over or lean

wardroom: quarters for ship's officers

washboard: broad thin plank along ship's gunwale to keep out sea water

watching: fully afloat

waveson: goods floating on the sea after a shipwreck

wear: to turn a ship's stern to windward to alter its course

weatherboard: weather side of a ship

weatherly: able to sail close to the wind with little leeway

wheelhouse: shelter where ship´s steering wheel kept

whipstaff: vertical lever controlling ship´s rudder

windbound: hindered from sailing by contrary winds

windlass: winch used to raise a ship's anchor

yardarm: either end of the yard of a square-rigged ship

yawl: ship´s small boat; sailboat carrying mainsail and one or more jibs