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Nautical Terms

Aback, the situation of the sails when the wind presses their surfaces against the mast. Abaft, towards the stern; e.g., abaft the mainmast, behind the mainmast. About, on the other tack; going about, tacking. Abreast, alongside of. Adrift, broken from moorings. Afloat, on the surface of the water. Ahead, in the direction of the vessel's head. Amidships, in the middle of the vessel. Apeak, when the cable is hove taut, so as to bring the vessel nearly over the anchor. Astern, in the direction of her stern. Avast, an order to stop. Athwart, across--as "thwart hawse." Backstays, ropes running from topmast and top-gallantmast to her sides. Ballast, heavy materials placed in the bottom of the boat, to bring her low in the water. Beacon, a post or buoy placed over a shallow bank, to warn vessels. Bearings, the widest part of the vessel below the upper deck. The bearings of an object is its direction according to the points of the compass. Belay, to; to make a rope fast. Bend, to; is to make a sail fast to the yard, or a cable to the anchor. Berth, the place where the vessel lies; a man's sleeping place on board. Bulwarks, the woodworks of a vessel above deck; also the wooden partition between cabins. Bunting, the woollen stuff of which ships' colours are made. Buoy, a floating cask or piece of wood. Cabin, the after part of the vessel in which the officers live. Capstan, a machine placed perpendicularly on deck, round which the cable is passed, in order to hoist the anchor. It is moved round with bars of wood stuck into it, which are called handspikes or capstanbars. Cathead, large pieces of wood over the bow, having sheaves within them, by which the anchor is hoisted or lowered. Cleat, pieces of wood on which ropes are belayed. Combings, raised woodwork round the hatches, to prevent the water going down to the hold. Companion, ladder leading down to the state cabins. Davits, rods of timber or iron, with sheaves or blocks at their ends, projecting over a vessel's side or stern, to hoist boats up to. Draught, the depth of water which a vessel requires to float her. Feather, to; to lift the blade of the oar horizontally as it comes out of the water. Fenders, pieces of wood or rope hanging over the side of a boat, to keep it from chafing. Fathom, six feet. Flat, a sheet is said to be hauled flat, when it is hauled down close. Fore and Aft, lengthwise with the vessel. Forecastle, the part of the vessel before the foremast. Foul Anchor, when the cable has a turn round the anchor. Gaff, a spar to which the head of a fore and aft sail is bent. Gage, depth of water in a vessel--this water is called "bilge water." Gangway, that part of a vessel's side through which people pass in and out of the vessel. Gaskets, pieces of rope or plaited stuff, used to fasten the sail to the yard when it is furled. Give way, to; to row more forcibly. Grapnel, a small anchor with several claws, generally four, used to secure boats. Gunwale, (pron. Gun'el,) the upper rail of a boat or vessel. Gybe, or Jibe, to; to shift over the boom of a fore-and-aft sail. Halliards, ropes used for hoisting or lowering yards and sails. Hatchway, an opening of the deck. Hatches, the coverings of hatchways. Hawser, a large rope. Helm, the steering apparatus. Hold water, to; to stop the progress of a boat, by keeping the oars in the water. Jib, a triangular headsail. Jib-boom, a spar rigged out beyond the bowsprit. Jurymast, a temporary mast rigged in the place of a lost one. Lee Board, a board fitted to the lee side of flat-bottomed boats, to prevent their drifting to leeward. Log, a journal of the proceedings of a vessel; also a line with a triangular piece of board, called the log ship, which is cast overboard to ascertain the ship's rate of sailing. Luff, to; to steer the boat nearer the wind. Lurch, the sudden rolling of a vessel to one side. Marling-spike, an iron pin sharpened at one end, to separate the strands of a rope. Martingale, or Dolphin-striker, a short perpendicular spar under the bowsprit's end. Miss stays, to fail going about. Oakum, pieces of yarn picked to pieces, used for caulking. Overhaul, to; when a rope is passed through two blocks, in order to make a tackle, the rope which is hauled on is called the fall; if one of the blocks gets loose, the act of hauling on the rope between the blocks, in order to separate them, is called overhauling. Painter, a rope attached to the bow of a boat. Pendant, a long narrow flag at the mast-head. Quarter, that part of the vessel between the stern and the main chains. Ratlines (pron. Rat'lin's,) ropes fastened across the shrouds, like the steps of a ladder. Scud, to; to drive along before a gale with no sail, or only enough to keep her ahead of the sea. Also, low thin clouds flying swiftly before the wind. Spanker, or Driver, the after sail of a ship or bark. It is fore and aft sail set with a boom and gaff. Splice, to; to join two ropes together by entwining their strands; a rope is generally formed of three strands twisted together. Spring, to; to split a mast. Stays, large ropes leading from the masthead forward. Staysail, a sail hoisted on a stay. Steerage, the part of the between decks just before the after cabin. Stretcher, pieces of wood placed across a boat's bottom for the rowers to put their feet against. Surge, large swelling waves breaking over rocks. Taut, tight. Throat, the inner edge of the gaff which embraces the mast. Unbend, to; to untie. Unmoor, to; to heave up one anchor, or to unfasten the ship from her moorings. Vane, a piece of bunting flying at the masthead to show the direction of the wind. Waist, the part of the upper deck between the quarterdeck and forecastle. Wake, the path that a ship leaves behind her in the water. Wear, to; to come round on the other side of the wind without backing.

Let A B be the vessel, G the direction of the wind; A B is sailing in the direction B C, and wants to change her course to A D; if she tacks, she traverses the direction C H D; if she wears, she goes off from the wind in the direction C E D.