Nautical Vocabulary

"A.B." An able seaman.

ABAFT. Towards the stern.
ABOUT, TO GO. To take the opposite tack.
ALEE. On the side away from the wind.
APEAK. Perpendicular, of the anchor, when the cable is drawn so as to bring the ship's bowl directly
over it.
ASTERN. In the direction of the stern.
ATHWART. In a line across the ship.
AUXILIARY ENGINES. Small engines for electric lighting, refrigerating, etc., etc.
AWASH. Level with the surface of the sea, egg, of an anchor.
BATTEN. To fasten down with battens (i.e. pieces of boards, or scantlings), as the hatches of a ship
during a storm.
BEAM. The width of a vessel.
BEATING, Sailing against the wind by tacking.
BELAY. To fasten, or make fast, as a rope, by taking several turns with it round a pin, cleat, or kevel.
BELAYING PINS, Strong pins in the side of a vessel, or in the mast, for making fast, or belaying, ropes
to.
BEND, To fasten; as, to bend on a rope.
BERTH. A ship's anchorage; a narrow shelf or bunk for sleeping on.
BILGE KEEL. A keel or fin attached to each side of a ship below the water-line, to prevent rolling.
BILGE WATER. Water lying in the bilge or bottom of a boat or vessel.
BINNACLE. The box containing the ship's compass, and a light to show it at night.
BLOCK. A pulley.
BOLT ROPE, The rope edge surrounding a sail (to which it is sewed).
BONNET. An additional part laced to the foot of a sail, in moderate winds.
BOOM. The spar by which a sail is extended at the bottom.
BOW OR BOWS. The front of a vessel.
BOWLINE. A rope fastened near the middle of the leech or perpendicular edge of square sails, to keep
their weather edge taut, when the ship is close-hauled.
BRACE. A rope attached to a boom or yard and by which they are moved.

BRIDGE. The small observation-deck occupied by the navigating officers.

BULKHEAD. A partition in the hull.
BULWARKS. The sides of a vessel surrounding and extending above the deck.
CABLE. A strong rope or chain.
CABLE'S LENGTH. About 200 yards, or 1-10th of a sea mile.
CABOOSE. A kitchen on deck.
CAMEL. An arrangement for assisting a ship over shoals.
CARRY AWAY. To break or lose a rope or spar.
CAT BLOCK. The tackle block for hoisting the anchor,
CAT'S PAW. A light puff of wind.
CAULK. To make tight the seams of a vessel.
CHIPS. Sailor's name for the carpenter.
CLEAT. A small piece of wood around which a rope may be made fast.
CLEW. To bind up.
CLEW LINES. Ropes for clewing.
COCK PIT. A room for wounded men in a war vessel.
COMBINGS OR COAMINGS. The raised edges around the hatches.
COMPANIONWAY. The cabin stairway.
COMPASS. An instrument showing the vessel's course.
COMPOUND ENGINE, One wherein the steam from boilers is made use of more than once.
CONDENSERS. The apparatus in which the returned steam from cylinders is condensed back into
water.
COXSWAIN. The steerer of a small boat.
CRINGLE. An iron ring or thimble attached to the bolt rope of a sail.
CROW'S NEST. A "look-out" place usually on the foremast 25 feet or more above the deck.
CUTLASS. A broad curving one-edged sword.
CUTWATER. That portion of a ship's prow which first meets the water.
CYLINDER. The steam-chest in which the steam is forced to give energy to the engines through the
piston.
DAVITS. Pieces of timber or iron, projecting over a ship's side, with tackle to raise or lower a boat by.

DEADLIGHT. An iron shutter covering a port hole.

DEAD RECKONING. The keeping of a vessel's course with the use of log line and compass.
DERRICK. A boom with tackle for handling cargo.
DINGY. A small row-boat.
DOCTOR. Sailors' name for the cook.
DOG WATCH. The name given to two short (two-hours') watches, the first being from 4-6 p.m., and the
second from 6-8 p.m.
DONKEY ENGINE. A small engine for supplying power to work cargo.
DRAUGHT. The depth of water required to float a vessel.
DROGUE. A particular kind of storm anchor.
FATHOM. SIX feet.
FORCED DRAUGHT. An artificial method of conveying air to the furnaces.
FENDER. A piece of wood or other material used to deaden the impact of two vessels, or of a vessel
against the wharves.
FOOTROPE. A rope for standing on which extends along and under a yard.
FORE AND AFT. Used of anything fixed longitudinally between bow and stern.
FORECASTLE. That part of a vessel which is forward of the foremast.
FOREMAST. The mast nearest the bow.
FORGE. To move slowly ahead.
FOUNDER, TO sink.
FURL. To roll up.
GAFF. The upper spar holding up a fore and aft sail.
GALLEY. The kitchen.
GANGWAY. An entrance to a ship.
GRAPNEL. A small anchor.
GUNWALE. The extreme outer edge of the hull.
HALYARDS. Ropes for hoisting sails.
HARBOUR-ROIL. The turbid bottom of a harbour when stirred up by a ship passing over it.
HATCH OR HATCHWAY. An opening in the deck.
HAWSER. A cable.

HEAVE TO. To stop a ship by bringing her bow to the Wind.

HOLD. The interior of a vessel.
HULL. The body (only) of a vessel.
JAW. The mast end of a boom or gaff.
JIB. A triangular sail at the bow.
JIBE. To shift a sail from one side to the other.
JURYMAST. A temporary mast.
KEEL. The lowest timber in a ship.
KEVEL. A piece of timber for belaying great ropes to.
KNOT. A nautical mile (equal to 1.151 miles, or 6,082.66 feet) per hour; really a rate of speed, and not a
measure of length.
LARBOARD. The left hand of a ship looking toward the bow.
LEAD. A mass of lead used in sounding.
LEE. The side which looks away from the wind, and which hence is sheltered.
LEEWAY. The sideward motion of a ship in travelling.
LOCKER, A chest or box.
LOG OR LOGLINE. The rope used for measuring the speed of a vessel.
LOG OR LOGBOOK. The ship's record or diary.
LOOK-OUT. The seaman posted in the extreme bow or in the crow's nest to give warning of
approaching danger.
LOOM. The part of an oar within the rowlocks.
LUBBER'S HOLE. A hole in the top of a vessel next the mast, through which sailors may mount without
going over the rim by the futtock-shrouds, so called because considered by sailors to be only fit for
lubbers.
LUFF. To bring a ship nearer to the wind.
LUFF. The side of a ship towards the wind, the roundest part of a ship's bow, the forward or weather
leech of a sail.
MAINMAST. The central mast or "stick" of a three-masted ship; the aft or hinder mast of a "two-master."
See also Foremast, Mizzen-mast, and Jury-mast.
MARLINE. A small line composed of two strands a little twisted, used for winding round ropes and
cables, to prevent their being fretted by the blocks, etc.
MARLINE-SPIKE. An iron tool, tapering to a point, used to separate the strands of a rope in splicing.
MASTER. Captain.

MASTHEAD. Head or top of a mast.

MAST TABERNACLE. The socket in which a mast is stepped.
MANROPE. A rope used in going up or down the ship's side.
MESS. A set of men who eat together.
MIDSHIPS. The middle, or widest part of a ship.
MIDDY. An old name for a midshipman.
MIZZEN-MAST, MIZZEN-SAIL. The hinder mast (when there are three).
MOOR. To secure a Ship in any position.
MUSTER. A review of all hands on duty.
NAUTICAL MILE.-6,08266 feet, or one geographical mile and 802,66 feet.
NIP. A short turn, as in a rope.
ORDINARY SEAMAN. A seaman of the second rate.
PAINTER. A rope used for making fast a boat.
PAY OUT. To slacken or give out, as to "pay out a rope."
PEAK. The upper and outer corner of a boom sail.
PINTLE. The bolt on which a rudder is hung.
PLIMSOLL MARK, A mark on the outside of the hull indicating the load-line.
PORT. The same as larboard.
PORT OR PORTHOLE. An opening in the ship's side to admit light and air.
PROMENADE-DECK. Usually a covered deck amidships.
QUARTER, The stern portion of a ship's side.
QUARTER-MASTER. The seaman in charge of the wheel.
QUARTER-MASTERS. Picked A,B.'s, with a slight increase in pay. In sailing ships they attend to the
steering. In the mail steamers they rank as petty officers; steer; clean and polish binnacles,
telegraphs, and care for the wheels and wheelhouses, hoist, or superintend the hoisting of flags and
signals; take temperature of air and water; heave the log; read the patent log; and in port usually
attend at the gangway.
RAKE . The inclination or curve of a mast.
REEF. A portion of the sail which is clewed up when the wind is too high to expose the whole.
REEVE. To pass the end or a rope through a pulley, etc.
ROAD. An open space of water where ships may anchor.

ROSTER. A list of officers and crew.

ROWLOCK. A contrivance for giving leverage to an oar in rowing.
SAWBONES. The familiar name of the doctor among sailors.
SCUD. To sail at great speed before a heavy wind or gale.
SCUPPER. The channel cut through the waterways and side of a ship for carrying off the water from the
deck.
SEAMS. The "joins" of a ship's planks.
SHEET. A rope for controlling and moving a sail.
SHELTER-DECK, OR AWNING-DECK, Usually erected over the promenade-deck. When the boats are
kept thereon, it is often called the boat-deck.
SHORE. A prop giving support to a beam.
SKIPPER. The name generally given to the master of a small vessel.
SLOOP. A vessel with but one mast.
SMOKE-STACK, The funnel.
SOUND. To ascertain the depth of the water.
SPAR. The general name for a mast, boom, gaff, yard, etc.
STANCHION. A pillar or post of slight dimensions giving support to a deck.
STARBOARD. The right side of a ship or boat, looking forward.
STAY. A rope for supporting or keeping a mast in its place.
STEM. The forward part of a vessel.
STEM-PIECE. A curved piece of timber to which the two sides of a ship are united at the fore-end, and
the lower end of which is scarfed to the keel.
STERN. The rear portion of a vessel.
STEERAGE. The emigrants' quarters aboard ship.
STEERING ENGINE. The steam steering-gear by which the rudder is controlled.
STOKER. A fireman.
STRAKE. A continuous range of planks on the bottom or sides of a vessel, reaching from the stem to
the stern. The range next the keel are called the garboard strokes; the next, bilge strokes; the next,
wales.
TACK. TO go against the wind in a zigzag course, and to change a ship's course by shifting her rudder
and sails.
TACKLE. Rope and pulley (block).

TAFFRAIL, The rail extending around the stern.

TAUT. Tight.
THOWL OR THOLE. The rowlock.
THWARTS. A boat's seats.
TILLER. The bar for moving the rudder.
TRICK. Duration of a sailor's duty in steering.
TWIN SCREWS. Two screw propellors, in substitution for the more usual single propellor.
WAIST. The portion of the deck between the quarterdeck and forecastle.
WARP. To move a vessel by means of a line or lines made fast to anything immovable at the further
end.
WATCH. A portion of time assigned to certain duties.
WAKE. The track left in the water by a moving vessel.
WEATHER. The side which fronts towards or meets the wind.
WEIGH ANCHOR. To raise the anchor.
WINCH. A small windlass.
WINDLASS. A machine for raising the anchor or cargo.
WINDSAIL. Apparatus for directing the wind into cabins, etc.
WINDWARD. The point from whence the wind blows.
YACHT. A sailing vessel used for pleasure.
YARD. A spar supporting and extending a sail.
YARDARM. Either of the two halves of a "yard."
YAW. A slight movement of the vessel involving a temporary change of course.