THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ 10 11 THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF PETER TURNER ©2024 THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF PETER TURNER ©2024 If any reader can provide information, please send to galf@abandos.com If any reader can provide information, please send to galf@abandos.com Sock Gentry'. Seamen of the mainmast division who were too inexperienced or otherwise unable to go aloft, so who stayed on deck and worked the after sails and after gear from there. After-hold - The part of the main hold aft of the main mast. After-ladder - A ladder leading to officers' or captain's quarters, and used only by them. After leech – The lee or aftermost edge of a foreand-aft sail. Aftermost, aftmost - The last object on a ship, from forwards. Afternoon watch - The men on deck from noon until 4 o'clock. See Watches. After-orders - Daily orders were generally given at a regular time. After-orders were irregular, and given later on. After-part - The part, of any location, towards the stern. After-peak – The aftermost part of the hold. After-rake - The part of the hull that overhangs the after-end of the keel. After sails - The sails rigged on the after masts or on the stays running aft from the mainmast. cf Head-sails. After side fish - The aft piece of a made mast. Aft through the hawse pipe - Promoted from the lower deck. After-timbers - Timbers abaft the midship section of a ship. Afterturn - A twist in a rope, where strands are laid up, in the opposite direction to the twist of the strands. Aft hatch, after hatch - A hatch at the rear. Aft hold - The after-hold. Aft peak, after peak - That part at the rear of the hold, in the run, or tapering part. cf Forepeak. Aft powder room - Gunpowder store. Aftward - Towards the stern. Aga – A senior Turkish officer. Against the sun - The anti-clockwise circular motion employed when coiling down left-handed rope. ’HMSAgamemnon’ – Called affectionately ‘Eggs and Bacon’ by those serving in her. Agate - A hard, semiprecious stone, used for the bearing, or pivot, of a compass card. Age (Of Seamen) - Typically 22-24 years old, with 7 years experience at sea, many started 10-12 years old, some 5-6 years old. It was commonplace for 'young gentlemen' to be entered on ships' books before they served, thereby apparently gaining sea time on their records. This was common, but illegal. Agency - A rate, usually of 5%, paid for handling the matters related to prizes. Agency, Naval – One who carries out the financial affairs of naval officers, for which the usual fee was 2½%. Agent - 1. A Prize Agent advanced money for prizes before they were confirmed, and looked after absent clients' claims. 2. An Agent For Sick & Wounded organised such peoples' accommodation and pay. 3. A Navy Agent prepared the accounts etc of officers and crew. 4. Agent Victuallers would be responsible for obtaining provisions on a foreign station. Age of the Moon – The tidal prediction term meaning the mean period in days between the new or Full Moon and the next spring tide. Age of a ship - A necessary disclosure for a contract with Lloyd's. Age of the tide – The tidal prediction term meaning the elapsed time in days since the last New Moon. Aggie Weston's - Sailors' rest homes, first established in 1876. Aggub - Flat bottomed Nile sailing ship used for carrying stone. Agistment - A sea or river embankment. Agitaki - East Indian fishing canoe in 18c. Agonist - A prize-fighter. Agreeing with a climate - An expression in Elizabethan times used for becoming acclimatised. Agreement - A contract between the captain and each member of the crew of a merchantman. Aground - A ship resting on the bottom. If the result of an accident, a ship 'runs aground', or is 'stranded'. If intentionally set aground, a ship is said to have 'taken the ground'. Aguadiente - The adulterated brandy of Spain that was supplied to her ships. Aguada - A Spanish or Portuguese wateringplace. Aguglia - Sharp-pointed rocks, from the Italian for needles. Ague - A malarial, or other, acute fever. Ahead, A-head - In front. Opposite to astern. Ahold - An early term for bringing a ship close to the wind. Ahoo - Crooked or lopsided. Usually 'all ahoo'. Ahoy! - Normal hail to attract attention. Usually pronounced "oy-oy". A-hull – Riding out heavy weather under bare poles and with the helm a-lee. Aid - To supply with stores. Aide-de-camp - A flag lieutenant to an admiral, or a midshipman to a captain, when in action. Aiglet - Metal tips on reeflines, etc. Aiguades - French watering-places Aigulets - Tagged points on the cords of a uniform, or a device of gold lace worn on the shoulder by certain officers to denote their appointment or status. cf Aiglet. Air – A gentle breeze. Air-Braving – Sailing against the wind. Air-Funnel – A type of ventilator comprising an opening in the deck to allow air to lower parts. Airing-stage - A wooden airing/drying platform for gunpowder. Air-Jacket – A leather garment fitted with inflatable bladders, to give buoyancy to the wearer. Air-pipes – Ventilator funnels used to rd the hold of foul air. Air-ports - Scuttles in the ship's sides to let in air when the other ports are closed. Air-pump - Various systems used to pump fresh air into stuffy parts of the ship. Airs - Miasmas. Often blamed for tropical ailments, though without scientific basis. Air-Scuttle – See air-ports. Air-Shaft – A wooden shaft on a vessel used to ventilate the lower parts. Airy – Breezy. Aland – To, or on, land. Alarm - The drum or signal summoning men to take guard in time of danger. Alarm vessel - Early light ship/vessel Albacore - A large shallow-water ocean fish. Albany Beef - Slang name for sturgeon caught in the Hudson River during the War of American Independence. Albatross - Large seabird. Said by some to be Pursers' souls seeking savings or leavings. More commonly, albatrosses were believed to have been the souls of dead sailors, from where came the superstition of it being bad luck to kill one. Prince Alberts - Ad hoc leggings of tightly bound burlap on feet and legs. Albion - British Isles. Apparently so named after the white cliffs of the south coast. Alcaide - A governor. Alcatraz - The pelican. Alcohol - On ship, the most common forms of alcohol were rum and brandy, with wine and small beer for more frequent regular consumption, one of which was issued daily, in excessive quantities by today's standards. Alee, A-lee – 1. Said of the helm when it was pushed down to the lee side of the vessel in order to put the ship about. 2. Said of anything on the lee side. A-lee the helm – A helm order given when the conner wanted the helm pushed down to the lee side to put the vessel about. The helmsman would answer ‘helm’s a-lee’. Also down with the helm, or luff round. Alfred the Great - (848-900) Often said to be the founder of the English Navy. Although he built up the ship stock his navy did not fight significant sea-battles with the Danes, those having been fought before he came along, and after his death the English Navy lapsed into practical nonexistence. Algae - Seaweeds. Algiers Duty - A particular duty levied on goods, by the Long Parliament, used to release captives in the Mediterranean. Algology - The science of sea plants. Alidade - The sight rule of an astrolabe. Alien - Foreign, not British. Alignment - The imaginary line supposed to be kept to maintain a squadron in order. All - Wholly. 'All aback' was when the sails were blown from the front. 'All ahoo' meant disordered or crooked. 'All-a-taunt-o' was the term for a ship that has all its rigging hauled tight and belayed and all yards crossed on the masts. See taunt. 'All hands' was the order for all seamen to muster on deck immediately. 'All hands ahoy' was the order for all hands to assemble on deck, and not just the watch on duty. 'All hands make sail' was a order usually immediately preceding a chase. 'All hands to quarters' was an order in an armed merchantman which was the equivalent to 'Beat to quarters' used in a man-of-war. 'All in the wind' was the point at which, when a ship is gradually steered into the wind, the sails start to lose the wind. 'All Night In' was an expression used to describe the duties of crew members who were not members of watches, and who did not therefore turn out at night - except on the call "All Hands Ahoy!" See Idlers. 'All over' denotes resemblance to an object, e.g. 'she's a king's ship all over'. 'All overish' listlessness and disinterest in food, usually signifying an approaching disease. 'All ready' was the answer from the tops when the sails had been loosened and were ready to be dropped. 'All standing' meant fully clothed, or was the term for a ship brought suddenly to a halt by its anchor biting, when its anchor has been let go whilst the ship had too much way on, thus bringing her up 'all standing'. 'All's well' was the sentry's call on each bell during the middle and morning watches. 'All to pieces' meant out-andout, e.g. 'she beat us all to pieces', meaning the other ship out-sailed her. 'All weathers' meant at any time or season. All above board – This referred to everything being visible when stored on deck and has come to mean all being open and honest. All-a-taut - Seamen's term for a fully rigged ship with everything correctly in place. Allege - A French ballast-boat. Alleyway - That passage-way between lower decks of merchant ships, giving access. All hands aft! - Call to crew to assemble. Alligator - North American timber raftsmen’s boat, equipped with tackles, ropes, winches, etc. Alligator water - Brackish tropical river estuaries. All in the wind - Said of a vessel's sails when going from one tack to the other and the luffs are shaking, or when bad steering sailing too close to the wind. Allision - An expression in maritime law indicating the collision of one ship striking another, as distinct from using the word 'collision', which signified two vessels striking each other. All my eye and Betty Martin - Nonsense. All of one company - Traditional sentiment of equality in the RN. Allotment - The part of seamen's pay apportioned each month to their wives, etc. The 'allotment list' was a record of such apportionments that was sent to the Navy Office for implementation. Alloting – The allocation, by a disinterested person, of shares in a ship’s cargo. Allowance - The ration allotted to each crew member. All parts bearing equal strain - Everything under control. Sometimes used to mean, going to have a sleep. All standing - Fully clothed, as in going to bed 'all standing'. All's well! - Call given by the sentinel when every half-hour bell is struck during the night watches, to affirm safety of the ship, and that he is awake. All together! - A pipe call, giving an officer's order to be obeyed 'all together'. See Pipe calls. Alluvium, alluvion - Silt, such as found in river deltas, etc. Ally - Friendly nation. Almacantars - Arabic name for parallels of latitude. Almadia - African canoe, or larger square-sterned Negro boats. Almagest - Ptolemy's work on geometry and astronomy.
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