THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ 126 127 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 No Peace Beyond the Line - Usually referred to marauding English seamen attacking the Spanish and Portuguese shipping after the 'line' drawn by Pope Alexander VI, in 1493, under the Treaty of Tordesillas. This was a treaty imposed on the world, in which the spoils of the new world were divided between Spain and Portugal. Spain got anything found west of a line of longitude 40° (or 370 leagues) west of the Cape Verde Islands, and Portugal got everything east of it. England and others did not accept this ruling and so this phrase came to refer to their ignoring of the Spanish and Portuguese authority, anywhere. BDD Nor'easter - Seamen's slang for no pay on pay day, after the term Not Entitled shown in the books. Nore Mutiny - Unsuccessful mutiny at The Nore in 1797, led by Robert Parker, following the Spithead Mutiny. The earlier mutiny, being reasonable and peaceful, succeeded where the later one, being unreasonable and threatening, resulted in the eventual hanging of the ringleaders. Nore, The - The anchorage at the mouth of the River Thames. Norfolk Wherry - Cargo sailing vessel used on the Broads. Normal pole head - (ecr) Norman – A short wooden bar inserted into the capstan or windlass, to which the anchor cable was temporarily secured when there was little pressure on the cable. Norman Ship - A style of ship between the Viking Longship* and later, more full-bodied designs. North East Passage - North-Easter - See Not entitled! Not Entitled! - The words said to a seaman whose pay account was not in credit when he stepped up to the pay table, usually as a result of having repeated mulcts. Norther - Threatening wind on the South American west coast. Northing - Northing, More - Add more alcohol. See Due North, Due West and North Wester. North Sea/ South Sea – Those north and south of the Panama isthmus: NS = Caribbean, SS = Pacific. North West Passage - North Wester - The name given by seamen to a drink with an alcoholic content of 50%, i.e. half water half rum. Also see Due North and Due West. North-west monsoon - South of the equator the NE monsoon is deflected and blows from NW or W from November through March. North wind, south wind, etc. - The point of the compass from which the wind is blowing. Nosebag - SMS Nothing off – A helm order given when the conner wanted the helmsman not to let the ship fall off the wind. Also ‘fall not off’. Notice to mariners - Bulletins issued by authority advising mariners of changes to navigable routes or charts. No treating rule - The Wardroom custom in which junior officers do not buy senior officers drinks, thus preventing the seeking of favours in this way. Now she's talking - Seamen's slang for the sound made by a boat as she gets under way. Null Point - Number - 1 A ship's internationally recognised signal group. 2 A seaman's personal identity. 3 A 'nice little number' was/is an easy job. 4 Someone who got his number hoisted had just been killed, or 'lost the number of his mess'. Number for the month - See Epact of the month. Number One punishment - Death by execution. A more recent phrase. Nun-buoy - SMS Nut - on bower anchor. (tge) Nuts – Pegs on an anchor shank that located in matching notches in the stock to hold each other in place. securing the lower ends of the futtock shrouds. Needle's Eye - Hoop through which tightly rolled hammock had to pass before being placed in the hammock netting. Nef - French term for ships in general and for a single-masted freighter from 11 to 16c. Neglect of Duty - Nelson – Born 29 Sep 1758. Nelson Chequer - Black/yellow bands with black port lids - black/white chequer became fashionable later in the Napoleonic Wars. Nelson's Blood - Navy rum. This nickname was used after Trafalgar in the mistaken belief that Nelson's body was transported back to England in a cask of rum. In fact only brandy and spirit of wine were used, so no rum was spoiled. Nelson's signal flags (Trafalgar) - Using Popham’s Telegraph Signals, Nelson’s famous signal at the Battle of Trafalgar started with the Preparatory, or Telegraph Flag and then comprised flags 253, 269, 863, 261, 471, 958, 220, 370, 4,21,19,and 24. ‘England expects that every man will do his duty’. Neptune's sheep - White horses, or breaking wave tops. Net eyes – Young herring that swim ashore in autumn. Nether-loop - ? Deck Net needle – A wooden needle used to make or mend fishing nets. Nets - Were rigged over the gun deck whilst a ship was in action to prevent danger to crew from falling debris. Netting - Nettle – 1. A small line made of two or three rope yarns twisted hard together between thumb and finger, with the twist of the rope starting in the middle and the ends whipped. Also knittle. 2. The cords by which a hammock was hung, known as the clews. A knotted length of nettle would be used to sting shipmates who have been sentenced to run the gauntlet. Nettled, ashore, means hurt, and derives from this usage, not from weeds. Nettle stuff – Small spunyarn made with two or three strands, used to make gaskets or similar. Neutral Neutral Bottoms Newcombe, Johnny - Greenhorn. Newel - A post holding one end of a rail. New England Saint - Widely believed to be a rarity and so used as an example of something scarce. BDD New Holland - Newgate galley - Prison ship or boat used by press gangs to visit ships afloat in search of recruits. New Measurement - CTC New navigation – The basis of all modern navigation introduced in 1874 by Marc St. Hilaire of the French Navy. Also, Marc St Hilaire method or the intercept method. Next-hand guns - Nibblers - Workers ashore who are late arrivers and early leavers, who complain about their travelling problems. Nibcheese - Purser Night Watch - The first watch, from 8pm to Midnight. Ninepin block – A single block that looked like a flattened ninepin, fixed under the forecastle and quarterdeck bitts and used to lead running rigging in a horizontal direction. Nine thread stuff – A one inch diameter line made up of nine strands. Nip – (v) To temporarily stop a rope or join it side-by-side to another, by making turns of yarn alternately round each rope. Nip - Seamen's slang for a small turn in a rope, used to hold it temporarily. Nip the rope - Make a loop or twist. Nip Cheeses - Pursers. Nipped – 1. The expression used for a rope that has been jammed or caught up in some way. 2. Said of a vessel beset by ice. Nipper – 1. A short length of light line used to temporarily bind and quickly release the hemp anchor cable to/from the messenger cable, a continuous loop of heavy rope that turned by the capstans, when weighing anchor. 2. The ship’s boy who was assigned to use a first definition nipper and who had to be nippy, so they were also called nippers. 3. On an American whaleboat, a piece of quilted cloth used to protect the whaleman’s hand when he handled the whale-line. 4. Squeegees made from whale's tail. Nock – The forward upper edge of a sail set on a boom. Nock earing thimble - (tge) Nock-staysail - A staysail with its luff laced to the mast. Nocturnal – A device used for navigating by observing with it the hands of the great star clocks; Ursa Major and Minor, as they turned about the Pole Star. Noddy - Seabird named for its somnambulistic character, being frequently caught by hand at sea. No-man's land - An indistinct space on the main deck, between the belfry and the boat booms, used to store tackle that is needed on the forecastle. So-called through being neither to port nor starboard and neither in the waist nor on the forecastle. No near, or no nearer – A helm order given when the conner wanted to warn the helmsman that he was too close to the wind. Also ‘no nearer’, or ‘keep her away’, or ‘keep her full’. No No! - In reply to the Watchman's challenge, the formal response of an approaching ship's boat, when it was not carrying anyone to whom a mark of respect was required. Non-recoil - Early gunnery had guns secured to fire without recoil, as each one came to bear on the target. After all guns had fired, the ship would withdraw to windward to reload. Non-tidal currents – Non-tidal horizontal movements of water. Often simply called currents. Non-toppling block – A weighted block used at the lower end of a purchase when shortening the distance between two blocks. Nooners - Time for the day's first real drink, as the sun had passed over the yardarm at midday. Noon sight – The action of taking an observation of the sun’s altitude at noon, at its culmination, and deducting its declination, from which the latitude can be derived. Also meridian altitude.
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