THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ 158 159 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 vessel's after frame. Sleepy juice - Strong drink. Sleeveless - In Elizabethan times, useless. Slew - To turn something on its own axis. Slew Round Slide blocks Sliding bed(hgv) Sliding Gunter – 1. A light upper mast fastened behind the mast, to carry royals, skysails, etc. 2. An early form of slide-rule. Sliding pawls- SMS Sling cleats(tge) Sling( parrel)(ecr) Slings Slings- SMS Sling –1. (v) To pass a chain around a yard to protect against damage, or to pass a rope around anything, to lift it. 2. The rope or chain support for a fixed yard and the area at which it is attached. 3. A rope used to hold a barrel or similar load and attach it to a tackle. 4. Two spans of chain or wire by which boats are hoisted. 5. Small 16c gun. 6. Retire to bed. The full expression of ‘I intend to sling my hammock’ was rarely used. Sling cleat – A cleat of various sizes, used for various jobs, from gammoning the bowsprit to securing lashings. Sling your hammock - Seamen's name for packing up and going, usually permanently. Sling your hook! - Go elsewhere to fix up your hammock clew hooks, put politely. Slip – 1. An inclined masonry surface built between a shipyard and the water, on which new vessels are constructed and from which they are launched. 2. A device designed to achieve the instant release of a cable, usually in the form of a hinged hook with a quick-release link. 3. (v) To release the inboard ends of mooring lines. Slip and proceed - Unmoor from a jetty and head for sea. Came to be used for getting on with the next task. Slip hook – A hinged hook off which the load could be easily slipped when it was opened. Slip knot – 1. A running knot made on a rope’s own standing part, along which it is free to run. 2. An overhand knot in which a bight is taken through, allowing the knot to untie when the free end was pulled. Slip one's cable - To die. Slippery hitch – 1. Any badly made hitch that fails to hold. 2. A hitch or bend that has a bight taken through at the end, allowing the hitch to untie when the free end was pulled. Slipping the cable- SMS Slip rope – A mooring rope whose end has been passed through the ring of a mooring point and brought back and secured on board. By releasing one end and hauling on the other the vessel is freed from the mooring and retains her rope. Slips Slip stopper – A short length of chain with a slip, or pelican, hook, used to fasten the anchor to the billboard, from which it is instantly released by freeing the hook. Slipway Slobgollion- Substance solidifying in Spermaceti tubs Slockstered Away- Tempted away(?) Sloop Sloop rig - Single-mast, gaff, bowsprit, with triangular headsails and with square topsails Sloop-of-war - English generic name for any ship below 6th rate whose captain was a Master & Commander Slop chit - Anything that is one's responsibility is on one's slop chit, from the clothing list, or chit, that seamen would have their slops recorded on, for later payment when they drew pay. Slope off - Leave furtively. Slop out - Wash thoroughly. Nothing to do with clothing slops and all to do with water from a bucket slops. Slop room - Storeroom for spare clothing for the crew. Slop Ships - For examination, cleansing and clothing of new recruits. See Guardo. Slops - Clothing, not usually of the finest quality, held in the slop chest for sale to crew members who may have shipped aboard with inadequate clothing – especially if they have been pressed. It could be purchased from the purser, from the Slop Chest. From ancient "sloppe" or "slyppe", meaning loose garment. Slopseller - Slops supplier to the Purser. Slow-match - Used to fire guns. Sludge- See Ice Slug, slugg - Mariner's term for a slow-sailing vessel. Slung gaff ERR Slush - The fat skimmed off the cauldrons of boiled meat. This was sometimes used to protect rigging, but was mostly sold to the purser for making candles. The money so raised was known as a slush fund. Slush bucket – 1. A bucket holding a mixture of linseed oil and tallow soap used to grease the masts where the parrels run and the blocks and running gear. 2. A bucket used by the cook to keep the skimmings from boiling salted meat. Slush Down Slush fund – Came from the fat skimmed from the top of the cauldron by the cook, who was allowed to sell it to the purser for making candles. The money he collected became the first slush fund. Slush Tub Slush(1)- See Ice Slush(2) Smack ERR Smack Smak - Main spritsail, mizzen (smak) lateen Small – The part of an anchor’s shank directly below the stock. Small arms chests (4 or 5 on quarterdeck)(tge) Small Arms - Musket, Musketoon, Pistol, Cutlass, Boarding Pike, Axe, Tomahawk. Small beer - Cheap beer with low alcohol content Small circle – A circle on the surface of a sphere, whose centre was not at the centre of the sphere, such as a parallel of latitude. Small stuff – Any line or cordage less than one inch in diameter. Smart in stays- SMS Smelling the ground – Said of a vessel running into shallow or shoaling water and proving more difficult to steer because of currents and back surges. A vessel looses helm response when she has smelt the ground, or approaches shallows. Smith, Capt John - See Sea Grammar, pub 1627. Smiting line – A single line of rope onto which several yarn stops are attached to hold a furled sail; when the smiting line was withdrawn the sail would rapidly unfurl. Smoked Us(etc) Smoke sail – A small sail used to protect the galley funnel, or a forge, from blowing smoke and sparks wherever they was unwelcome. Smoke Ships – Machine ships of the 17th century. Also Sink Ships. Smoking - Smoking tobacco was forbidden outside the galley. Smooth log – A log kept by the ship’s mate, compiled from entries in the deck, or rough, log and prepared by the mate for the master’s signature. Also called the mate’s log. Smug Boat – Chinese dragon boat of about 70 rowers. Smugglers-# & Debtors were the only felons knowingly taken into HM Navy Smuggling Snacks Shared the profit was called "went snacks" Snaffle - A metal fitting on a yard or boom, through which the pin of the goose-neck was attached, by which the boom works. Snail-creeping - Gouging out grooves in timbers to assist air-flow. Snake – 1. One way of securing the seizing on a single rope, by taking the yarn ends under and over the lower and upper parts of the seizing, to form a zigzag pattern across it. 2. Viking ship of about 20 to 25 rooms. Snake pit - Untidy messdeck. Snaking stays- SMS Snaking(ecr) Snake's honeymoon, or wedding - A tangled set of ropes and lines on deck. Snap hook – A hook with a spring strip across the mouth to hold the load securely in place. Snatch - A fairlead with a spring across its mouth to prevent the rope from slipping. Snatch block – A block with an opening on one side that enabled the rope to be laid onto the sheave. Sneer - 'Cracking on to make all sneer again' was an expression used to indicate that maximum speed was achieved, but at the immediate risk of mast or rigging failure. 'All sneered again' was used when it had, sometimes fatally, in bad conditions. Snoods – A light fishing line by which fishing hooks are attached to the main long line. Snorter - A small strap, usually rope, on the end of a light yard, to which halyards and lifts are attached. Sometimes incorrectly called snotter. Snotter - A loop of rope or metal encircling a mast of a sprit rig and holding the lower end of the sprit against it. 2 Any loop used to prevent slipping. Snotty - Seamen's nickname for a midshipman. Tradition has it that Nelson ordered three buttons to be sewn onto midshipmen's sleeves, to stop them wiping their noses on their cuffs. Snow - A rig the same as a brig but with a trysail mast abaft the main mast. Snowball hitch - Seamen's name for a badly made knot that will not hold. Snowmast- SMS Snub – (v) To suddenly stop a rope or cable as it is running out, by various methods, such as taking extra turns, applying a stopper or by using the windlass brake. Snubber – A short cable stopper used to temporarily stop a rope. Snubbing line – A rope used as a restraint whilst warping a vessel, to prevent unwanted swings. Snub Up, To - onto anchor cable Snug down – Reduce sail and generally prepare for heavy weather. Snug Down, To - To reef sails and generally prepare everything in readiness for foul weather. Soaker, Soker- Old hand. Soap Stone Sodden - In Elizabethan times, used to refer to boiled food. Sodomy-Death penalty awarded & executed Sod's law - The 'law' that states that things will always go wrong at the least convenient time and place. Also, the Law of Imbuggerance. Sods opera – Ship’s concerts were arranged and performed by seamen of the Ship’s Operatic and Drama Society, and were often used to get one back at officer’s and to settle old scores painlessly. Ashore it usually, and unfairly, means any poorly produced performance. Soft-iron spheres - See Correcting magnets. Soft-laid – The term for a rope laid loosely and with little torsion, to make it more pliable. Soft tack – Bread, as we know it, baked at sea. Soft tack - Soft Tommy- Bread, as distinct from ship's biscuit. Soger - A laggard or malingerer. Sogering – The same as ‘Working Tom Cox’s Traverse’; i.e. to work deliberately slowly as through having been humbugged. It also sometimes was used to describe simple skiving. Soke - Local government area. See Ship Soke. Solano - A wet E-SE wind of SE Spain. Solar tides - Soldier's hole- SMS Soldier's wind - Sailing with the wind abaft. Soldier's wind - A wind that serves either way, without the need for seamanship. Sole – 1. A piece of timber fastened to the foot of a rudder to bring it in line with a false keel. 2. The deck surface, or floor to a landsman. Sole plate Solid bar stern post - A stern post formed from a solid piece of iron or steel. Solsticial tides – Tides of greater than average range occurring during the June and September solstices. Son of a gun - Seamen's slang compliment for a seaman alleged to have been born 'tween decks at sea, from the time when wives lived on board and gave birth between the guns. Soogee moogee – A mixture of soap or soda and water used to clean woodwork and paintwork on board. Sotweed - Raw tobacco leaf BDD
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