THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ 164 165 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 water when the water level is apparently static. Stand-on – To continue towards the destination. Stand out – Sail away from land. cf stand in. Stand To Stand up – Sail close to the wind. Staple - The organization, in a port, holding the monopoly for a commodity. Staples- SMS Starboard - The right-hand side of a vessel, looking forward. Starboard tack – The tack with the wind on the starboard side. Starboard the helm – A helm order given when the conner wanted the rudder and ship’s head to carry to port. Also ‘hard a-starboard’. Starboard Watch Starbolins, Starbowlines - Members of the starboard watch. See larbolins. Stargazer – A triangular fine-weather sail set above a moonsail. If set above a skysail, it would be called a skyscraper. Stark calm- SMS Star knot - A knob knot made with a five-sided symmetry. Starry Vere - The Honourable Edward Fairfax Vere. Star sights – Observations of stars at twilight to determine a vessel’s position. Start – 1. To get the anchor to break free from the ground. 2. (v) A punishment in which the offender was struck with a starter, or short length of rope, usually as an encouragement to work harder. Start buntlines- SMS Start(By Bosun) Start(Out) Start(Water) Start- SMS Starter State Barge- Barge used for state occasions and carrying the coat of arms. Rowed by sailors in full dress uniform States - Men of importance. States – The Abbreviation of The States General, the governing body of The Netherlands in 17c. Station Station bill – The list of all crewmembers, in which their posts and emergency duties are detailed. Station buoy (US) - See Watch buoy. Station lines(ecr) Station Pointer – A navigational instrument used to plot a position obtained by horizontal sextant angles. Also three-arm protractor. Station Ships – Those permanently based at an overseas station. Statute mile – A distance of 5,280 feet. cf sea or nautical mile and geographical mile. Staunch - Said of a well-built, strong and leakfree ship. Staunching - Ensuring the tight joints of a small vessel by filling it with water. Stave - Of a barrel Stave off - To push a boat, or some other floating object, away from a ship's side or jetty by means of a boat-hook, spar or similar implement Stay - A rope used to support a mast in the foreand-aft direction. See Gob line. Stay block(hgv) Stay hole – One of the holes in the front edge of a staysail or jib, used to lace the sail onto its stay. Staying & Wearing Stayplates CTC Staysail – Any of the triangular, sometimes quadrilateral, sails set on a stay, except one of the head sails, which are jibs. Stay snaking(ecr) Stays - Ropes supporting masts or spars. See also Shrouds and "In Stays". Stay tackle – A tackle comprising double and single blocks strapped with hooks and thimbles, used to hoist boats and things in and out of the hold. Stead - Help. Steady – 1. A helm order given when the conner wanted the ship to be kept on her present course when sailing large. The helmsman would reply with ‘steady it is, sir’. 2. A word used prior to a command being given, as notice. Also it describes the character of a reliable hand. Steady Cooks Steadying lines – Ropes that are attached to a boat’s gunwales and leading to a ring at the slings, used to keep the boat upright when hoisted. Steady it is, sir – A helmsman’s answer to the helm order ‘steady’, given by the conner when he wanted the ship to be kept on her present course when sailing large. Steady Spit Box Musterer- Regular spittoon orderly. Steady Sweepers Steadying out the bowline- SMS Stealer - An extra, or shaped, plank used to compensate for the tapering ends of a vessel, to obviate the need for too thick or thin plank ends. Steam tugs- SMS Steamer - One of those new-fangled vessels that will not last. Steamer, tacking- SMS Steelyard Steep Tub Steer - To direct the course by using the rudder, steering oar, or whatever. Not only direct a vessel, but also give advice. From the latter, comes a bum steer, meaning the advice was not good. Steerage – 1. After part of quarterdeck, in front of Main Cabin, from where ship was steered. 2. Accommodation forward of the main cabin and inferior to it. 3. The living quarters of the boat steerers in an American whaleship. Steerage passenger – A passenger carried between decks and allotted less space than cabin passengers. Steerage way – Enough speed through the water for the rudder to answer. Steer east north east (e.g.) – A typical helm order given when the conner wanted the ship to steer the particular given course. Steering chains - The chains that lead from the barrel connected to the steering wheel to the tiller, by which the vessel is steered. Steering compass - CTC Steering crutch – A crutch near the stern-post, used for a steering oar. Steering gear - The helm mechanism, comprising the ropes and chains between the steering wheel and the tiller. Patent steering gear was a later development that did not use ropes and chains for steering. Steering oar – A heavy oar used to steer a boat when a rudder would not answer, such as in surf or on a whaleboat, the latter having a right angled handle on the loom so that two hands could be used. Most early ships and boats normally used steering oars. Steering sail – A name sometimes used instead of studding sail. Steering wheel - Sometimes just called 'the wheel' or 'the helm', this is the wheel on the quarterdeck at which the helmsman does his job and steers the vessel. Steersman – 1. An old English title for the office that became 'master'. 2. A seaman steering a vessel. In a merchant ship the helmsman was usually a quartermaster. Also wheelman or helmsman. Steeve - The angle of the bowsprit relative to the waterline. Steeved - Raked of bowsprit 36deg. with horizon. Steeve of bowsprit - Its angle of slope to the horizontal. Steeve-up bowsprit - A bowsprit arranged to pivot up at the bitts, and usually rigged to starboard of the stem. This was the common set up for spritsail barges, which could work in closely with other vessels, and so often wanted the bowsprit up out of t Steeving - The angle of the bowsprit to the horizontal. Stem - The vertical member of the ship's structure uniting the sides of the vessel at the fore end, rising from the keel, with the bowsprit resting on its upper end, and into which the ship's planking is set. Stem band - See Keel band. Stem fender – A fender attached at the stem. Stem head - The upper end of the stem post. Stem knee - A heavy angled timber connecting the stem to the keel. Stemming – Keeping a vessel virtually stationary by steering into a current or tide whilst maintaining sufficient way to hold her position. Stem piece - A wedge-shaped timber located each side of the stem post, between that and the knight heads, to accommodate and support the bowsprit. Stem post - The heavy, often composite, timber component forming the foremost part of a vessel's frame and extending up from the fore end of the keel. Stemson - The curved timber aft of the apron, supporting it's scarf. Step - Mast-step Stepped Mast Stepping the Mast"- When a new mast was stepped on a new ship, those on board would all contribute to good luck coins to be placed under the mast. Stepsod carriage(hgv) Stern - The rear end of a vessel. Stern anchor – A stream anchor. Stern boats, etc- SMS Stern chase – The pursuit of another vessel from directly astern. A stern chase is a long chase. Sternfast or Stern-fast - Moored with a mooring line attached to the stern. Stern frame - The whole stern assembly, comprising the stern post, the transom and the fashion pieces. Stern gallery Stern knee - The knee that strengthens the joint at the heel of the inner-post. Stern-ladders - Rope ladders suspended from each side of the stern. Stern lantern (1 large & 2 small)(hgv) Sternmost - Refers to a ship that is the furthest astern of a fleet or squadron. Stern port - A gun or ventilation port in the stern. Sometimes also used for loading/unloading cargo. Stern-post - 1. The heavy iron or steel vertical post member of the ship's structure running from the upper deck to the after end of the keel, uniting the sides of the vessel at the after end of the keel and supporting the rudder. Stern sheets – The aftermost part of a boat, extending from the last thwart to the stern. Sternson - The curved timber used to join the keelson and the inner-post. Stern timber Stern walk - An open balcony across the stern. These fell out of fashion at about the turn of the 19c, but soon came back again. Sternway - The movement astern of a vessel. Steve – vb. To ‘stiffen up’ a soft cargo using presses, etc. Stevedore – A port worker, paid to load or unload a ship. Often sailors between voyages. Steward – The crew member on a passenger ship whose duties were the feeding, cleaning and tucking-in of passengers. Steward's cabin Steward's room Stick a cringle - To place a thimble in a loop that has been worked into a bolt-rope. Stick a Fork into Deckhead Beam - Tradition that signified the time for youngsters to leave the Midshipmen’s' Mess, or Gunroom, to allow the Oldsters to get on with their drinking, or worse, after 1850 when youngsters' Grog was stopped. At Captains' discretion Grog could still be issued to Mids and Boys 1st Class. Sticks - 1. The ship's masts. 2. Seamen's nickname for the Royal Marine Bugler, from his others skills as a drummer. Stiff – 1. Having a good stability. Said of a vessel that is not easily inclined or heeled. The opposite of crank. 2. Heavy. Stiffeners - Vertical angle irons inside steel masts CTC Stiffening – Any ballast or weights placed in a ship to improve her stability, from the early practice of lashing stiffening booms to a ship’s sides on both sides. Stiffening web - Webs welded inside steel masts and spars to strengthen them. Stiff gale- SMS Stiffness- SMS Still – 1. The pipe for Silence and Stand Still, at Colours. 2. To make Drinking water from seawater. Stinkers – Useless fish that have fed off tainted food.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTYyMzU=