THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ 174 175 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 Tie plates -Narrow plates fixed around hatchways and riveted to the hatch coamings, to strengthen and bind the openings. Tie- SMS Tier – 1. A hemp rope that has been flaked down ready for running. 2. A horizontal layer of the stowed anchor cable in the cable locker. 3. A row of mooring buoys. Tierce - A third portion. Tierer- One who stows cables in the Tier*. Tierers- SMS Tight - Watertight. Without leaks. Tight Captain Tiller Tiller - "Starboard" meant 'port' and vice versa. Tiller - The wooden or iron bar attached to the rudder head, which was moved from side to side by the steering gear and so similarly moved the rudder. Tiller chain - The chain linking the tiller to the steering wheel barrel. Tiller girl – One of a performing troupe of longlegged dancers at the London Palladium. Not connected with sailing or sailors, unless the latter got half a chance. Tiller head - The farthest end of the tiller from the rudder, that moved most distance when sweeping from side to side. Tiller rope – A three or four strand tightly laid rope with or without a heart, untarred and made from fine white 25-thread yarn. Tiller sweep(hgv) Tiller(hgv) Tiller- SMS Tilt – The canvas awning over the after end of a boat. Tilt boat - Large rowing boat with an awning(tilt), used as a passenger boat on the Thames Timber - in ship construction. Timber - Usually referred to a frame or rib, but could equally apply to any large piece of wood used Timber and room - See Room and space. Timber head - for decoration. Timber head - The part of a frame that extends above deck level. Used as a bitt and usually carved Timber head - The topmost end of frame timbers. projecting above the gunwale. Timber heads Timber hitch – A hitch formed around a spar or timber, by taking two turns around the spar, with the end taken back round the standing part and down through the two turns. Timber hoops on wooldings(ecr) Timber- Wood used for skeleton of ship. cf Plank; Deal. Time and arc – 1 day = 24 hours = 360°; 1 hour = 15°; 4 minute = 1°; 1 minute = 15’; 4 seconds = 1’; 1 second = 15”. Timenoguy – A rope attached to the forestay at one end and nailed to the anchor stock at the bow, to prevent the foresheet from entangling. Timmynocky- SMS Timoneer – An old term for the helmsman. Tin lantern(tge) Tingle – 1. A temporary external lead and canvas hull patch. 2. A lead covering over a recessed bolt head. Tipping centre - The position on the fore-and-aft centreline at which a vessel will tip when her trim is altered. Tireplate - A heavy iron plate fastened under the deck, where it is penetrated by a mast, to prevent distortion of the deck when wedges or chocks are driven in to hold the mast. Tissot - A strong rope employed between a fishing vessel and the warp to its net, to take some of the strain. Tizzysnatcher - Paymaster. Tizzy was cockney slang for a sixpence. Tjalk - ERR Tjalk Yacht Toast to the first two words of Third Psalm - "Lord! How", after the Glorious 1st of June. Toasts of the week - 1 Monday: Our ships at sea; Tuesday: Our men; Wednesday: Ourselves (since no-one else will think of us); Thursday: A bloody war or a sickly season (and quick promotion); Friday: A willing foe - and sea room; Toasts of the week - 2 Saturday: Sweethearts and wives (may they never meet!); Sunday: Absent friends. Tobacco Toddy - Rum with hot water and lemon. Toe the line – Originally used when the ship’s company were mustered for victualling or pay, when each sailor would step forward to a line marked on the deck and then give his name and place of duty on board. Ashore it has come to denote a recognition of authority and a willingness to obey the rules. Toeing and heeling - Pitching in heavy seas Together - The order to work simultaneously in heaving, rowing, hoisting, etc. Toggle – A rapid-release device comprising a pin of wood passed through the eye of a rope or becket. Toggling the halliard, etc- SMS Togs- Clothes. Tom (vb) - To shore up. Tombola – The geographical term for an island tied to the mainland by a spit. Tom Bowling – Nickname for an ideal seaman, from a character in Smollett’s Roderick Random and the title of a song by Charles Dibdin (17451814). Tom Cox's traverse - Antics of a dodger, seeming to work but accomplishing little. Tom Tiddlers Ground - Site of profitable ventures. Tomahawk Tomm - See Tom. Tommed up - Supported or shored up. Tommy Pipes - 1. Nickname for the boatswain. 2. A bosun's mate. Tompions- Wooden plugs painted black in gun muzzles to prevent sea entering. Ton – One naval ton = two butts, each of 126 gallons – so volume not weight. Tongue - A block of wood pivoted on a pin between the jaws of a gaff, to assist its sliding up and down. Also called a tumbler. Tonnage - From 1773, Calculated by the formula - ((L-3/5B)*B*1/2B)/94, where L=Length of keel and B=Max beam Tonnage - From 1836, 100cu ft of cargo carrying space = one ton Tonnage - The measure of the cargo-carrying capacity or weight of a ship. Tonnage deck - The deck that forms the upper limit to the space measured to asses a vessel's tonnage. On a small vessel, with just one or two decks, it is the upper deck and on larger vessels it is the second deck up. Tonnage, tunnage - A measure of capacity, not weight, based on the number of tuns (barrels) that could be carried. cf Gross Tonnage, Displacement, etc. Tons burden - That weight required to bring the ship down from the light water-line to the load water-line. This depends on the construction of the ship, but can be found by calculating the capacity in cubic feet multiplied by 74 and divided by 2,240 to give the tonnage. The official net carrying capacity of a vessel. Tons per inch - The number of tons that increase a vessel's draught by one inch. Tons per man Too far north - Too clever Took the wind out of his sails – A ship to windward steals the wind of another to leeward, so this expression has come ashore denoting the action of taking someone aback. Toolong Fleet- Nickname for Napoleon's Toulon Fleet, implying they were too long in port to be any use - true. Top - A platform across the head of a lower mast, mounted on the cross-trees and trestle-trees and spreading the upper rigging. Top armour - Decorated screen around the 'top'. In the US this was canvas. Top block – An iron single block attached to an eye-bolt on one side of a mast cap; used for reeving the top rope pendant when swaying up the topmast. Top button - 1 The circular wooden cap on an upper masthead, usually having sheaves for signal halyards. Also called truck. Top chain - A secondary chain sling used on warships, as a precaution against the usual slings being shot away. Top cloths - Additional cloths sewn on the after side of a sail, where the tops or cross-trees would chafe, to prevent it. Top gear - Seamen's slang for upper garments. Top hamper - All rigging and equipment above the main deck, such as spars, top sails and their gear and tackle, and all other gear aloft. Top Hat With Sleeves On"- Lower deck nickname for Cocked Hat*. Top Heavy- Drunk Top his boom - Hurry. Top lantern - A large lantern at the rear of the top, used for signalling. Top lining - The lining on the after part of a sail to prevent chafing. Topman – An elite seaman who was stationed in the foretop or the maintop. Topmast backstays - The ropes supporting the topmast from abaft, running between the topmast cross-trees and the upper parts of the hull, or the bulwarks. Top maul - A heavy mallet kept in the maintop or foretops to be used to remove the topmast fid. Top rim - The circular part of the front of the top; curved to prevent chafing the topsails. Top rope - A rope used to hoist or lower a topmast or topgallant mast, attached to the top of the lower mast. Top strake - The planks in a vessel’s side immediately below the gunwale. Top tackle - The tackle used to hoist up topmasts, comprising an arrangement of double and treble blocks, with the fall rove through a leading block. Top Your Boom"- Slang for "Get to work" or "Get moving". Top-hamper - All the masts and rigging. Top-lantern - A large signal lantern in the after part of a top. Top-mate Top-Platform around the head of the lower mast. Top-rim (Top-brim)- Middle of the foot of a sail. Top-rope - Rope used to hoist a mast into position. Top-timber - The topmost component of a frame, situated above the futtock. Topgallant mast - The mast mounted above the topmast, being the third part of a complete mast. Topgallant poop - A supplementary deck at the aftmost part of the poop, on English vessels, used as the master's cabin. Called poop royal in French or Spanish vessels. Topgallant Rail - CTC Topgallant, etc- SMS Topgallant-mast, -sail- Mast, sail, next above the topmast or topsail. The third stage upwards of masts and sails. Tophamper- General term for masts, spars and rigging. Topler - Self-righting lifeboat. Topman - 1. A seaman whose station is in the fore or maintop, who worked on masts and sails, and usually recognised as the best crewmen. 2. One-time top membership class of The 1805 Club. Subsequently replaced by the Flagship Fund rating. Topmark – The characteristic shape attached to the top of a buoy or beacon to help identify it. Topmast - The mast mounted above the main mast; the second part of a complete mast. Topmast backstays - Ropes supporting the topmatss from the back. Topmast stay - Ropes supporting the topmatss from the front, often permanently fastened. Topmast, -sail- The second stage upwards of masts or sails. Later ships sometimes had two Topsails, known as "Upper" and "Lower" Topsails. Topmast stay - The rope or wire used to support the topmast from forward, forming an eye over the topmast head and with its bottom end attached to the bowsprit or deck, for the foremast and main and mizzen masts respectively. Topmates - Fellow members of the topmast crew. Top maul – A heavy mallet stowed in the main or foretops, used when knocking out the topmast fid. Top lining – The lining at the after part of a sail to prevent chafing against the mast. Topmen- SMS
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