THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ 52 53 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 Captain's bed place - The traditional name for the captain's sleeping cabin, in which his cot was slung. Captain's Clerk+75 - Captain's Cloak - Article 36 of War, the Article of War that covered anything judged by the captain as a misdemeanour, that was not specifically covered by any of the previous thirtyfive articles. Captain's Cook - Captain's day cabin - The cabin in which the captain spent his working time when not on deck. Captain's dining cabin - The captain's dining cabin. Captain's Journal - The captain's private record of events on board, and his private thoughts about them. It was, and is, the captain's choice about whether or not they were kept and the most interesting have often turned out to be those consciously prepared for later publication and self-aggrandisement. cf Captain's Logs. Captain’s List - The Admiralty list of Captains showing seniority of posting. A post-captain's climb up the Captains List was strictly controlled by his place on it, eventually followed by the elevation to the vast height of rear-admiral, automatically achieved when the top of the list was reached, by those above having been promoted off the list, either by becoming an admiral or by dying. The list could be jumped by dint of brave action, at the whim of The Admiralty. Captain's Logs - The captain's official record of events on board. These were usually returned to The Admiralty at the end of a mission, unless lost during the mission. cf Captain's Journal. Captain’s Order Book – Standing Orders for the ship. Captains' Room - A waiting room at The Admiralty; in which captains waited to learn their fate regarding their next posting. Captain's Servant - The title given to a boy entered into the Navy before he became a midshipman, usually at about the age of twelve or before. He was a personal follower of a postcaptain, usually taken on board as a favour to family or friends. He rarely carried out any of the tasks usually associated with the term 'servant', being in fact an aspiring officer. The gunner was charged with his supervision, and he was berthed with the gunner before moving into the midshipmen's mess later, for his own protection, particularly of his morals. In 1796 the title was changed to Volunteer, First Class; boys of the second and third classes not looking forward to commissions. cf Volunteers-per-order and King's letter boys. Captain's sleeping cabin - Te captain's bed place. Captain's store - The store of private foodstuffs and goodies kept on board for the captain's use, perhaps shared when entertaining fellow ship's officers or visitors, and perhaps not. Caracciolo, Prince Francesco - (1732-99) Neapolitan admiral who trained and served in the British Navy, serving in the War of American Independence. Hanged at the orders of Nelson, for alleged sympathy with French republicanism, largely on the word of the queen of Naples, a friend of Emma Hamilton, with whom Nelson was infatuated, and for which he was to suffer criticism for both the hanging and the infatuation. Caracks - See Carracks. Caravel - Originally 13c Portuguese fishing boat, later the term referred to a two-masted, lateenrigged merchant ship and, eventually they became three-masted square-rigged ships, of about 75-80 feet long, with a lateen-rigged mizzen, which made them very seaworthy. Vasco da Gama's ships were all caravels on his voyage to discover the sea route to India, via the Cape of Good Hope, in 1498, as were two of Columbus' ships (Nina & Pinta) with which he discovered the Caribbean in 1492. Carcass - 1. An incendiary shell fired from shipto-ship, comprising a hollow ball filled with explosive combustibles that vented through three or more holes, sometimes with added pistol barrels discharging bullets, introduced by the British Navy in the late 17c ad used until the early 19c, intended to ignite the sails and rigging of enemy ships, but not very successful and therefore not popular, even with the users. 2. Cannon balls heated to red-hot and fired from ship-to-land targets. Cardinal Points - North, south, east and west on a compass card. Those halfway between, such as north-east, south-west, etc., are known as halfcardinal points. Cardinal System - See buoys and buoyage. CHECK Careen - To heave a ship over onto its side, on a beach or similar situation, to clean the bottom of weeds, barnacles, etc., or to repair it. See also Parliamentary heel. Careen, to sail on the – To sail heeled over to keep shot holes, etc., above water level. Careenage - A steep sandy beach where a ship could be careened. Careening Capstan - A capstan installed at a convenient shoreside location, where ships could regularly stop for careening, to which the careening tackles were led to pull the ship over. Careening Pit - A pit used to accommodate the bilges of a ship when careened, to avoid undue strain on the hull, from the weight of the ship. Careening Wharf - A wharf usually in a dockyard where ships could be careened, permanently equipped with a pit, capstan, etc. Cargason - Cargo, or bill of lading. Cargo battens – Loose planks used to keep a cargo away from direct contact with a ship’s sides whilst leaving airways for ventilation. Cargo jack - A screw jack used to compress cargo, such as hides, cotton, etc., into the holds of merchant ships, to get more in. Cargo net – A square net of rope or wire used to hoist a large number of smaller items of cargo in or out of the hold. Cargo plan - A diagram of a vessel's cargo spaces, drawn either in plan or section. Caribs - Caribbeans. Carlings, carlines - Pieces of square timber fixed fore-and-aft between deck beams to support the deck planking of wooden ships. Carnegie, William, Earl of Northesk - (17581831) British admiral who was known for his involvement with the Nore mutiny, in 1797, where he unsuccessfully presented the seamen’s' grievances to the king, as a result of which he resigned his command of the Monmouth. He was third in command at the Battle of Trafalgar and was made a Knight of the Bath for his services in action. Carny - Seamen's slang for hypocrisy and cant. After Captain Carny who was mild ashore and unbearable at sea. Carosse - The open space where the captain of a galley slept, under the poop deck. Carous - A pivoted, unwieldy, form of bridge used on ancient vessels to board enemy ship's, before accurate guns made them unnecessary. Carpenter - In the Royal Navy, the commissioned officer who was responsible for all the ship's woodwork, including the hull, masts, spars and boats. In action he was in charge of repair parties plugging shot holes and repairing damaged masts and spars. In merchant ships the carpenter’s duties were the same, but his rank was petty officer. Carpenter's Mate - Carpenter's stopper – 1. A cable stopper comprising a metal hinged-topped box, in one side of which was grooved to take the lay of a wire rope and into the other side of which was driven a wooden wedge. 2. A small plug of oakum or wood, used to temporarily repair gunshot holes in battle. Carpenter's walk – A passageway that ran along the insides of the hull, below the waterline, along which the Carpenter or his mates could quickly gain access to shot-holes, or other leaks. Carrack - Larger 14-17c Mediterranean threemasted (sometimes four) square-rigged ship with lateen mizzen (also lateen rig on fourth mast, if it had one). Carriage - Carriage gun - Carrick bend - A flat knot used for joining hawsers, due to its ability to pass round a capstan without jamming between its whelps. A bight is formed in one rope; the end of the other rope is passed through it, over the cross of the first rope and then brought back through the loop. Carrick bitts - The supports at each end of the windlass barrel. Also windlass bitts. Carronade, 68pdr (hgv) - Carry - To take an enemy ship by boarding. Carry away – 1. (verb) The breaking or parting of masts, spars, hawsers, etc., suddenly put under too much strain. 2. (noun) A parted piece of rigging being carried downwind. Carry lee helm - To correct a ship's tendency to fall off, by keeping the rudder a little to weather. cf carry weather helm, which is the opposite, when a ship's inclination is to turn into the wind. Carry on! – 1. The order to resume duties. 2. To add more sail, even when the wind is strong. Carry the tide - To gain advantage from the tidal flow. Carry weather helm - To correct a ship's tendency to turn into the wind, by keeping the rudder a little away. cf carry lee helm, which is the opposite, when a ship's inclination is to fall off. Cartel - 1. Ships or ship's boats used to communicate with the enemy, by flying a white flag. 2. An agreement between nations at war for the exchange of prisoners-of-war, during the war. Carteret, Sir George - (c1609-80) Royal Navy commander under Charles I, appointed comptroller of the navy in 1639. Held the island of Jersey for the royalists until 1651 after the execution of Charles, and was made treasurer of the navy by Chares II in 1660. Eventually one of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Carteret, Philip - (c1738-96) British rear admiral who accompanied Captain John Byron on his circumnavigation in 1764-6. Best known for his second voyage of circumnavigation, in which he discovered Polynesian and Melanesian island groups and became one of the greatest explorers of his time. Cartier, Jacques - (1491-1557) French navigator who discovered the St. Lawrence River in Canada, when searching for the North-West passage to China. Cartography - The science, or art, of mapmaking. Cartouche Boxes - Cartridge Paper – From 16c gunpowder charges, or cartridges. Carvel - 1. A small Portuguese and Mediterranean lateen-rigged cargo vessel of the middle ages. 2. The staple food of sea-turtles, comprising mainly molluscs. Carvel-built - Built with hull strakes and planks butt-jointed along their top and bottom edges, instead of being overlapped as in the Clinkerbuilt* method. Probably from the Portuguese caravel. Carvel joint - A butt joint between timbers or planks. Casabianca, Louis de - (1762-98) French naval officer who was in command of Orient when she blew up after being set on fire whilst engaged in the Battle of the Nile in Aboukir Bay. He perished in the explosion, together with his son, whose bravery became the subject of Mrs Felicia Heman's ballad: The boy stood on the burning deck Whence all but he had fled. Cascabel - Case – The cavity in a sperm whale’s head that contains the finest sperm oil. Also the Heidelberg tun. Case-shot - Preferably wooden, but sometimes canvas, cases into which were stuffed bits of old iron, stones, bullets, etc., as available, to cause much damage to enemy personnel when in the line of their fire. Cask - Also See Spile*. Casks are raised, not built. Cast - 1. To bring the bow of a vessel on to the required tack as the anchor was weighed. 2. To 'cast off' is to let go of the rope or cable securing a vessel to its mooring. 3. To 'cast the lead' was to heave the lead line when sounding for depth. See lead-line. 4. (v) To make a vessel pay off. Castaway, cast away - A deliberate shipwreck or a shipwrecked sailor. cf marooned. Casting off – Letting go the moorings so that the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTYyMzU=