THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ 72 73 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 dinner, or supper is ready. Dip (1) - A signal �lag is at the dip when it is hoisted and ready to be unfurled. Dip (2) – A magnetic needle freely suspended at any point will line itself up with the Earth's magnetic lines of force at that point. The vertical angle between the needle and the horizontal is called the angle of dip, being zero at the magnetic equator and 90° at the poles. Dip a light – To sail away from a navigation light, or one on another vessel, so that it dips below the horizon. Dip circle - See Dipping needle. Dip Flag - Salute Dipped abaft all - SMS Dipper – Another name for a boat’s bailer. Dipping - Moving below the horizon. e.g. 'We dipped the beach'. Dipping lug – A lug sail that is moved from one side of the mast to the other by dipping the front end of the yard around the mast when tacking. Dipping needle - An instrument for measuring the angle of dip. Dipping the ensign - A method of returning a salute. Dipsey - Deep sea lead. 30lbs. Not swung! Dirk - Elongated elaborate knife of late 18c. Regularly used by midshipmen in 19c. Probably originally made from broken swords. Mid's knife, issued after 1856 instead of previously a sword. Now the seaman's clasp knife. Also pusser's dirk. Disbock - To �low out of or into. Discharge – 1. (v) To unload cargo. 2. The release of a crewmember from his duty for a particular voyage. Discipline Discourse - SMS Discovering the Longitude - Became a synonym for tackling the impossible in the early 18c. Disengaging gear – A mechanism used to release a boat’s falls quickly and simultaneously when lowering. Diseases - Mention "Observations on the Diseases Incident to Seamen" by Dr Sir Gilbert Blane Dished Up - Disrated Disinfection - 107 Dismal Jimmy – Seamen’s nickname for Admiral Gambier. Also Preaching Jemmy. Dismasted – 1. The term for the state of a ship that has lost its masts. 2. Lost a leg. Dispart – The natural level of elevation in a gun aimed along the line of metal, because of the taper of the gun, the muzzle ring diameter being less than the breach diameter. Dispart sight – A short metal upright �itted to the gun top to reduce the tendency towards elevation. A foresight. Dispatches - ERR Dispensary Displacement - The amount of water displaced by a vessel when fully loaded and crewed, expressed either as a weight or as a volume. The weight of displaced water equals the weight of the vessel and the volume of displaced water equals the volume of the submerged parts of the vessel. Displacement hull - SMS Disrate Dit - Seamen's slang for 'the word on the street', or shipboard intelligence amongst the crew. Ditch – 1. To dispose of something over the side, or submit it to a �loat test, as seamen say. 2. The sea, or particularly the English Channel. Ditch-crawlers - Dialect name for Thames barges Ditty box, or bag - The seaman's personal wooden container, usually elaborately decorated,. Ditty bag – A small canvas bag used by a seaman to carry the everyday tools and materials needed for his day’s work. Ditty box – A small wooden box used by a seaman to keep his most valuable, at least to him, possessions. Diurnal - A day-to-day record. Diurnal, single-day, semi-diurnal and mixed tides. If the Earth's surface were entirely water-covered, the lunar tidal wave when the Moon was at zero declination would produce two high waters of equal height daily at any given place on Earth; when the Moon has north or south declination, the two high waters would be of different heights for a given place. However, the Earth's water surfaces are restricted by land, and each body of water has a natural period of oscillation dependent upon its dimensions. In the Atlantic there are generally semi-diurnal tides; in the Paci�ic, there are more often diurnal tides, or mixed tides. In enclosed bodies of water, such as the Baltic, Mediterranean and Caspian seas, there are hardly any tides. Dividers - Usuall referred to as ‘a pair’. An instrument similar to a draftsman’s compass, but with two points, used to prick out distances on a chart. Divisional system - Made each lieutenant responsible for the health of his quota of men. Divisions - A formal parade on board ship, or at a shore establishment. Divvy - A share, or dividend. Divvy up - Pay a share, or dividend. Dixie - A large mess tin or cooking pot. Doble - Small peter-boat on R Medway. Dock – Devonport. Dock - An arti�icial harbour equipped to load and unload vessels. Dock Dues - CTC Docking - The act of bringing a vessel into dock. Also the charge levied on the vessel for using a dock. Docking keels - Another name for bilge keels. Dockyard - An establishment of wharves, jetties and other facilities for servicing vessels and their cargoes. Dockyard job - Any big or heavy job, including a sit-down job in the heads. Doctor - Seamen's nickname for the Cook, from the time when the cook had responsibility for the ship's medicines. Doctor Box – A medicine chest usually made up, complete with instructions on the use of its contents, by an apothecary at the port of departure, for use by the captain of a merchant ship that did not carry a surgeon, often by choice. Required by law in the 19c. Dodge – Heave to in heavy weather and maintain slow way with head to wind, usually applied to trawlers. Dodger - 1 A protective canvas, or similar, weather screen rigged to shelter the man on watch. 2 The rating whose duty it was to be messdeck cleaner. Dog – The dog watch. Dog & Bitch (a brace block with a thimble seized round a strap) ERR Dog & bitch thimbles - SMS Dogger - Dutch �ishing vessel Doggie - An assistant or a friend. From dogsbody. Dogging – A thin line wound tightly around a rope. Doggo - 1. Not good-looking. 2. To be quiet is to lie doggo. Dogs – 1. Seamen's slang for dog watches, which came to also mean any time off for leisure purposes. 2. The �ishermen’s term for all types of dog�ish, all of whom were a menace. Dog's Body - Seamen’s' food. A dish made from fat pork and pease pudding. Dogsbody - Untrained helper. Dog-shores - The last chocks on a launching cradle. Dog's lug - SMS Dog stopper - SMS Dog vane – A wind direction indicator, comprising a suspended canvas bag, or a contraption of cork and feathers, used to inform the helmsman. Dog Watch - Two short watches from 1600 to 1800 and from 1800 to 2000, included to break up the sequence of four-hour watches, so that the men would not have to do the same watches every day by alternating. Famously, the �ictional Dr Stephen Maturin asserts that the name derives from the fact that these watches are cur-tailed. The term came to be used to express a short length of time in general conversation. Dog watch gossip - Doldrums – An area near the equator where the trade winds meet, resulting in calms and light variable winds caused by the local high pressure, coupled with sudden squalls and storms. Dole – The portion of pro�its due to a shareman. Dolly - Used by rivetter inside rivet. CTC Dolphin – 1. Wooden structure in harbour for securing ship. 2. A strap of plaited cordage supporting a puddening. Dolphin striker - A short spar projecting downwards from the end of the bowsprit, to spread the martingales and to counter the upward pull of the jib-boom. Domestics Done brown - Dropped upon, from a great height, to put it politely. Donkey's Breakfast - 1. A six-foot sack �illed with hay, used as a mattress by seamen in the early days. 2. Seamen's slang for anything badly performed resulting in a mess. Donkey - Jewing Firms' sewing machine. Donkey boiler – A small coal-�ired boiler used to drive the steam capstan on a �ishing vessel. Doo�licker, doo hickie - Seamen's ironic slang for a gadget too complicated or technical for a simple sailor. Dory – A �lat-bottomed boat used by line �ishermen of the Newfoundland Grand Banks, equipped with two pairs of oars and a small spritsail. They could be stored by stacking after removing their thwarts. Do the honours - Pour wine for ones neighbour at table. Double – (v) To sail round a cape or promontory. Double angle iron - Two angle-bars riveted back to back. Sometimes unsurprisingly called back to back bars. Double-banked – 1. An oar pulled by two oarsmen. 2. Having two tiers of oars, such as a bireme. Double bitted - Cable turned on both sides of bitts. Double block – A single-shelled block in which two sheaves turn on the same pin, thus permitting two ropes to be worked at the same time. Double chaloupe - similar to galley Double clewed - Just married. This is from the need to double the number of nettles clewed to a hammock, to take the extra load. Double-clewed jib – A modern jib with two sets of sheets used on racing craft. Also quadrilateral jib. Double luff – A tackle comprising two double blocks, one �ixed and the other free to move. Double plate keelson - A keelson formed with angle-bars riveted through at top and bottom. Double reefed Double riveting - Riveting where the rivets are in adjacent pairs along close parallel lines. Sometimes called chain riveting. Double sheet block - Block Double target rule - SMS Double the Horn - To pass from 50 degrees latitude on one side of Cape Horn to 50 degrees latitude on the other side. Double tides – An occurrence caused by geographical circumstances where the high tide consists of two maxima and/or two minima. Double topsails – Two narrow sails without reefs, replacing a single, larger topsail. As merchant seamen became more expensive, owners sought to reduce their numbers and double topsails were easier to handle than the original large sails, thus needing less crew to work them. The Royal Navy, who could not reduce crews as they were needed to �ight the ship, retained single topsails until they stopped using sails at all. Double up – To double the number of moorings, usually when heavy weather threatens. Doubling (1) - The overlapping part of masts, one below with one above. Doubling (1) - The action of sailing around a point of land. Doubling plate - A strake of plating �ixed over the shell plating where more strength was needed. Doublings - The parts of overlap between lower and upper masts. Consequently, the space between the cap and the trestle-trees. Doubling the Angle on the Bow Doubloon Douceurs
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