THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ 86 87 THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF PETER TURNER 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 Gabarre - ?Type of French vessel (English 'Proselyte' was one at Bastia in 1793). Gabble - Seamen’s word for chat and banter. Gable - Cable. Gackle - To shorten or lengthen the anchor cable. Gads - Iron darts and soft soap, used as weapons thrown from the deck of one ship onto another. Gaelic - Was forbidden in the Royal Navy, as any secret language was thought to foment mutiny. Gaff - A spar onto which the head of a fore-andaft sail is attached, fitted to the mast by a jaw. The boom at the head of a gaff sail. Gaffer – A trawler owner. Gaffers – Cod smacksmen, from their use of gaffs to land their catch. Gaff Jaws - Gaff man – The whaleship crewmember who holds up the blubber with a gaff, while the spade man cuts it into horse pieces. Gaff sails - SMS Gaff topsail – A light triangular or sometimes four-sided head-sail, which had its upper end extended on a small gaff hoisted to the topmast. Gaff trysail - SMS Gagging - +116 Gain the Commission, To - Traditionally, the first officer to board an enemy prize taken in action earns from it a commission to command her. Not always - 'interest' sometimes prevented it. Gale - Beaufort scale 7 to 10. Galeasse - A vessel somewhat of a compromise between a Galleon and a Galley. Galenical - Galeone - A small, oared, ancient Roman sailing ship. Galeote - A small medieval half galley with sails and 16 to 20 oars on each side. Galiot - A two-masted 17c Dutch coaster. Galivat, grab – Native boats mounting 4 or 5 guns. Forerunners of the Bombay Marine. Gallanting - Towing by tug. Galleass - A two-masted flush-decked coastal ship used for fishing and cargo around Pomeranian Baltic coast from mid 18c. About 200tons and 66feet long with bilge keels or flat bottomed and usually schooner-rigged, with auxiliary oars, and with broadside guns. Galleat - Galled - Said of a mast, spar or rope that has been chafed. Galleon - Gallery - The balcony projecting aft of the stern, or from the quarter, of an older ship. Galley - 1. Cook's domain. 2. A two-masted boat of about 35 feet long, usually with a dipping-lug rig and a drop-keel and oars. It was very popular with captains of the early Royal Navy. Deal galleys were reckoned to be about the fastest small sailing boats ever. 3. A 17c oared personnel transport used on the Thames. Galley Fire - Galley-frigate Galley Packet - Rumours heard by crewmembers who were smokers and who gathered around the galley. Galley pepper - The ash and soot that fell from the galley onto the food being prepared. Galley-ranger - A crewman who was not a member of a mess. Galley stove - Galliase - Gallied whale – A whale that has panicked into making short dives or simply floating still with fear, making it an easy target for a harpooner. Galligaskins - The wide tough canvas breeches worn by seamen. Galliot - A small galley. Gallipot - A small earthenware pot. Gallivat – An armed rowing boat of the East India Company. Gallizabra - A small fast 16c oared Spanish sail warship. Galloper - An Admiralty lightship established 1803. Gallow (vb) - Gallow bitts - A vertical structure used to stow spars, yards, etc., on deck. Gallows top - The cross timbers at the top of the gallows bitts. Gally - To frighten a whale. Gam – The American term for a meeting between two whaleships when crews would meet socially. The British equivalent word was foy. Gambier – AKA ‘Dismal Jimmy’ Gamming - Ship talk, whalers. Gamming chair - Chair made usually from an old barrel, in which whalers' women could be disembarked for a gam, with dignity. Gammoning - Rope (sometimes chain) lashings holding the bowsprit down to the knee of the head, against the upward pull of the forestay. Gammoning fish - (ecr) Gammoning knee - Gammoning knee extension piece - Gammoning lanyard - (ecr) Gammoning piece - Gammoning ring - (ecr) Gang – 1. The name for the complete set of shrouds for one side of a mast. 2. A row of meshes in a net. Gang-board – Narrow platform joining quarterdeck to forecastle. (Marine's walk) Gangboards - Plank with rungs attached, used for boarding a ship alongside dock. Gang casks – Medium sized water casks, used to bring fresh water from shore. Ganger - SMS Gangplank - The device rigged between ships alongside one another, used for access therefrom and thereto, and vice versa. Gangs - Denotes a large quantity. Gangway - 1. The bridge from the shore to the ship's entrance at the side. 2. Any narrow passageway on board ship. 3. A passage formed through the cargo to enable access to areas needing regular inspection. 4. A clear path between two points. If cried by an officer, it Freshen the nip - To change the position of a rope that is being chafed. Fresh gale - Beaufort scale 8. Freshwater Pump - CTC Fret – A land breach or passage made from erosion by the sea. Sometimes ‘seafret’. Friday while - Seamen's slang for a long weekend (Friday to Monday) leave. Frieze, friezing - The painted and/or gilded decoration around the upper parts of a ship's quarters, stern or bow. Frigate - 1. Originally a Arab-Algerian oared sailing ship about 50feet long with two lateenrigged masts. In about 1650 the English adopted the term to apply it to warships of up to 64 guns who had an emphasis on speed. Frigate2 Frigate3 Frippery Frisking - See Freshening, Fritters - Pieces of blubber that have been Tried Out. Frizzen – The part of a flintlock onto which the gunhammer struck. Frock - Sailors' jumpers. Frogged tunic - Front fish & fillings - (tge) Front-fish - The front part of a three part timber covering to mast hoops, to protect the sails from being chafed on them. Frost - In trawlers, ‘the frost has set in’ meant the boredom was beginning to affest tempers. Frost smoke - Condensing water vapour which forms a mist over open sea in cold weather, in cold climates. Frothy - A vessel with too little ballast Frumenty – A dish made by simmering whole wheat grains, sweetened with honey or raisins. Fuglemen – Soldiers or marines placed in front of trainees to demonstrate motions, etc. Full and by – 1. Sailing close to the wind with the sails full. 2. A helm order given when the conner wanted the vessel not to come too close to the wind, whilst staying full and not shaking. Full-bloods - Clippers. Full due – 1. When something has been finally set up it is said to have been “set up for full due”. 2. It has become the seamen's term for finality. Full house - Seamen's slang for 1. a mixed grill, or 2. everything that is going, probably from the card game poker. Full-Rigged Ship - Full sea – The highest water level reached during one tidal oscillation. Also high tide, or high water. cf low water and low tide. Full set - Beard with moustache and sideburns. Nothing less, except nothing at all, allowed for seamen. Fulton Submersible - Submersible designed by Robert Fulton and built in 1801, intended to approach an enemy ship, submerge, and then attach a mine to the enemy hull. Fumigations - +66 Funeral – The moment when the last remnants of a whale’s carcass is cut adrift from a whaleship. Funnel - Mast funnels were metal sleeves made to fit on the topgallant hounds, or stop, to prevent the rigging cutting into the mast. Furicane - Hurricane. Furl – (v) Gather in a sail and secure it with gaskets. Furl sail to make a "Neat Harbour Stow" Furlers - SMS Furling in a body – Loosen a sail at the yardarms and gather it neatly at the centre of the yard. Usually done in port. Furling, a course, etc - SMS Furlinglines - ERR Furling line - A line used to bind a sail to its mast when it was furled. Also called a gasket. Furmenty, frumenty - A dish of wheat boiled in milk and seasoned. Furniture - The equipment of a vessel, as distinct from the consumable stores. Furring - The adding of extra layers of planking above and below the waterline, to increase beam and so reduce crank. Fuse-hose - A fuse made of leather and not very successful. Fusil - ? Futtock, foot hook - The middle section of a frame, joining floor timbers to top timbers. (tge) Futtock band - See Futtock hoop. Futtock hoop, futtock band - An iron band around a lower mast, with eye-bolts to take the futtock shrouds of the topmast. Also spider band. Futtock plank - The first ceiling plank, next to the keelson. Futtock plate - An iron plate with dead-eyes, fixed at the edges of the lower top, to take the futtock shrouds of the mainmast and the rigging of the topmast. Futtock shrouds - Rope shrouds running from the top downwards to the futtock loop, around the lower mast, or to staves on the lower shrouds, to support the top. Futtock stave, or staff - A short length of wood or metal attached to the upper parts of the shrouds, onto which the cat-harpins are attached. Futtock timbers - Middle sections of the futtocks. Fysher - Fishing boat. G Gaffs and Gunwhales
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