THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ THE READERS’ DICTIONARY OF SAILING SHIP TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________________________________________ 94 95 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 Hard up in a clinch - Seamen's slang for being in a difficult position, out of which there is no clear route, from the action of two blocks clashing, or two ropes lashed together.. Hardly - With difficulty. Hardwood Clippers - Harmattan - A dry, dust-laden winter wind in mid-Atlantic. Harness - (#-cask = Store for one weeks supply of salt meat etc) Harness cask - The large open cask kept on deck, in which the salt meat was steeped (in sea water) on board prior to cooking, from the assertion that the horse had been stabled in it, without his harness. Harness Room - An office or room from which the salt meat is issued, and in which it is sometimes stored. Harpagon - Harping-iron - Harpoon. Harpings - The strong planking extending as the forward ends of the wales and forming the heavy bows. Harpoon – A spear used to fasten whales, comprising a barbed shaft fitted to a wooden shank and attached to the whale-line. Harpooneer - Harpooner oar – The foremast oar in a whaleboat. Harquebus, arquebus - An early portable firearm that was fired from a tripod stand. The name came to be generic for all early firearms. Harquebusier, arquebusier - One who is skilled and qualified in using an arquebus. Harriet Lane – one of the seamen’s name for tinned meat, from a girl murdered in 1874 or one that fell into the machinery in a tinned meat factory. Harris, Sir Wm Snow- British innovator who first used a copper lightning conductor down masts in 1846, which was the first effective lightning conductor system. The down conductor was connected to copper plates on the hull and keel. Harrow - Harry Flatters - Seamen's slang for taking a horizontal rest. Harry Freeman's - Something acquired free of charge, after a Tooley Street warehouse owner who issued free beer to his workers. Haslar - The Portsmouth creek where the naval hospital was built in 1746 (when building started), to which sick seamen were rowed 'up the creek'. Haslar Hospital – Naval hospital in Gosport, completed in 1761, after it took 15 years to build; it was in use before finishing. Hasty Pudding - US name for Burgoo. Hatch, hatchway - A rectangular opening in the deck of a ship, providing access to another deck or the hold. Hatch bar - A flat iron bar used to secure the hatch cover to the coamings. Hatch-boat - Hatch beam - A removable beam across a hatchway that was taken out to facilitate loading and unloading. Hatch coaming - The raised structure around a hatchway that prevents water from running into it. The hatch bars were secured into the coamings. Hatch on coaming - SMS Hatch rash - A graze caused by hitting a shin on the raised coaming around a hatch. Also coaming rash. Hatch stopper - SMS Hatchway - See Hatch. Hatchway - After#, Fore#, Main# Hatchway screen - Canvas screens rigged around hatchways during loading and unloading, especially of dirty, dusty or dangerous stores, or as a precaution against fire. Haul – (v) To pull directly on a rope. Haul – 1. The order given to the hands working a rope to heave on it. 2. A pipe call meaning: haul. Haul and veer – A pipe call comprising the two calls, ‘heave round the capstan’ and ‘walk back’. Haul away – A pipe call meaning: hoist. Haul her wind - SMS Hauling – The wind altering direction clockwise. Also wind veering. Haul off – To sail with the wind before the beam. Haul of haul – The order given prior to going about, to cause all ropes and tackles to be pulled as tight as possible. Haul of the headyards - SMS Haul taut – 1. The order given to the hands working a rope to take up the slack. 2. A pipe call meaning: hands to pull hard on a rope. Haul the wind – Sail closer to the wind. Haul to the wind - Hauled her Wind - Hauling - SMS Haunch - Have the legs of - Be faster. Have the R taken off - Apply to be no longer listed as a deserter. 'R' was used to signify "Run" on the ships muster. Haven - Havenage - Haversine - Having sea room – Far enough from the land for a vessel to be safe to scud before the wind. Hawbucks - Ex-farmworker landsmen. Hawse – 1. The part of a vessel’s bow where the hawse pipes are located. 2. Anywhere between the vessel’s head and the anchor to which she lies. 3. That part of the anchor cables ahead of the ship’s stem, which can be clear, or open, when they are not crossed, or foul when they are crossed, or worse. Hawse block - A large wooden plug used to fill the hawse hole when a ship was in heavy seas, to prevent their entry through the hole. Hawse bolster - The heavy planking above and below the hawse holes to protect against wear from the cable. Hawse fallen – Of a vessel, to have pitched her head low and taken water in through her hawse holes. Hawse hole - Hole cut through the heavy upper bow of a vessel, through which the anchor cables pass. Hawse hook - A breast hook fitted to the upper deck. Hawse pieces - The foremost timbers of a ship, usually parallel with the stem, with their lower ends adjoining the knuckle timbers or canthammocks were stored, when not in use, and where they doubled as protection against flying muck and bullets. Hamoaze - Hamper - See Tophamper. Hance - (tge) Hances - Hand – 1. (v) To take in sail. 2. A member of a vessel’s crew. Hand a sail – (v) Furl a sail. Hand grenades - Used in warfare at least from 16c. Hollow cast iron or glass sphere weighing about two pounds, with a bursting charge of about four or five ounces of powder. Handier - Handily - Handing - SMS Handkerchief - Worn to protect coat from greasy pigtail* and as sweat rag in action. Hand-lead and line - See Lead and line. The hand-lead and line was a lighter version used in channels and harbours. Handling Chamber - Hand line – A fishing line, usually fitted with several hooks. Hand mast - A length of timber suitable for making a mast. Hand organ – A large holystone that would be dragged about the deck by two seamen pulling on attached lines, to clean the decks. Hand over hand – The order given to the hands working a rope to continue hauling in a smooth way by alternating one hand in front the other along the rope. Hand, Reef & Steer - The measure of an Ordinary Seaman as contrast with the skills of "A Sailor-Man" ‘Hands’ – The call to crewmembers to take up position and stand by. Handsomely - 1. A boatwork instruction meaning to do something slowly, smoothly and carefully. 2. Seamen's slang for with great care, from the boatwork term. Hand spar - A length of timber suitable for making a spar. Handspike – A wooden bar used as a lever, such as to work the windlass. Handy billy – A small light tackle comprising a single and a double block, used for general purposes. Hang - Hang an arse - Seamen’s term for hold back or hesitate, presumably from the enforced period of idleness most experience whilst sitting on the heads. Hanger - Early sword, named for the way it was worn. Hanging - Hanging bracket - A bracket fixed upside-down, i.e. with its horizontal part at the bottom. Hanging Jack - Hand spit for roasting meat. Hanging knee - An L-shaped bracket used to fasten a beam end onto the ship's side, with its horizontal part fixed to the underside of the beam. Invariably of naturally grown timber, until steel came along in 19c. Hanging magazine - Hanging mat; nippers - SMS Hang on with your eyelids – An instruction given to someone required to work in a place where it is unsafe to work with two hands. Hang taut – The expression for a rope’s end that is a taut as a hand pull will make it. Hang Judas – The expression for a rope’s or yarn’s end that is hanging loose. Haniver - See Jenny Haniver. Hank – A skein of rope, twine or spunyarn. Hank for hank – Said of vessels tacking together and progressing to windward. Hanks - ERR Hansa Cog - Hanse - Hanseatic League - Ha'porth - Happy ship - A ship in which the upper and lower decks got on well together, with the resultant high morale. Harborous - Harbour - An enclosed area of water protected from the weather, giving safe anchorages. Harbour - #-due, #-master, #-watch, "#-Stow" Harbourage - Any area of water giving a sfae anchorage. Harbour Beer - Weak beer. Also Petty Warrant Beer. Harbour drills - SMS Harbour furl - The neat stowing of sails when coming into harbour. A matter of much pride, or shame, depending on how good the crew were. Harbour gaskets – Special decorative gaskets used in port to make the furled sails look neater. The gaskets used at sea were longer and easier to use. Harbourless - Harbour log – The record of a ship’s work while she is in harbour. Harbour style - Seamen's slang for easy and relaxed, there being no heavy work to do. Harbour watch – The group of seamen assigned to stay on board when a ship is in harbour and carry out any necessary duties. Hard - 1. A firm landing place on a foreshore. 2. Hard-a-lee, -a-port, # and fast, etc. Hard a-lee – A helm order given when the conner wanted maximum helm. Hard a-port – A helm order given when the conner wanted maximum helm to port. Hard a-starboard – A helm order given when the conner wanted the rudder and ship’s head to carry to port. Also ‘starboard the helm’. Hard a-weather – A helm order given when the conner wanted maximum helm to the weather side. Hard beer - Beer that is nearly sour Hard bitted - Tied tightly. Hard Down - Hard knee - A knee fixed edgeways to the stem and the cutwater, to strengthen the latter. Hard-laid – Ropes in which the strands are tightly tortioned for added strength. Hardly room to swing a cat - Referred to the cat o'nine tails. Hard tack – Ship’s biscuit. Hard to fathom - Deep, and so, on land, difficult to understand. Hard-up - "Hard-up Helm"
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