Slue. To turn anything round or over.
Small stuff. The term for spunyarn, marline, and the smallest kinds of rope, such as ratline-stuff, &c.
Snake. To pass small stuff across a seizing, with marling hitches at the outer turns.
Snatch-block. A single block, with an opening in its side below the sheave, or at the bottom, to receive the bight of a rope.
Snub. To check a rope suddenly.
So! An order to ’vast hauling upon anything when it has come to its right position.
Sole. A piece of timber fastened to the foot of the rudder, to make it level with the false keel.
Sound. To get the depth of water by a lead and line. The pumps are
sounded by an iron sounding rod, marked with a scale of feet and inches.
Span. A rope with both ends made fast, for a purchase to be hooked to its bight.
Spanker. The after sail of a ship or bark. It is a fore-and-aft sail, setting with a boom and gaff.
Spar. The general term for all masts, yards, booms, gaffs, &c.
Spell. The common term for a portion of time given to any work.To spell, is to relieve another at his work.
Spell ho! An exclamation used as an order or request to be relieved at work by another.
Spencer. A fore-and-aft sail, set with a gaff and no boom, and hoisting from a small mast called a spencer-mast, just abaft the fore and main masts.
Spill. To shake the wind out of a sail by bracing it so that the wind may strike its leech and shiver it.
Spilling line. A rope used for spilling a sail. Rove in bad weather.
Spindle. An iron pin upon which the capstan moves. Also, a piece of timber forming the diameter of a made mast. Also, any long pin or bar upon which anything revolves.
Splice. To join two ropes together by interweaving their strands.
Spoon-drift. Water swept from the tops of the waves by the violence of the wind in a tempest, and driven along before it, covering the surface of the sea.
Spray. An occasional sprinkling dashed from the top of a wave by the wind, or by its striking an object.
Spring. To crack or split a mast.To spring a leak, is to begin to leak.
To spring a luff, is to force a vessel close to the wind, in sailing.
Spring tides. The highest and lowest course of tides, occurring every new and full moon.
Square. Yards are squared when they are horizontal and at right angles with the keel. Squaring by the lifts makes them horizontal; and by the braces, makes them at right angles with the vessel’s line. Also, the proper term for the length of yards. A vessel has square yards when her yards are unusually long. A sail is said to be very square on the head when it is long on the head.To square a yard, in working ship, means to bring it in square by the braces.
Square-sail. A temporary sail, set at the fore-mast of a schooner or sloop when going before the wind.
Staff. A pole or mast, used to hoist flags upon.
Stand by! An order to be prepared.
Standing. The standing part of a rope is that part which is fast, in opposition to the part that is hauled upon; or the main part, in opposition to the end.The standing part of a tackle is that part which is made fast to the blocks and between that and the next sheave, in opposition to the hauling and leading parts.
Standing rigging. That part of a vessel’s rigging which is made fast and not hauled upon. (See Running.)
Starboard. The right side of a vessel, looking forward.
Starbowlines. The familiar term for the men in the starboard watch.
Start. To start a cask, is to open it.
Stay. To tack a vessel, or put her about, so that the wind, from being on one side, is brought upon the other, round the vessel’s head.To stay a mast, is to incline it forward or aft, or to one side or the other, by the stays and backstays. Thus, a mast is said to be stayed too much forward or aft, or too much to port, &c.
Stays. Large ropes, used to support masts, and leading from the head of some mast down to some other mast, or to some part of the vessel. Those which lead forward are called fore-and-aft stays; and those which lead down to the vessel’s sides, backstays . (See Backstays.)In stays, or hove in stays, the situation of a vessel when she is staying , or going about from one tack to the other.
Staysail. A sail which hoists upon a stay.
Steady! An order to keep the helm as it is.
Steerage. That part of the between-decks which is just forward of the cabin.
Stem. A piece of timber reaching from the forward end of the keel, to which it is scarfed, up to the bowsprit, and to which the two sides of the vessel are united.
Step. A block of wood secured to the keel, into which the heel of the mast is placed.To step a mast, is to put it in its step.
Stern. The after end of a vessel.
Stern-board. The motion of a vessel when going stern foremost.
Stern-frame. The frame composed of the stern-post transom and the fashion-pieces.
Stern-post. The aftermost timber in a ship, reaching from the after end of the keel to the deck. The stem and stern-post are the two extremes of a vessel’s frame.Inner stern-post. A post on the inside, corresponding to the stern-post.
Stern-sheets. The after part of a boat, abaft the rowers, where the passengers sit.
Stiff. The quality of a vessel which enables it to carry a great deal of sail without lying over much on her side. The opposite to crank.
Stirrups. Ropes with thimbles at their ends, through which the foot-ropes are rove, and by which they are kept up toward the yards.
Stools. Small channels for the dead-eyes of the backstays.
Stop. A fastening of small stuff. Also, small projections on the outside of the cheeks of a lower mast, at the upper parts of the hounds.
Strap. A piece of rope spliced round a block to keep its parts well together. Some blocks have iron straps, in which case they are called iron bound.
Streak, or Strake. A range of planks running fore and aft on a vessel’s side.
Stretchers. Pieces of wood placed across a boat’s bottom, inside, for the oarsmen to press their feet against, in rowing. Also, cross pieces placed between a boat’s sides to keep them apart when hoisted up and griped.
Strike. To lower a sail or colors.
Studdingsails. Light sails set outside the square sails, on booms rigged out for that purpose. They are only carried with a fair wind and in moderate weather.
Surf. The breaking of the sea upon the shore.
Surge. A large, swelling wave.To surge a rope or cable, is to slack it up suddenly where it renders round a pin, or round the windlass or capstan.
Surge ho! The notice given when a cable is to be surged.
Swab. A mop, formed of old rope, used for cleaning and drying decks.
Sweep. To drag the bottom for an anchor. Also, large oars, used in small vessels to force them ahead.
Swift. To bring two shrouds or stays close together by ropes.
Swig. A term used by sailors for the mode of hauling off upon the bight of a rope when its lower end is fast.
Tack. To put a ship about, so that from having the wind on one side, you bring it round on the other by the way of her head. The opposite of wearing. A vessel is on the starboard tack, or has her starboard tacks on board, when she has the wind on her starboard side.
The rope or tackle by which the weather clew of a course is hauled forward and down to the deck.
The tack of a fore-and-aft sail is the rope that keeps down the lower forward clew; and of a studdingsail, the lower outer clew. The tack of the lower studdingsail is called the outhaul. Also, that part of a sail to which the tack is attached.
Tackle. (Pronounced tay-cle.) A purchase, formed by a rope rove through one or more blocks.
Taffrail, or Tafferel. The rail round a ship’s stern.
Tail. A rope spliced into the end of a block and used for making it fast to rigging or spars. Such a block is called a tail-block. A ship is said to tail
up or down stream, when at anchor, according as her stern swings up or down with the tide; in opposition to heading one way or another, which is said of a vessel when under way.
Tail on! or Tally on! An order given to take hold of a rope and pull.
Tar. A liquid gum, taken from pine and fir trees, and used for caulking, and to put upon yarns in rope-making, and upon standing rigging, to protect it from the weather.
Tarpaulin. A piece of canvass, covered with tar, used for covering hatches, boats, &c. Also, the name commonly given to a sailor’s hat when made of tarred or painted cloth.
Taut. Tight.
Tell-tale. A compass hanging from the beams of the cabin, by which the heading of a vessel may be known at any time. Also, an instrument connected with the barrel of the wheel, and traversing so that the officer may see the position of the tiller.
Tend. To watch a vessel at anchor at the turn of tides, and cast her by the helm, and some sail if necessary, so as to keep turns out of her cables.
Tenon. The heel of a mast, made to fit into the step.
Thimble. An iron ring, having its rim concave on the outside for a rope or strap to fit snugly round.
Thole-pins. Pins in the gunwale of a boat, between which an oar rests when pulling, instead of a rowlock.
Thrum. To stick short strands of yarn through a mat or piece of canvass, to make a rough surface.
Thwarts. The seats going across a boat, upon which the oarsmen sit.
Tide-rode. The situation of a vessel, at anchor, when she swings by the force of the tide. In opposition to wind-rode.
Tiller. A bar of wood or iron, put into the head of the rudder, by which the rudder is moved.
Tiller-ropes. Ropes leading from the tiller-head round the barrel of the wheel, by which a vessel is steered.
Timber. A general term for all large pieces of wood used in ship building. Also, more particularly, long pieces of wood in a curved form, bending outward, and running from the keel up, on each side, forming the ribs of a vessel. The keel, stem, stern-posts, and timbers form a vessel’s outer frame.
Timber-heads. The ends of the timbers that come above the decks. Used for belaying hawsers and large ropes.
Toggle. A pin placed through the bight or eye of a rope, block-strap, or bolt, to keep it in its place, or to put the bight or eye of another rope upon, and thus to secure them both together.
Top. A platform, placed over the head of a lower mast, resting on the trestle-trees, to spread the rigging, and for the convenience of men aloft.To top up a yard or boom, is to raise up one end of it by hoisting on the lift.
Top-light. A signal lantern carried in the top.
Topmast. The second mast above the deck. Next above the lower mast.
Topgallant Mast. The third mast above the deck.
Top-rope. The rope used for sending topmasts up and down.
Topsail. The second sail above the deck.
Topgallant Sail. The third sail above the deck.
Topping-lift. A lift used for topping up the end of a boom.
Top timbers. The highest timbers on a vessel’s side, being above the futtocks.
Touch. A sail is said to touch, when the wind strikes the leech so as to shake it a little.
Luff and touch her! The order to bring the vessel up and see how near she will go to the wind.
Transoms. Pieces of timber going across the stern-post, to which they are bolted.
Traveller. An iron ring, fitted so as to slip up and down a rope.
Trestle-trees. Two strong pieces of timber, placed horizontally and fore-and-aft on opposite sides of a mast-head, to support the cross-trees and top, and for the fid of the mast above to rest upon.
Trick. The time allotted to a man to stand at the helm.
Trim. The condition of a vessel, with reference to her cargo and ballast. A vessel is trimmed by the head or by the stern.In ballast trim, is when she has only ballast on board.
Also, to arrange the sails by the braces with reference to the wind.
Tripping line. A line used for tripping a topgallant or royal yard in sending it down.
Truck. A circular piece of wood, placed at the head of the highest mast on a ship. It has small holes or sheaves in it for signal halyards to be rove through. Also, the wheel of a gun-carriage.
Truss. The rope by which the centre of a lower yard is kept in toward the mast.
Trysail. A fore-and-aft sail, set with a boom and gaff, and hoisting on a small mast abaft the lower mast, called a trysail-mast. This name is generally confined to the sail so carried at the mainmast of a full-rigged brig; those carried at the foremast and at the mainmast of a ship or bark being called spencers and those that are at the mizzenmast of a ship or bark, spankers.
Turn. Passing a rope once or twice round a pin or kevel, to keep it fast. Also, two crosses in a cable.To turn in or turn out, nautical terms for going to rest in a berth or hammock, and getting up from them.
Turn up! The order given to send the men up from between decks.
Tye. A rope connected with a yard, to the other end of which a tackle is attached for hoisting.
Unbend. To cast off or untie. (See Bend.)
Union. The upper inner corner of an ensign. The rest of the flag is called the fly.The union of the U.S. ensign is a blue field with white stars, and the fly is composed of alternate white and red stripes.
Union-down. The situation of a flag when it is hoisted upside down, bringing the union down instead of up. Used as a signal of distress.
Union-jack. A small flag, containing only the union, without the fly, usually hoisted at the bowsprit-cap.
Vane. A fly worn at the mast-head, made of feathers or buntine, traversing on a spindle, to show the direction of the wind.
Vang. A rope leading from the peak of the gaff of a fore-and-aft sail to the rail on each side, and used for steadying the gaff.
Veer. Said of the wind when it changes. Also, to slack a cable and let it run out.To veer and haul, is to haul and slack alternately on a rope, as in warping, until the vessel or boat gets headway.
Waif. A pennoned pole, carried by a whale-boat, inserted upright into the floating body of a dead whale; both to mark its place on the sea, and as a token of prior possession to boats from other ships that may come near.
Waist. That part of the upper deck between the quarter-deck and forecastle.
Wake. The track or path a ship leaves behind her in the water.
Wales. Strong planks in a vessel’s sides, running her whole length fore and aft.
Wall. A knot put on the end of a rope.
Wall-sided. A vessel is wall-sided when her sides run up perpendicularly from the bends. In opposition to tumbling home or flaring out.
Ward-room. The room in a vessel of war in which the commissioned officers live.
Ware, or Wear. To turn a vessel round, so that, from having the wind on one side, you bring it upon the other, carrying her stern round by the wind. In tacking, the same result is produced by carrying a vessel’s head round by the wind.
Warp. To move a vessel from one place to another by means of a rope made fast to some fixed object, or to a kedge.
A warp is a rope used for warping. If the warp is bent to a kedge which is let go, and the vessel is hove ahead by the capstan or windlass, it would be called kedging.
Watch. A division of time on board ship. There are seven watches in a day, reckoning from 12 M. round through the 24 hours, five of them being of four hours each, and the two others, called dog watches, of two hours each, viz., from 4 to 6, and from 6 to 8 P.M. (See Dog watch.) Also, a certain portion of a ship’s company, appointed to stand a given length of time. In the merchant service all hands are divided into two watches, larboard and starboard, with a mate to command each.A buoy is said to watch when it floats on the surface.
Watch-and-watch. The arrangement by which the watches are alternated every other four hours. In distinction from keeping all hands during one or more watches.Anchor watch, a small
watch of one or two men, kept while in port.
Watch ho! Watch! The cry of the man that heaves the deep-sea-lead.
Watch-tackle. A small luff purchase with a short fall, the double block having a tail to it, and the single one a hook. Used for various purposes about decks.
Weather. In the direction from which the wind blows.A ship carries a weather helm when she tends to come up into the wind, requiring you to put the helm up.
Weather gage. A vessel has the weather gage of another when she is to windward of her.
A weatherly ship, is one that works well to windward, making but little leeway.
Weigh. To lift up; as, to weigh an anchor or a mast.
Wheel. The instrument by which a ship is steered; being a barrel, (round which the tiller-ropes go,) and a wheel with spokes.
Winch. A purchase formed by a horizontal spindle or shaft with a wheel or crank at the end. A small one with a wheel is used for making ropes or spunyarn.
Windlass. The machine used in merchant vessels to weigh the anchor by.
Wind-rode. The situation of a vessel at anchor when she swings and rides by the force of the wind, instead of the tide or current. (See Tide-rode.)
Wing-and-wing. The situation of a fore-and-aft vessel when she is going dead before the wind, with her foresail hauled over on one side and her mainsail on the other.
Withe, or Wythe. An iron instrument fitted on the end of a boom or mast, with a ring to it, through which another boom or mast is rigged out and secured.
Worm. To fill up between the lays of a rope with small stuff wound round spirally. Stuff so wound round is called worming.
Yacht. A vessel of pleasure or state.
Moby-Dick (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Page 72
