From Richard Henry Dana's "The Seaman's Friend: A Treatise on Practical Seamanship" (1879)
HAIL. To speak or call to another vessel, or to men in a different part of a ship.
HALYARDS. Ropes or tackles used for hoisting and lowering yards, gaffs, and sails.
HALF-HITCH. (See PLATE 5.)
HAMMOCK. A piece of canvass, hung at each end, in which seamen sleep.
HAND. To hand a sail is to furl it. Bear-a-hand; make haste. Lend-a-hand; assist. Hand-over-hand; hauling rapidly on a rope, by putting one hand before the other alternately.
HAND-LEAD. A small lead, used for sounding in rivers and harbors.
HANDSOMELY. Slowly, carefully. Used for an order, as, " Lower handsomely !"
HANDSPIKE. A long wooden bar, used for heaving at the windlass.
HANDY BILLY. A watch-tackle.
HANKS. Rings or hoops of wood, rope, or iron, round a stay, and seized
to the luff of a fore-and-aft sail.
HARPINGS. The fore part of the wales, which encompass the bows of a vessel, and are fastened to the stem. (See PLATE 3.)
HARPOON. A spear used for striking whales and other fish.
HATCH, or HATCHWAY. An opening in the deck to afford a passage up and down! The coverings over these openings are also called hatches. Hatch-bar is an iron bar going across the hatches to keep them down.
HAUL. Haul her wind, said of a vessel when-she comes up close upon the wind.
HAWSE. The situation of the cables before a vessel's stem, when moored. Also, the distance upon the water a little in advance of the stem; as, a vessel sails athwart the hawse, or anchors in the hawse of another. Open hawse. When a vessel rides by two anchors, without any cross in her cables.
HAWSE-HOLE. The hole in the bows through which the cable runs.
HAWSE-PIECES. Timbers through which the hawse-holes are cut.
HAWSE-BLOCK. A block of wood fitted into a hawse-hole at sea.
HAWSER. A large rope used for various purposes, as warping, for a spring, &c.
HAWSER-LAID, or CABLE-LAID rope, is rope laid with nine strands against the sun. (See PLATE 5.)
HAZE. A term for punishing a man by keeping him unnecessarily at work upon disagreeable or difficult duty.
HEAD. The work at the prow of a vessel. If it is a carved figure, it is called a figure-head; if simple carved work, bending over and out, a billet-head; and if bending in, like the head of a violin, a
fiddle-head. Also, the upper end of a mast, called a mast-head. (See BY-THE-HEAD. See FAST.)
HEAD-LEDGES. Thwartship pieces that frame the hatchways.
HEAD-SAILS. A general name given to all sails that set forward of the fore-mast.
HEART. A block of wood in the shape of a heart, for stays to reeve through.
HEART-YARNS. The centre yarns of a strand.
HEAVE SHORT. To heave in on the cable until the vessel is nearly over the anchor.
HEAVE-TO. To put a vessel in the position of lying-to. (See LIE-TO.)
HEAVE IN STAYS. To go about in tacking.
HEAVER. A short wooden bar, tapering at each end. Used as a purchase.
HEEL. The after part of the keel. Also, the lower end of a mast or boom. Also, the lower end of the stern-post. To heel, is to lie over on one side.
HEELING. The square part of the lower end of a mast, through which the fid-hole is made.
HELM. The machinery by which a vessel is steered, including the rudder, tiller, wheel, &c. Applied more particularly, perhaps, to the tiller.
HELM-PORT. The hole in the counter through which the rudder-head passes.
HELM-PORT-TRANSOM. A piece of timber placed across the lower counter, inside, at the height of the helm-port, and bolted through every timber, for the security of that port. (See PLATE 3.)
HIGH AND DRY. The situation of a vessel when she is aground, above water mark.
HITCH. A peculiar manner of fastening ropes. (See PLATE 5.)
HOG. A flat, rough broom, used for scrubbing the bottom of a vessel.
HOGGED. The state of a vessel when, by any strain, she is made to droop at each end. bringing her centre up.
HOLD. The interior of a vessel, where the cargo is stowed.
HOLD WATER. To stop the progress of a boat by keeping the oar-blades in the water.
HOLY-STONE. A large stone, used for cleaning a ship's decks.
HOME. The sheets of a sail are said to be home, when the clews are hauled chock out to the sheave-holes. An anchor comes home when it is loosened from the ground and is hove in toward the vessel.
HOOD. A covering for a companion hatch, skylight, &c.
HOOD-ENDS, or HOODING-ENDS, or WHOODEN-ENDS. Those ends of the planks which fit into the rabbets of the stem or stern-post.
HOOK-AND-BUTT. The scarfing, or laying the ends of timbers over each other.
HORNS. The jaws of booms. Also, the ends of cross-trees.
HORSE. (See FOOT-ROPE.)
HOUNDS. Those projections at the mast-head serving as shoulders for the top or trestle-trees to rest upon.
HOUSE. To house a mast, is to lower it about half its length, and secure it by lashing its heel to the mast below. To house a gun, is to run it in clear of the port and secure it.
HOUSING, or HOUSE-LINE. (Pronounced houze-lin.) A small cord made of three small yarns, and used for seizings.
HULL. The body of a vessel. (See A-HULL.)
IN-AND-OUT. A term sometimes used for the scantline of the timbers, the moulding way, and particularly for those bolts that are driven into the hanging and lodging knees, through the sides, which are called in-and-out bolls.
INNER-POST. A piece brought on at the fore side of the main-post, and generally continued as high as the wing-transom, to seat the other transoms upon.
IRONS. A ship is said to be in irons, when, in working, she will not cast one way or the other.
JACK. A common term for the jack-cross-trees. (See UNION.)
JACK-BLOCK. A block used in sending topgallant masts up and down.
JACK-CROSS-TREES. (See PLATE 1.) Iron cross-trees at the head of long topgallant masts.
JACK-STAFF. A short staff, raised at the bowsprit cap, upon which the Union Jack is hoisted.
JACK-STAYS. Ropes stretched taut along a yard to bend the head of the sail to. Also, long strips of wood or iron, used now for the same purpose.
JACK-SCREW. A purchase, used for stowing cotton.
JACOB'S LADDER. A ladder made of rope, with wooden steps.
JAWS. The inner ends of booms or gaffs, hollowed in.
JEERS. Tackles for hoisting the lower yards.
JEWEL-BLOCKS. Single blocks at the yard-arms, through which the studdingsail halyards lead.
JIB. (See PLATE 2.) A triangular sail set on a stay, forward. Flying-jib sets outside of the jib; and the jib-o'-jib outside of that.
JIB-BOOM. (See PLATE 1.) The boom, rigged out beyond the bowsprit, to which the tack of the jib is lashed.
JIGGER. A small tackle, used about decks or aloft.
JOLLY-BOAT. A small boat, usually hoisted at the stern.
JUNK Condemned rope, cut up and used for making mats, swabs, oakum, &c.
JURY-MAST. A temporary mast, rigged at sea, in place of one lost.
KECKLING. Old rope wound round cables, to keep them from chafing. (See HOUNDING.)
KEDGE. A small anchor, with an iron stock, used for warping. To kedge, is to warp a vessel ahead by a kedge and hawser.
KEEL. (See PLATE 3.) The lowest and principal timber of a vessel, running fore-and-aft its whole length, and supporting the whole frame. It is composed of several pieces, placed lengthwise, and scarfed and bolted together. (See FALSE KEEL.)
KEEL-HAUL. To haul a man under a vessel's bottom, by ropes at the yard-arms on each side. Formerly practised as a punishment in ships of war.
KEELSON. (See PLATE 3.) A timber placed over the keel on the floor-timbers, and running parallel with it.
KENTLEDGE. Pig-iron ballast, laid each side of the keelson.
KEVEL, or CAVIL. A strong piece of wood, bolted to some timber or stanchion, used for belaying large ropes to.
KEVEL-HEADS. Timber-heads, used as kevels.
KINK. A twist in a rope.
KNEES. (See PLATE 3.) Crooked pieces of timber, having two arms used to connect the beams of a vessel with her timbers. (See DAGGER.) Lodging-knees, are placed horizontally, having one arm bolted to a beam, and the other across two of the timbers. Knee of the head, is placed forward of the stem, and supports the figure-head.
KNIGHT-HEADS, or BOLLARD-TIMBERS. The timbers next the stem on each side, and continued high enough lo form a star port for the bowsprit. (See PLATE 3.)
KNITTLES, or NETTLES. The halves of two adjoining yarns in a rope, twisted up together, for pointing or grafting Also, small line used for seizings and for hammock-clews.
KNOCK-OFF. An order to leave off work.
KNOT. A division on the log-line, answering to a mile of distance.
LABOR. A vessel is said to labor when she rolls or pitches heavily.
LACING. Rope used to lash a sail to a gaff, or a bonnet to a sail. Also a piece of compass or knee timber, fayed to the back of the figure-head and the knee of the head, and bolted to each.
LAND-FALL. The making land after being at sea. A good land-fall, is when a vessel makes the land as intended.
LAND HO. The cry used when land is first seen.
LANYARDS. Ropes rove through dead-eyes for setting up rigging. Also, a rope made fast to anything to secure it, or as a handle, is called a lanyard.
LARBOARD. The left side of a vessel, looking forward.
LARBOWLINES. The familiar term for the men in the larboard watch.
LARGE. A vessel is said to be going large, when she has the wind free.
LATCHINGS. Loops on the head rope of a bonnet, by which it is laced to the foot of the sail.
LAUNCH. A large boat. The LONG-BOAT.
LAUNCH HO. High enough !
LAY. To come or to go; as, Lay aloft! Lay forward! Lay aft! Also, the direction in which the strands of a rope are twisted; as, from left to right, or from right to left.
LEACH. (See LEECH.)
LEACHLINE. A rope used for hauling up the leach of a sail.
LEAD. A piece of lead, in the shape of a cone or pyramid, with a small hole at the base, and a line attached to the upper end, used for sounding. (See HAND-LEAD, DEEP-SEA-LEAD.)
LEADING-WIND. A fair wind. More particularly applied to a wind abeam or quartering.
LEAK. A hole or breach in a vessel, at which the water comes in.
LEDGES. Small pieces of timber placed athwart-ships under the decks of a vessel, between the beams.
LEE. The side opposite to that from which the wind blows; as, if a vessel has the wind on her starboard side, that will be the weather, and the larboard will be the lee side. A lee shore is the shore upon which the wind is blowing. Under the lee of anything, is when you have that between you and
the wind. By the lee. The situation of a vessel, going free, when she has fallen off so much as to bring the wind round her stern, and to take her sails aback on the other side.
LEE-BOARD. A board fitted to the lee side of flat-bottomed boats, to prevent their drifting to leeward.
LEE-GAGE. (See GAGE.)
LEEWAY. What a vessel loses by drifting to leeward. When sailing close-hauled with all sail set, a vessel should make no leeway. If the topgallant sails are furled, it is customary to allow one point; under close-reefed topsails, two points; when under one close-reefed sail, four or five points
LEECH, or LEACH. The border or edge of a sail, at the sides.
LEEFANGE. An iron bar, upon which the sheets of fore-and-aft sails traverse. Also, a rope rove thrpu g-h the cringle of a sail which has a bonnet to it, for hauling in, so as to lace on the bonnet Not much used.
LEEWARD. (Pronounced lu-ard.) The lee side. In a direction opposite to that from which the wind blows, which is called windward. The opposite of lee is weather, and of leeward is windward, the two first being adjectives.
LIE-TO, is to stop the progress of a vessel at sea, either by counter-bracing the yards, or by reducing sail so that she will make little or no headway, but will merely come to and fall off by the counteraction of the sails and helm.
LIFE-LINES. Ropes carried along yards, booms, &c., or at any part oi the vessel, for men to hold on by.
LIFT. A rope or tackle, going from the yard-arms to the mast-head, to support and move the yard. Also, a term applied to the sails when the wind strikes them on the leeches and raises them slightly.
LIGHT. To move or lift anything along; as, to " Light out to windward!" that is, haul the sail over to windward. The light sails are all above the topsails, also the studdingsails and flying jib.
LIGHTER. A large boat, used in loading and unloading vessels.
LIMBERS, or LIMBER-HOLES. Holes cut in the lower part of the floor-timbers, next the keelson, forming a passage for the water fore-and-aft. Limber-boards are placed over the limbers, and are movable. Limber-rope. A rope rove fore-and-aft through the limbers, to clear them if necessary. Limber-streak. The streak of foot-waling nearest the keelson.
LIST. The inclination of a vessel to one side; as, a list to port, or a list to starboard.
LIZARD. A piece of rope, sometimes with two legs, and one or more iron thimbles spliced into it. It is used for various purposes. One with two legs, and a thimble to each, is often made last to the topsail tye, for the buntlines to reeve through. A single one is sometimes used on the swinging-boom topping-lift,
LOCKER. A chest or box, to stow anything away in. Chain-locker. Where the chain cables are kept. Boatswain's locker. Where tools and small stuff for working upon rigging are kept.
LOG, or LOG-BOOK. A journal kept by the chief officer, in which the situation of the vessel, winds, weather, courses, distances, and everything of importance that occurs, is noted down. Log. A line with a piece of board, called the log-chip, attached to it, wound upon a reel, and used for ascertaining the ship's rate of sailing.
LONG-BOAT. The largest boat in a merchant vessel. When at sea, it is carried between the fore and main masts.
LONGERS. The longest casks, stowed next the keelson.
LONG-TIMBERS. Timbers in the cant-bodies, reaching from the dead-wood to the head of the second futtock.
LOOF. That part of a vessel where the planks begin to bend as they approach the stern.
LOOM. That part of an oar which is within the row-lock. Also, to appear above the surface of the water; to appear larger than nature, as in a fog.
LUBBER'S HOLE. A hole in the top, next the mast.
LUFF. To put the helm so as to bring the ship up nearer to the wind. Spring-a-luff ! Keep your luff! &c. Orders to luff. Also, the roundest part of a vessel's bow. Also, the forward leech of fore-and-aft sails.
LUFF-TACKLE. A purchase composed of a double and single block.
LUGGER. A small vessel carrying lug-sails.
LUG-SAIL. A sail used in boats and small vessels, bent to a yard which hangs obliquely to the mast.
LURCH. The sudden rolling of a vessel to one side.
LYING-TO. (See LIE-TO.)
MADE, A. made mast or block is one composed of different pieces. A ship's lower mast is a made spar, her topmast is a whole spar.
MALL, or MAUL. (Pronounced mawl.) A heavy iron hammer used in driving bolts. (See TOP-MAUL.)
MALLET. A small maul, made of wood; as, caulking-mallet; also serving-mallet, used in putting service on a rope.
MANGER. A coaming just within the hawse hole. Not much in use.
MAN-ROPES. Ropes used in going up and down a vessel's side.
MARL. To wind or twist a small line or rope round another.
MARLINE. (Pronounced mar-lin.) Small two-stranded stuff, used for marling. A finer kind of spunyarn.
MARLING-HITCH. A kind of hitch used in marling.
MARLINGSPIKE. An iron pin, sharpened at one end, and having a hole in the other for a lanyard. Used both as a fid and a heaver.
MARRY. To join ropes together by a worming over both.
MARTINGALE. A short, perpendicular spar, under the bowsprit-end, used for guying down the head-stays. (See DOLPHIN-STRIKER.)
MAST. A spar set upright from the deck, to support rigging, yards and sails. Masts are whole or made.
MAT. Made of strands of old rope, and used to prevent chafing.
MATE. An officer under the master.
MAUL. (See MALL.)
MEND. To mend service, is to add more to it.
MESHES. The places between the lines of a netting.
MESS. Any number of men who eat or lodge together.
MESSENGER. A rope used for heaving in a cable by the capstan.
MIDSHIPS. The timbers at the broadest part of the vessel. (See AMIDSHIPS.)
MISS-STAYS. To fail of going about from one tack to another.
MIZZEN-MAST. The aftermost mast of a ship. (See PLATE 1.) The spanker is sometimes called the mizzen.
MONKEY BLOCK. A small single block strapped with a swivel.
MOON-SAIL. A small sail sometimes carried in light winds, above a skysail. Moon. To secure by two anchors.
MORTICE. A morticed block is one made out of a whole block of wood with a hole cut in it for the sheave; in distinction from a made block.
MOULDS. The patterns by which the frames of a vessel are worked out.
MOUSE. To put turns of rope yarn or spunyarn round the end of a hook and its standing part, when it is hooked to anything, so as to prevent its slipping out.
MOUSING. A knot or puddening, made of yarns, and placed on the outside of a rope.
MUFFLE. Oars are muffled by putting mats or canvass round their looms in the row-locks.
MUNIONS. The pieces that separate the lights in the galleries.
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