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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 6:18 pm Post subject: Other Important Nautical Terms and Expressions |
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ABLE SEAMAN
General term for a sailor
who has a great deal of experience in performing the basic
tasks of sailing a ship. The most senior , best paid and
most prestigious of the three basic Rates of sailors: Able
Seaman, Ordinary Seaman and Landsman. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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ABRAHAM-MAN
One who feigns sickness. From parable of Lazarus.
ABRAHAM’S BOSOM
Abode of the blessed dead where Lazarus was carried by angels. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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A-COCKBILL
Having tapered ends cocked or turned upward. Said of the Anchor when it
hangs from the Cathead, ready for dropping and of the Yards of a Vessel, when they are placed at an angle to the Deck. The latter denotes mourning. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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ABYSS
Very or particularly deep area of Ocean or any part below 300 Fathoms. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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AHOY
1) Dreaded battle or war cry of Vikings. See Hoi. 2) Traditional nautical hailing call, salutation, cry or exclamation used to attract attention,
usually between ships. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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ALBATROSS
1) Family of large, long winged web footed seabirds related to Petrels and Shearwaters. Capable of very long flights, sometimes following ships at
sea for weeks. Held in reverence by mariners as omen of good luck. Believed by sailors to contain souls of dead sailors, and so killing one was thought to bring bad luck. From Portuguese ‘alcatraz’ meaning large pelican. AKA Gooney Birds, mollymawks or mollyhawks from Dutch ‘mollemok’ meaning stupid gulls. 2) Encumbrance or handicap. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:12 am Post subject: |
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BALLAST
1) Weight, other than Cargo, placed low
or stored in bottom of Vessel’s Hull, Ship’s Bilge, Keel,
hold or on Windward side to provide or improve Vessel’s
Stability, restrain boat from Heeling too far or assist Ship
to stay upright in water. It can either be internal or
external; gravel, sand, stones, iron, lead or any heavy
material and can be seawater placed in tanks to increase
stability. From Danish, ‘barlast’, meaning bare load or
Teutonic ‘ballast’ meaning belly load. See In Ballast. 2)
Stability. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:12 am Post subject: |
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BAMBOOZLE
1) Name of Spanish or
Pirate custom of deceiving passing vessel of Ship’s origin
or nationality by flying or hoisting false flags or flying
Ensign other than your own to deceive enemies or passing
Vessel regarding Ship’s origin or nationality. 2) When
you intentionally deceive someone, usually as a joke, you
are said to have bamboozled them. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:14 am Post subject: |
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BARNACLE
1) Small sea creature with long
stalk and rounded body that adores the bottom of your
Vessel. Holds tight and causes unpleasantness. From
Middle English ‘barnakylle’ when people believed that a
‘barnacle goose’ were born from Barnacles. 2) Tortuous
eye glasses that pinch the nose. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:15 am Post subject: |
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BEFORE THE MAST
1) Descriptive phrase
applied to common sailors or crew, whose living quarters
on board were literally berthed in forecastle, forward of
foremast, as distinguished from officers who were berthed
aft. Term is also used more generally to describe seamen
as compared with officers, in phrases such as "he sailed
before the mast." 2) Hauled before Ship’s Mast where
Captain held court and to be tried for some offense. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:53 am Post subject: |
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BERTH
1) Sea room, working or
operating room for ship, sufficient space to maneuver or
margin of safety or to allow ship to swing around at length
of Moorings. See Give A Wide Berth To, Wide Berth.
2) Boat’s position or place at Anchor or Mooring space at
Pier, Float or Wharf in which a Vessel may be made Fast
or Secured. 3) Secure Vessel at Berth 4) Duty
assignment or Billet on board. 5) Room, cabin or
bedspace where officers or ship’s company Mess and
reside. 6) Position, living / sleeping space or assigned
bed or cot to sleep in. 7) A little addition to the crew. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:54 am Post subject: |
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BETWEEN (BETWIXT) WIND AND WATER
1) Area most vulnerable during battle or signifying a
hazardous wound in ship. Area close above and below
waterline on ship. To be hit there would suffer serious
damage and was always the prime target of opponent’s
guns. 2) In a vulnerable spot. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:55 am Post subject: |
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BIG WIG
1) Slang title applied to people in
high positions. From senior British Navy officers who
wore big wigs as emblem of their rank. Although wigs
were formidable size, heads covered often had little or
nothing in them. 2) Person of importance. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:58 am Post subject: |
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BILGE
1) Underwater transverse
(“Thwartship) curve, or outer shape of Hull. Bottom of
Ship’s Hull, part on either side of Keel more horizontal
than perpendicular. Portion of ship’s Hull below load
Waterline, from second Futtock to Keel. From French,
‘bouge’, bulge. 2) Very lowest or deepest part or point
of Vessel’s interior Hull, usually below lowest Deck plates, Floors or floorboards. It is where Bilge water from
rain or seas breaking aboard is most likely to collect in
each compartment on lowest Deck. See Turn of the
Bilge. 3) Rubbish talk, nonsense or filth likened to the
residue, dirty water and cargo sweat which collected in
that bottom bulge compartment where the ship’s sides
curve around. 4) To undercut someone. (such as
answering Captain’s question that could not be answered
by Shipmate). |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:59 am Post subject: |
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BLOCK
1) Seaman’s term for
pulley used to increase mechanical power of ropes running
through it, especially in Rigging of ships and heavy lifting.
Compete nautical pulley assembly made up of Sheave or
pulley that rotates on Sheave Pin, center pin or on ball
bearings and hung from metal, wooden or plastic sides or
case called Cheeks and Shells (plates) on which Ropes are
run. It also has hook, eye or stray by which it may be
attached. See Shell, Strop, Fiddle Block, Snatch Block.
2) See Chartlet. |
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