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Other Important Nautical Terms and Expressions
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 2:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CROSSING THE LINE

Sailing across
International date line or Equator where elaborate
initiation ceremony is held for those crossing first time.
Bluejackets treasure certificate which testifies that "in
Latitude 00-00 and Longitude xx-xx," and usually
addressed to all Mermaids, Sea Serpents, Whales, Sharks,
Porpoises, Dolphins, Skates, Eels, Suckers, Lobsters,
Crabs, Pollywogs and other living things of the sea,"
(name) has been found worthy to be numbered as one of
our trusty Shellback, has been gathered to our fold and
duly initiated into the solemn mysteries of the ancient
order of the deep." Those who have crossed equator, are
called Shellbacks. These Sons of Neptune compose cast
for ceremonies. Members of Neptunus Rex's party usually
include Davy Jones, Neptune's first assistant, Her
Highness Amphitrite, Royal Scribe, Royal Doctor, Royal
Dentist, Royal Baby, Royal Navigator, Royal Chaplain,
Judges, Attorneys, Barbers and other names that suit..
Uninitiated are Pollywogs or worse, landlubbers. These
Sons of Neptune compose cast for ceremonies Boisterous
ceremonies are ancient and derivation is lost. Vikings
were reported to carry out ceremonies on crossing certain
parallels to determine who was tough enough to withstand
hardships of life upon Sea. Tradition was passed on to
Anglo-Saxons, and Normans. Ceremonies of propitiation
are carried on to appease Neptune, mythological god of
Seas. Ceremonies also took place when ship crossed
thirtieth parallel and when going through Straits of
Gibralter. Early ceremonies were rough and to great extent
supposed to try crew to determine whether or not novices
on their first cruise could endure hardships of life at sea.
Custom is primarily crew's party.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 2:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CUT AND RUN

1) Cut loose the anchor
cables and head out (run) to sea if a hasty get-away was
necessary. 2) Standard practice amongst Square Rig
ships anchored in an open roadstead was to have Sails
furled with expendable lashings or gaskets or light
ropeyarn. If weather threatened or enemy arrived, Sails
could be set quickly by cutting lashings so canvas falls
quickly such that ship might make sail, get under way in
hurry, then Run off before the wind. 3) Hurridly leave
or hasty departure from unpleasant situation.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DAVIT ( S )

1) Light crane, pair of cranes,
curved lifting arm or swing out device at Stern or side of
Vessel used to hoist and lower ship’s Boats such as
Dinghy, lifeboat, rescue boats, Dinghy, other small boat or
heavy / bulky lifesaving equipment. 2) It may also be
used for hoisting ladders on ships and a single one at the
Bow is often used to handle a heavy Anchor.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DAVY JONES

1) One of King Neptune’s
royal court which presides when ships cross the equator.
2) An apparition or legendary spirit of the sea much
feared by sailors. Davy from ‘devil’ or ‘duppa’, ‘duppy’,
or ‘duffy’, a malevolent West Indian word for devil or
Ghost or St. David, patron sint of Wales and Jones from
‘Jonah’. Or Davy from St. David, patron saint of Welsh
sailors and Jones from a feared pub owner.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEADEYE ( S )

Rounded piece of
hardwood grooved round edges and pierced with two or
three holes in triangular pattern, spliced into lower ends of
Shrouds and by which Shrouds were fastened to Chain
Plates with Lanyards. Thick, wooden disks through which
ropes are passed. By the number of holes in them, they
were known as three- or five-eyes. Lanyards passed
through holes joining two Deadeyes to form kind of Block
to hold Shrouds firm. From similarity to face and that it
had no moving parts. AKA Dead Eye and Dead Man’s
Eye. See Deadlight.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEAD MARINE ( OR SOLDIER )

1) Empty wine or
liquor bottle. From statement by King William IV of
England, sailor king, who order ship’s steward to remove
these remarking that, like marines, wine had done its duty
nobly and would be ready to do it again. 2) Cynical old
salt implied expressing meant that empty bottle was a
useless as dead marine, live ones being useless enough.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEADHEAD

1) Block of wood used as Anchor
Buoy. 2) Large lumps of concrete, often reinforce with
pig ior, cast iorn, steel cassions, heavily weighted. They
would be sunk and fitted with Chains and sometimes
Anchors and indicated by Bouy. They were sunk in
Anchorages, Bays or shallows to provide Moorings for
Vessels.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEAD RECKONING ( DR )

1) Process by which
position of ship is found, without any observation of sun
or stars. Determining and plotting Vessel’s estimated
position, courses and speeds by considering Course
steered and distance steamed but without considering or
taking into account errors caused by Current, Drift, Wind,
Leeway or other Factors. Navigational procedure, means
or process of navigation to determine or estimate Vessel’s
position without obtaining Fix. Calculated using Course
Steered, Speed and distances made good after departing
from known position and sometimes using Drift data or
estimates. Usually calculating, then plotting boat’s
position based on advancing from last known or well
determined position using course and distance run or
speed and time. Uses ship’s course indicated by Compass,
distance indicated by log and sometimes taking account
drift and leeway. Indicated on a Chart by marking half
circle with dot on Track line, with time placed at angle
horizontal to Track line. From corruption of Deduced
Reckoning. 2) Course leading directly to a Reef.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEAD HORSE

1) Advance payment of
wages. During liberty ashore, many Sailors ran out of
money and were carried on credit, then advanced wages to
pay off debt before next voyage. Thus Sailor’s first month
or more at sea was time for which they had already been
paid and probably spent the money and when were only
working off advanced wages to pay back Ship’s Master.
With money gone, sailors felt they were working for
nothing or nothing but Salt Horse. When debt had been
repaid, Salt Horse was said to be dead and it was time for
great celebration among crew. Custom was to celebrate
by making or constructing effigy of horse from scrap
material, hoist it Aloft and Outboard, light or set it afire,
then cut it Adrift and Afloat to cheers and hilarity of exdebtors.
See Bully Beef, Chew The Fat, Flogging A Dead
Horse. 2) When Sailor pays off debt to the command
such as advance pay, overpayments, etc... they say they've
paid off a Dead Horse. See Drawing A Dead Horse.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DERELICT

1) Ship or any property
abandoned or forsaken by her crew on high seas, often
large enough to constitute menace to navigation. From
Latin, ‘derelictus’ or ‘derelinqurer’, forsaken. See
Jettison, Wreck. 2) Someone who floats on a sea of
misery or person who is down on his luck. 3) Something
run down and abandoned. Negligent.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEVIL

1) Wide seam between
two planks in wooden ships hull located next to water.
Longest and most difficult seam to Pay (fill with oakum
and tar) or juncture where covering board that capped
ship’s sides met Deck Planking, near Garboard Strake.
Seam between Deck Planking and timbers. Seam was
particularly difficult to caulk because of its length,
because there was so little space in which to perform
awkward task, and because there was so little standing
room between it and sea. 2) Any Seam below Channels
which sometimes had to be caulked or otherwise worked
on or Chinsed while ship was underway. 3) Garboard
Seam. 4) Outboard Seam on Deck. 5) Portion of long
support Beam for main Deck which extends past Hull,
over water. See Between The Devil And The Deep Blue
Sea.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEVIL ( OR HELL ) TO PAY, THE

1) Unpleasant task of using of hot pitch or tar to waterproof,
caulk, ‘Pay’ or seal the most difficult seam (see Devil) on
a wooden ship with the possibility of running out of hot
pitch. 2) Severe punishment, penalty or bawling out. See
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. ‘Pay’ from
Latin ‘picare’ indicating the process. Originally ‘The
Devil To Pay and No Hot Pitch’ or ‘There’ll Be the Devil
to Pay and only a Half Bucket of Pitch. 3) Unpleasant
result from some action that has been taken or done
something they shouldn't have. Facing serious consequences. Trouble. 4) Something hell-fire difficult
to be done or must be done and nothing to do it with. 5)
Devil confused with Satan and thus corrupted to Hell.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 6:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DITTY BAG

Small bag carried by sailor in
which sailor keeps small tools, equipment, also small
personal articles such as letters, small souvenirs and
sewing supplies . From Hindi, ‘dittis’, a kind of tobacco
or from Anglo Saxon, ‘dite’, tidy or from ‘dittis’ ,
Manchester duck or canvas material of which it was made.
2) Utility bag for small tools or personal effects. See Ditty
Box.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 6:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DOG WATCH

Four hour 1600-2000
watch was split into two hour watch at sea, either 1600-
1800 (First Dogwatch) or 1800-2000 (Second Dogwatch).
From traditional practice used to ensure crew aren’t
always on duty at same time each day or night; i.e.,
changing times of their turn of duty or watch every day. It
permits shift in order of watch every 24 hours to prevent
people from always being on duty at same time each day.
From ‘curtailed watches’ (really a cur), thence to ‘docked
watches’ and then to ‘dog watch’. Or from sailor abilty to
dodge same daily routine, hence they are ‘dodging watch’
or standing ‘dodge watch’. In its corrupted form, dodge
became dog and procedure is referred as ‘dogging the
watch’ or standing "dog watch." Or from fitful sleep of
sailors called dog sleep, because it is a stressful watch..
See Afternoon Watch, Forenoon Watch, Mid Watch,
Morning Watch, Night Watch, Watch.
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 6:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DUNGAREES.

Coarse kind of fabric
worn as Sailor’s work clothes and also used for tents and
sails. Sailors often made both working clothes and
Hammocks out of discarded sail cloth. It wasn't as well
woven nor was it dyed blue as today. Dungarees were cut
directly from old sails and remained tan in color just as
they been when filled with wind. After battles, it was
practice in both American and British Navies for Captains
to report more sail lost in battle than actually was the case
so the crew would have cloth to mend their Hammocks
and make new clothes. Since cloth was called dungaree,
clothes made from fabric borrowed the name. From
Hindi, ‘dungri’, a type of Indian cotton cloth.
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