The Bosun´s Mate Glossary of Terms

The Bosun´s Mate dictionary of Nautical Terms has been compiled from many sources and is constantly being augmented and revised in our attempt to capture as much of the rich yet complicated (and often conflicting) maritime termonology as possible.

You will find an extensive list of information about all sorts of nautical items from sailor´s knots to the sailors themselves, and from ships to the weather patterns of the seas they ply.

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Abbreviations Abbreviations and Acronyms (41 terms) SKAD Survival Kit - Air Droppable	Actions The things sailors do (8 terms) Jettison 1. To throw Overboard. 2. To expell or otherwise remove.
Directions Why say back when you can say aft instead! (20 terms) Leeway 1. The sideways movement of the Boat caused by either wind or Current. 2. To be blown in the direction of the wind	Expressions Common sayings and expressions from maritime lore (149 terms) Chart datum The water level used as the reference for height and depth data on a Chart. Usually the average low tide water level - known as "Lowest Low Water"
Food The foods of the sea (2 terms) Scurvy A disease historically common to seaman, caused by lack of Vitamin C the British Navy started to fight it bu adding lime juice to their water - this was the origin of the slan "Limey"	Knots Various knots both functional and ornamental from the nautical to the ornamental and with both historic and present day value. (12 terms) Reef-knot A very common Knot used to Bend two Lines of the same diameter. If used to tie Lines of differing diameter it may slip.
Life aboard Bits and bobs from life aboard ship (5 terms) Heart of Oak A british naval song wirtten by David Garrick that starts: ´Come cheer up, my lads, ´tis to glory we steer, To add something more to this wonderful year´ Set to music by Willian Boyce in 1759 and commerating that same year "the year of vistories" or "the wonderful year" as the song proclaims. This is based on the victories at Lagos, Quiberon Bay, and the capture of Quebec - which all occured in that year during the seven years war 1756-63. It was later a traditional...	Maneuvers Specific sailing maneuvers (33 terms) wing and wing A method of running before the wind with two sails set. Usually the Mainsail on one side and the Fore or headsail on the other, or one headsail on each side. - Incidentally the SALTS logo consists of a Schooner running Wing and Wing
Navigation The points of sail and seamanship (76 terms) Flood A tide passing from low to high, where the Current flows in from the sea	Parts The parts of ships (131 terms) SART A device that emits a responce in the band used by RADAR Transcievers when it detects a signal from the same. It creates a distinctive pattern on the receiving RADAR display which can be used to locate the object.
People Important people and/or their positions in nautical history (14 terms) Bosun´s Mate 1) The mate (assistant) to the Bosun 2) One of the world´s foremost nautical web sites bosunsmate.org (you had to know we would do this)	Places Key locations of the maritime world (20 terms) Offing 1) The distance a vessel keeps from shore 2) The part of sea viewable in the distance from shore (beyone any Anchorage) any where vessels would navigate.
Rigging Rigging components and terms (104 terms) Gyn A temporary derrick consisting of three spars with their heels spalyed out in a tripod configuration. Designed to lift heavier loads then a sheer-legs but limited in that it can only lift straight up and then not allowing for as much transverse movement.	Sails Sails, their parts and materials (30 terms) Bermudian sail A triangular fore-and-aft Sail without a Gaff or Yard, set on a Boom on the Aft side of a Mast.
Ships Types of vessels and some famous examples (22 terms) Monohull A Boat with a single Hull as opposed to a multi-hull vessel.	Spars The various spars used aboard ship (6 terms) Topmast A second Spar carried at the top of a Mast, used to fly more Sail.
Tools The tools of the trade (27 terms) Can hooks A pair of hooks, flat on one side, that can run freely on a wire or chain sling. The weight of lift prevents unhooking.	unsorted terms awaiting clasification (36 terms) none found
Weather Meteorology and its relationship to sailing (7 terms) Beaufort Scale A system for clasifying wind strengths and sea conditions: 1 Light Air Or just sufficient to give steerage way.   2 Light Breeze Or that in which a man-of-war with all Sail set, and clean full would go in smooth water from. 1 to 2 knots 3 Gentle Breeze 3 to 4 knots 4 Moderate Breeze 5 to 6 knots 5 Fresh Breeze Or that to which a well-conditioned man-of-war could just carry in chase, full and by. Royals. 6 Strong Breeze Single-reefed topsails and top-gal. Sail 7 Moderate Ga...

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