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) Avast! The command to stop, or cease, in any operation.
Directions Why say back when you can say aft instead! (20 terms) Aweather To Windward; towards the Windward or weather side of the vessel	Expressions Common sayings and expressions from maritime lore (149 terms) Above Deck On the Deck, specifically not Below decks
Food The foods of the sea (2 terms) Sea-pie A favorite dish for the crew of tall ships. It could consist of almost anything, but the propper dish consisted of layers of meat, vegetables, and fish alternating with crusts of bread and/or broken biscuit - affectionately referred to as a Two or Three decker based on the number of layers.	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) 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"	Maneuvers Specific sailing maneuvers (33 terms) Beat To Tack, that is, to make progress to Windward by a zigzag Course, with the wind first on one side of the vessel and then the other.
Navigation The points of sail and seamanship (76 terms) Great circle A Course plotted on the surface of the globe that is the shortest distance between two points	Parts The parts of ships (131 terms) RADAR The device that enables remote detection of "electromagneticly conspicous" objects through its ability to transmit radio signals and detect their return after being reflected from an 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) Hold The space for cargo Below the Deck of the Ship, usually in the center (Fore and Aft wise)
Rigging Rigging components and terms (104 terms) Lanyard A short Line used for making anything fast	Sails Sails, their parts and materials (30 terms) Reef Points Short Lines through a Sail at the reef band to Secure the Foot of the Sail to the Boom or Yard and thus reduce it´s effective area.
Ships Types of vessels and some famous examples (22 terms) Planing-hull A type of Hull shaped to glide easily across the top of the water at high speed.	Spars The various spars used aboard ship (6 terms) Yard A Spar usually fixed horizontally to a Mast that supports a Sail.
Tools The tools of the trade (27 terms) Messenger 1. A loop of Rope used to assist in weighing the Anchor. Led through two single blocks near the hawseholes and along the Deck running Alongside the Anchor Cable where it is held Fast with Nippers; Then looped around the Capstan and Back up to the Deck and along the Foredeck again. This was done because the hemp Anchor cables were too large to be brought around the capstain themselves. 2. A small Line used to pull a heavier Line or Cable.	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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