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) EPIRB Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon	Actions The things sailors do (8 terms) Wake A disturbed column of water around and behind a pleasure craft as it makes its way through the water. It includes both the charastic "V" shaped wave pattern and the turbulent wated thrown Back by the propellers. A detailed look: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/jul2001/994688283.Ph.r.html
Directions Why say back when you can say aft instead! (20 terms) Sternway 1. Movement of a vessel going backwards over the ground.	Expressions Common sayings and expressions from maritime lore (149 terms) Zulu-time The Americam military name for UTC indicating the time at the prime meridian. The standard time used in all shipboard Log entries and radio communication.
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) Lash 1) To Secure or bind something using Rope or twine.
Life aboard Bits and bobs from life aboard ship (5 terms) Scrimshaw A sailor´s carving or etching wood, on bones, teeth, tusks or shells. Frequently used as a way to pass the time on long voyages then to be traded or sold on shore.	Maneuvers Specific sailing maneuvers (33 terms) Bear away To put up the Helm to Windward so that the vessel turns further away from the wind.
Navigation The points of sail and seamanship (76 terms) Pitchpoling The case of a vessel being thrown end-over-end in very rough seas.	Parts The parts of ships (131 terms) Anchor Ball A black ball visible in all directions displayed in the Forward rig of a vessel at Anchor during the day.
People Important people and/or their positions in nautical history (14 terms) Boatswain Also Bosun, bos´n, bo´s´n, and bo´sun, all of which are pronounced Bosun. A crew member responsible for keeping the Hull, Rigging and sails in good repair.	Places Key locations of the maritime world (20 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)
Rigging Rigging components and terms (104 terms) Bight 1. A Bend or loop in a Rope. 2. A bay.	Sails Sails, their parts and materials (30 terms) Cringle A fitting in a Sail that allows a Line to fasten to it (a large grommit)
Ships Types of vessels and some famous examples (22 terms) Brigantine Two-masted vessel with the Fore Mast being square rigged and after Mast usually Gaff rigged.	Spars The various spars used aboard ship (6 terms) Jibboom A Spar Forward of Bowsprit that supports the Forward most staysails.
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) Force 8 Gale force wind on the Beaufort Wind Scale

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