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April 3rd 2025 - 01:44

The Bosunīs Mate Glossary of Terms

The Bosunīs 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 sailorīs knots to the sailors themselves, and from ships to the weather patterns of the seas they ply.

Random terms, by category

Abbreviations and Acronyms (41 terms)
SOG
Used as the primary reference in most GPS receivers and Chart Plotters to indicate velocity. Since GPS estimates speed as a change in position over time the Speed over Ground is the only speed that can be calculated. IE: moving through a Current the SOG is based on speed over the bottom not the relative speed of the vessel through the water.
The things sailors do (8 terms)
Pay out
To feed out Line, hand over hand - usually over the side of the vessel.
Why say back when you can say aft instead! (20 terms)
Bearing
The direction of an object expressed as an agnle in degrees or Compass points from the vesselīs meridian, or , sometimes, from the direction of the Bow, Stern, or Beam.

An answer to the question "Where Away"

Common sayings and expressions from maritime lore (149 terms)
Aloft
Up and above; up the Mast or in the rigging
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.
Various knots both functional and ornamental from the nautical to the ornamental and with both historic and present day value. (12 terms)
Hitch
A Knot used to Secure one Rope to another object or to another Rope, or to form a loop or a noose in a Rope.

Hitches Fall into the general category of knots known as bends



Bits and bobs from life aboard ship (5 terms)
Heart of Oak
A british naval song wirtten by David Garrick that starts:

īCome cheer up, my lads, ītis to glory we steer,
To add something more to this wonderful yearī

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...
Specific sailing maneuvers (33 terms)
Nipped
A vessel is said to be Nipped or beset when caught between ice-flows in Antarctic or Arctic waters.
The points of sail and seamanship (76 terms)
In Irons
A sailboat with its Bow pointed directly into the wind, preventing the sails from filling properly so that the Boat can move.
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.
Important people and/or their positions in nautical history (14 terms)
Boson
Also Boatswain, bosīn, boīsīn, and boīsun, all of which are pronounced Bosun. A crew member responsible for keeping the Hull, Rigging and sails in good repair.
Key locations of the maritime world (20 terms)
Lazarette
A storage compartment Below decks in the Stern of a vessel.
Rigging components and terms (104 terms)
Lash
1) To Secure or bind something using Rope or twine.
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.
Types of vessels and some famous examples (22 terms)
Sandbagger
A type of broad shallow open or partly decked center-board sailing vessel which originated around the 1850. They carried tremendous Sail area for their size.
The various spars used aboard ship (6 terms)
Mainmast
1. The tallest Mast of the Ship, on a Schooner, the Mast furthest Aft.


The tools of the trade (27 terms)
Violl
An older name for a Messenger used to assist in weighing the Anchor.
terms awaiting clasification (36 terms)
none found
Meteorology and its relationship to sailing (7 terms)
Force 8
Gale force wind on the Beaufort Wind Scale
 
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