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May 16th 2012 - 23:41

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.

Random terms, by category

Abbreviations and Acronyms (41 terms)
CPA
Typically spoken of in terms of RADAR Plotting: the closest distance at which it is calculated that a target vessel will pass (or approach)
The things sailors do (8 terms)
Skylarking
Playing by climbing around in the Rigging. Especially when done as high as possible.  
Why say back when you can say aft instead! (20 terms)
Lee
1. Away from the direction from which the wind is blowing.

2. Sheltered from the wind.

Common sayings and expressions from maritime lore (149 terms)
Windjammer
Square, usually Ship, rigged sailing vessels and large sailing merchantman, especially in the last days of commerical sailing.

The orginal term windjamer was intented as insult from the crews of steamships.

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)
Square-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.


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...
Specific sailing maneuvers (33 terms)
Griping
1. To allow the Bow of a vessel move to Windward or closer to the Eye of the wind.
The points of sail and seamanship (76 terms)
Rudder
A fin or Blade attached under the hull's Stern used for steering.
The parts of ships (131 terms)
Windlass
A mechanical device used to pull in Cable or chain, such as an Anchor Rode. Historically this was a human-powered device, however it is still used on modern vessels for machine powered devices.
Important people and/or their positions in nautical history (14 terms)
Powder Monkey
A terms used to describe the ship's boys (typically 7-10) on war ships that would carry gun powder from the magazeen to the gun decks and stand ready to pass pre-measured Charges to the men at the gun.
Key locations of the maritime world (20 terms)
Helm
1. The steering apparatus of a vessel
2. The location on the vessel where the steering controls are located
3. Used as part of an expression to describe the vessel's handeling characteristics

Rigging components and terms (104 terms)
Headboard
A small wooden batten inserted at the Head of a bermuda Mainsail.
Sails, their parts and materials (30 terms)
Luff
1. (n) The leading edge of a Sail.

2. (v) The act of a Sail flapping in the wind.

3. (v) To bring the ship's Head closer to the wind.

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.
The various spars used aboard ship (6 terms)
Yard
A Spar usually fixed horizontally to a Mast that supports a Sail.
The tools of the trade (27 terms)
Boat hook
A short shaft with a fitting at one end shaped to facilitate putting a Line over a piling, recovering an object dropped Overboard, or in pushing or fending off.
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
 
Total Terms: 539 Total Views: 957020

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