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 and Acronyms
contains 41 terms |
The things sailors do
contains 8 terms 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 |
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Why say back when you can say aft instead!
contains 20 terms 1. Movement of a vessel going backwards over the ground.
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Common sayings and expressions from maritime lore
contains 149 terms |
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The foods of the sea
contains 2 terms 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"
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Various knots both functional and ornamental from the nautical to the ornamental and with both historic and present day value.
contains 12 terms & 2 images |
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Bits and bobs from life aboard ship
contains 5 terms 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 l... |
Specific sailing maneuvers
contains 33 terms |
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The points of sail and seamanship
contains 76 terms 1. The establishment of buoys and Buoyage systems.
2. Applied collectively to buoys placed or established. |
The parts of ships
contains 131 terms |
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Important people and/or their positions in nautical history
contains 14 terms Stemming from 'Land Lover' - this term is used by sailors to describe anyone lacking good seamanship or not sharing their love of the sea.
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Key locations of the maritime world
contains 20 terms |
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Rigging components and terms
contains 104 terms & 10 images |
Sails, their parts and materials
contains 30 terms The small light sails set above the skysails on square-rigged masts in light winds.
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Types of vessels and some famous examples
contains 22 terms & 8 images 1. A twin hulled sailing vessel.
2. A raft used as a surf Boat in the East and West Indies consisting of two or more logs lashed togeather, including the much larger rafts made of balsa wood from the western coast of South America. 3. A raft made by lashing two vessels togeather, used on the St. Lawrence River. 4. An invention of the British Navy from the 1804 attack on the French flotilla at Boulogne. A 21' long 3' wide flat topped lead lined chest containing About 40 kegs ... |
The various spars used aboard ship
contains 6 terms |
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The tools of the trade
contains 27 terms In Rope-making: A process in which fibers are drawn through hackle-boards in order to get them all lying straight prior to spinning into strands suring rope-making.
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terms awaiting clasification
there are currently no viewable terms in this category
contains 36 terms |
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Meteorology and its relationship to sailing
contains 7 terms A sudden violent blast of wind.
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The Nautical Terms Glossary contains 539 terms and 14 images, viewed 349234 times
