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) MCTS Marine Communications and Traffic Services	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) Starboard Right side of the Ship when facing Forward. Named as such after a contraction called a Steering Board, from ancient ships. This was a Rudder like contraption that was situated on the right side of the vessel (as the left or Port side of the vessel needed to be kept free for tieing up to the Dock)	Expressions Common sayings and expressions from maritime lore (149 terms) By the Head Refers to a vessel, usually due to poor Sail trim or impropper Ballast, whose Bow is pushed slightly lower then the Stern.
Food The foods of the sea (2 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"	Knots Various knots both functional and ornamental from the nautical to the ornamental and with both historic and present day value. (12 terms) Weaver´s Knot So named because it was the fastest way to join a broken yarn in a loom. Sailors use this Knot to tie two ropes of unequal thickness together, in whihc case it is know as the Sheet Bend.
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) Griping 1. To allow the Bow of a vessel move to Windward or closer to the Eye of the wind.
Navigation The points of sail and seamanship (76 terms) King spoke Marked top spoke on a wheel when the Rudder is centered. Provided as a way to indicate when the Rudder was Amidships and to assist in counting turns of thr wheel so that the Helmsman would know when the wheel was hard to Starboard or Port. The mark would frequently be in the form of a turks-head or other decorative Knot tied around this spoke.	Parts The parts of ships (131 terms) Gunwale 1. The upper sheer strake of a boat´s side to bind the top-work. 2. A plank the covers the heads of the ships timbers or ribs.
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) Harbor 1. A safe Anchorage, protected from most storms; may be natural or man-made, with breakwaters and jetties; 2. A place for docking and loading.
Rigging Rigging components and terms (104 terms) Ground tackle A collective term for the Anchor and Anchor Gear, and tackle.	Sails Sails, their parts and materials (30 terms) Fully battened A Sail having battens that run the full horizontal length of the Sail.
Ships Types of vessels and some famous examples (22 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.	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) Backstaff A Navigation instrument used to measure the apparent height of a landmark whose actual height is known, such as the top of a lighthouse. From this information, the ship´s distance from that landmark can be calculated.	unsorted terms awaiting clasification (36 terms) none found
Weather Meteorology and its relationship to sailing (7 terms) Fronts Used in meteorology to describe bounderies between hot and cold air masses. This is typically where bad weather is found.

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