Login   |   Register   |   

General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

Started by: raymyjamie (6857)

Shiver me timbers and splice the mainbrace, here are some interesting nautical words, an A to Z :-

'abaft' = Toward or at the stern of a ship; further aft

'bottomry'!!!!!!!!! = Using the ship as collateral to finance a sea voyage

‘cable’ = Synonym of rope

'demurrage' = Delay of vessel's departure or loading with cargo

'escutcheon' = Part of ship's stern where name is displayed

'futtock' = Rib of a ship

'gudgeon' = metal socket into which the pintle of a boat's rudder fits

'hawsehole' !!!!!!! = Hole for ship's cable

'inboard' = Inside the line of a ship's bulwarks or hull

'jurymast' = Mast erected on ship in place of one lost

'keelhaul' = To punish sailor by dragging under keel of ship

'lutchet' = Fitting on ship's deck to allow mast to pivot to pass under bridges

'moonraker' = Topmost sail of a ship, above the skyscraper

'nipper' = The anchor cable was a nine-stranded cable-laid rope which came through the hawse-pipe, ran alongside the two capstans (on the main-deck), and was stowed down in the cable tier beneath the main deck.
Nippers were short pieces of rope (stoppers) one end of which would be fastened to the 'messenger', the other end to the cable, and as the cable was hove in, and the 'nippers' reached the barrel of the larger capstan, small boys would 'fleet' them (i.e. untie and move them) and fasten them on again near the small capstan.
It was from such circumstances that the word 'nipper' entered our language as the name for a small boy.

'oakum' = Old ropes untwisted for caulking the seams of ships

'poop' !!!!!! = Enclosed structure at stern of ship above main deck

'quarterdeck' = Part of ship's deck set aside by captain for ceremonial functions

'rostrum' = A spike on prow of warship for ramming

'scuttlebutt' = The 'scuttlebutt' was a water barrel with a hole cut into it so that sailors could reach in and dip out drinking water.
The scuttlebutt was the place where the ship's gossip was exchanged.'

'trunnel' = A wooden shipbuilding peg used for fastening timbers

'unreeve' = To withdraw a rope from an opening

'vang' = A rope (line) leading from gaff to either side of the deck, used to prevent the gaff from sagging.

'windlass' = A winch used to raise a ship's anchor

'xebec' = A small three-masted pirate ship

'zabra' = A small Spanish sailing vessel

Replied: 3rd Mar 2021 at 18:45

Report Abuse

Only use this form to report abuse about the post displayed above. If you have a query or wish to make a comment, do not use this form.

Your IP No. (34.230.68.214) will be logged.

* Enter the 5 digit code to the right of the input box. Don't worry if you make a mistake, you will get another chance. Your comments won't be lost.