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This glossary of nautical terms is an alphabetical listing of terms and expressions connected with ships, shipping, seamanship and navigation on water (mostly though not necessarily on the sea). Some remain current, while many date from the 17th to 19th centuries. The word nautical derives from the Latin nauticus, from Greek nautikos, from nautēs: "sailor", from naus: "ship".
Further information on nautical terminology may also be found at Nautical metaphors in English, and additional military terms are listed in the Multiservice tactical brevity code article. Terms used in other fields associated with bodies of water can be found at Glossary of fishery terms, Glossary of underwater diving terminology, Glossary of rowing terms, and Glossary of meteorology.
This glossary is split into two articles:
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Also ship's magazine.
The ammunition storage area aboard a warship.Also simply main.
1. The tallest mast on a ship[1] with more than one mast, especially the tallest mast on a full-rigged ship.Also man o' war.
Awarship from the Age of Sail.Also Med moor and Tahitian mooring.
A method of mooring stern-to.Also messdeck.
1. An eating place aboard a ship.Also midship
A shortened form of amidships, with both alternative meanings.[7]Also mizzen.
The third mast, or the mast aft of the mainmast, on a ship.Also moorings.
A place to moor a vessel.Also mothership and mother-ship.
A vessel that leads, serves, or carries smaller vessels, in the latter case either releasing them and then proceeding independently or also recovering them after they have completed a mission or operation. A mother ship sometimes contrasts with a tender, which often (but not necessarily) is a vessel that supports or cares for larger vessels.Also motor vessel.
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Also position lightorrunning light
A source of illumination on a vessel intended to give information to other vessels on her position, heading, or status.Also net layer, net tender, gate ship, or boom defence vessel.
A type of naval auxiliary ship equipped for and primarily tasked with laying torpedo nets or anti-submarine nets to protect individual ships at anchor, harbors, or other anchorages from torpedo attack and intrusions by submarines.
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Also oilies.
Foul-weather clothing worn by sailors.Also onboard.
See aboard.Plural on their own bottoms.
Said of a vessel making a voyage without being carried aboard another vessel; e.g. "the yacht crossed the ocean on her own bottom", or in the plural, "yachts rarely cross the ocean on their own bottoms".Also ironboat.
AGreat Lakes term for a vessel primarily used in the transport of iron ore.
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Also packet boatorpacket ship.
1. Originally, a vessel employed to carry post office mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies, and outposts.Also patajeorpatax.
A type of very light and shallow Spanish sailing vessel of the 15th through 18th centuries with two masts, resembling a cross between a brig and a schooner. Originally a type of warship, but later in use as a trading vessel.Also called a slip-hookorDavey hook.
A hook with a hinge in the curve of the hook, normally held closed by a metal ring that keeps the two hinged parts together. Can be instantly released by knocking the ring along the hook so that it frees one of the hinged parts which swings open and releases whatever the hook is holding. Often seen on opening sections of guard rails and life-raft lashings, but also used on more heavily loaded components.[11][24]Also pinis
A type of two-mastedschooner with a large bowsprit, clipper bow, and transom stern built in the Terengganu area on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula.Also bosun's call.
A whistle used by boatswains (bosuns or bos'ns) to issue commands. Consisting of a metal tube that directs the breath over an aperture on the top of a hollow ball to produce high-pitched notes. The pitch of the notes can be changed by partly covering the aperture with the finger of the hand in which the pipe is held. The shape of the instrument is similar to that of a smoking pipe.Also National Load Line.
A special marking, positioned amidships, that indicates the draft of the vessel and the legal limit to which the vessel may be loaded for specific water types and temperatures.Also head up.
To change the direction of a sailboat so that it is more upwind, i.e. to bring the bow windward. This is the opposite of falling off.Also polacre.
A 17th-century sailing vessel commonly seen in the Mediterranean, similar to a xebec with two or three masts; two-masted polaccas were known as brig-polaccas and three-masted polaccas as ship-polaccasorpolacca-settees. Polacca-settees had a lateen sail on the foremast, a European-style square rig on the mainmast, and a gaff or lateen on the mizzenmast.Also simply port.
An opening in a ship's side, especially a round one for admitting light and air, fitted with thick glass and, often, a hinged metal cover, used as a window.Also gybe preventer and jibe preventer.
A sail control line originating at some point on the boom leading to a fixed point on the boat's deckorrail (usually a cleatorpad eye) used to prevent or moderate the effects of an accidental jibe.Also prison hulk.
A vessel used as a prison, often to hold convicts awaiting transportation to penal colonies; particularly common in the British Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries.Also private man of war.
A privately owned ship authorised by a national power (by means of a letter of marque) to conduct hostilities against an enemy.Also prop walk.
The tendency for a propeller to push the stern sideways. In theory, a right-hand propeller in reverse will walk the stern to port.
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Also King's Regulations.
The standing orders governing the British Royal Navy issued in the name of the current Monarch.Also lining.
The ceiling inside the hull above the turn of the bilge, usually being of lighter dimensions than the ceiling lower down (spirketting).[4]
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Also rebate.
A groove cut in wood to form part of a joint.Also rateorbluejacket.
1. In British usage, a junior enlisted member of a country's navy; i.e., any member of the navy who is not an officer or warrant officer.Also rattlinsorratlins.
The rungs fastened between the shrouds permanently rigged from bulwarks and tops to the mast to form rope ladders enabling access to the topmasts and yards.[2]Also receiving ship.
Ahulk used in harbor to house newly recruited sailors before they are assigned to a crew.Also Red Duster.
A British flag flown as an ensign by certain British ships. Since 1854, it has been flown by British merchant ships (except for those authorized to fly the Blue Ensign) as the United Kingdom's civil ensign. Prior to 1864, ships of the Royal Navy's Red Squadron also flew it, but its naval use ended with the reorganisation of the Royal Navy in 1864.Also boy pussy.
[34] A light version of the cat o'nine tails for use on young sailors.Also simply reefer.
1. A refrigerated cargo ship used to carry perishable goods that require refrigeration.Also roads.
A sheltered area outside a harbour where a ship can lie safe at anchor, often situated in a "shallow indentation of the coast".[39]Also anchor rode.
The anchor line, rope, or cable connecting the anchor chain to the vessel.Also ROROorro-ro.
A vessel designed to carry wheeled cargo that can drive on and off the ship on its own wheels.Also romage.
1. A place or room for the stowage of cargo in a vessel.Also simply running.
Sailing more than about 160° away from the direction from which the wind is blowing (i.e. moving in the same or nearly the same direction as the wind). If moving directly away from the wind, it is called a dead run. Compare reaching and beating.Also running gear.
Rigging used to manipulate sails, spars, etc. in order to control the movement of a sailing vessel. Contrast standing rigging.[42]
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Sometimes called a wrecking tug.
A specialized tugboat used to assist ships in distress or in danger of sinking, or to salvage ships which have already sunk or run aground.Also called the Shrieking Sixties.
Strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, south of 60 degrees. They are stronger than the similar "Roaring Forties" to their north.Also called a second officer.
A licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship, third – or, on some ocean liners, fourth – in command; a watchkeeping officer, customarily the ship's navigator. Other duties vary, but the second mate is often the medical officer and in charge of maintaining distress-signaling equipment. On oil tankers, the second mate usually assists the chief mate with tank-cleaning operations.Also CUOTO.
Used principally by pilots and river tug and barge deck and officer crew as a friendly farewell (similar to the phrase "catch you later") or more properly used in vessel to vessel VHF (or when needed ship's whistle) communication, along with its companion phrase "see you on the two" to indicate which side a head-to-head vessel crossing is going to occur. The correct response to the challenge is to repeat it back to the apposing vessel in agreement, and if not in agreement to ask for an alternative arrangement. The "on the one" indicates a single whistle sound signal, or port to port crossing, whilst "on the two" is a dual (two) whistle sound signal, or starboard to starboard crossing. In the US, a "one whistle" or port to port crossing is the normal and preferred crossing side.Also simply called a shakedown.
A cruise performed before a ship enters service or after major changes such as a crew change, repair, or overhaul during which the performance of the ship and her crew are tested under working conditions.Also called a fine boat in the United Kingdom.
An extremely narrow, and often disproportionately long, rowing boat outfitted with long oars, outriggers to hold the oarlocks away from the boat, and sliding seats, specifically designed for racing or exercise.Also called ship cracking, ship demolition, ship dismantling, or ship recycling.
The demolition of ships for spare parts and scrap metal. A ship on her way to be scrapped is said to be going to the breakers.Also ship classification organisationorship classification organization
A non-governmental organization that establishes and maintains technical standards for the construction and operation of ships and offshore structures.Also called a ship cemetery.
1. A location where the hulls of discarded ships are left to decay and disintegrate.Also spider hoop.
An iron band around the base of a mast that holds a set of iron belaying pins.[2]Also splinter navy
Informal term for wooden boats of various types the United States armed forces used during World War II. Some of the boats were civilian vessels brought into service for the war, while others were built during the war specifically for wartime service. Some were transferred to Allied countries.Also funnel.
1. Another name for a funnel.Also steamboatorsteamship.
A vessel equipped with steam propulsion.Also steering board.
A long, flat board or oar that went from the stern to well underwater, used to steer vessels before the invention of the rudder. Traditionally on the starboard side of a ship (the "steering board" side).Also: Z-drive
A propeller drive system similar to the lower part of an outboard motor extending below the hull of a larger power boat or yacht, but driven by an engine mounted within the hull. Unlike a fixed propeller (but like an outboard), the boat may be steered by twisting the drive. See also inboard motor.Also store shiporstores ship.
1. During the Age of Sail and immediately afterwards, a captured ship used to stow supplies and other goods for naval purposes.Also stove in.
(past tense of stave, often applied as present tense) To smash inward; to force a hole or break in, as in a cask, door, ship's hull, or other (wooden) barrier.Also subchaser
A small naval vessel designed for antisubmarine warfare, introduced during World War I and obsolete by the late 20th century.Also surf boat.
Anoar-driven boat designed to enter the ocean from a beach in heavy surf or large waves. Surfboats often play a lifesaving or rescue role when rescuers need to reach victims of a mishap directly from a beach.Also muffie.
Abarge with a square overhanging bow, such as a swimhead lighter.[2]Also change tack.
To change courseorheading.
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Also mast case.
A large bracket attached firmly to the deck, to which the foot of the mast is fixed. It has two sides or cheeks and a bolt forming the pivot around which the mast is raised and lowered.[2]Also taking water and taking in water.
Said of a vessel, to fill with water slowly, either because of a leak or because of waves washing across the deck. The term can be used to describe water entering the vessel by waves washing over her boworstern, e.g., "The freighter took water over her bow," or "The motorboat took water over her stern." A vessel which continues to take on water eventually will sink.Also tank shiportankship.
A ship designed to transport liquids in bulk.Also tartan.
A small, lateen-rigged, single-masted sailing ship used in the Mediterranean for fishing and coastal trade from the 16th century to the late 19th century.Also tell-tail.
A light piece of string, yarn, rope, or plastic (often magnetic audio tape) attached to a stay or a shroud to indicate the local wind direction. They may also be attached to the surface and/or the leech of a sail to indicate the state of the air flow over the surface of the sail. They are referenced when optimizing the trim of the sails to achieve the best boat speed in the prevailing wind conditions. See dogvane.Also hurricane deck.
The deck of a steamboat on which its texas is located.Also third officer.
A licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship, typically fourth, or on some ocean liners fifth, in command; a watchkeeping officer, customarily also the ship's safety officer, responsible for the ship's firefighting equipment, lifeboats, and other emergency systems. Other duties of the third mate vary depending on the type of ship, its crewing, and other factors.Pronounced /θwɔːrt/.
A bench seat across the width of an open boat.Also toe the mark.
At parade, sailors and soldiers were required to stand in line, their toes in line with a seam of the deck.Also tampion.
A block of wood inserted into the barrel of a gun on a 19th-century warship to keep out the sea spray; also used for covers for the ends of the barrels of the guns on more modern ships, the larger of which are often adorned with the ship's crest or other decoration.Also trenail, trennel, or trunnel.
A wooden peg, pin, or dowel used to fasten pieces of wood together, such as the hull, gunwales, thwarts, etc.[92]Sometimes coal trimmer.
A person responsible for ensuring that a vessel remains "in trim" (that the cargo and fuel are evenly balanced). An important task on a coal-fired vessel, as it could get "out of trim" as coal is consumed.Also troop ship, troop transport, or trooper.
Any ship used to carry soldiers. Troopships are not specially designed for military operations and, unlike landing ships, cannot land troops directly onto a shore; instead they unload troops at a harbor or onto smaller vessels for transportation to shore.Also spencer.
A small, strong, fore-and-aft sail set abaft (behind) the mainmast or other mast of a sailing vessel in heavy weather.[88]Also tug.
A boat that manoeuvers other vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs are powerful for their size and strongly built, and some are ocean-going.
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Also underwater ship.
The underwater section of a vessel beneath the waterline, normally not visible except when in drydock or, historically, when careened.Also peaks.
The brails above the mains.[2]
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Also vedette boat.
A small naval patrol boat used for scouting enemy forces.Also voyl.
A large rope used to unmoor or heave up the anchor.[108]
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Also armingsorfights.
Colored cloths or sheets hung around the outside of a ship's upper works, both fore and aft, and before the cubbridge heads, used as an adornment during ceremonious occasions and as a visual screen during times of action in order to protect the men aboard.Also watchkeeping.
The allocation of crew or staff to specific roles on a ship in order to operate it continuously. These assignments, known as watches, are divided into regularly scheduled work periods of several hours or longer to ensure that some portion of the crew is always occupying the roles at all times. Those members of the crew who are on watch at a given time are called watchkeepers.Also weather gaugeorweather-beam.
Favorable position over another sailing vessel with respect to the wind.Also windward side or simply windward.
The side of a ship exposed to the wind, i.e. the side facing upwind or the direction from which the wind is blowing. Contrast lee side.Also ship's wheel.
The usual steering device on larger vessels: a wheel with a horizontal axis, connected by cables to the rudder.Also pilothouse and often synonymous with bridge.
The location on a ship where the wheel is located.Also whitecaps.
Foam or spray on wave tops caused by stronger winds (usually above Force4).Often collectively called service.
To apply a multilayered protection against chafing and deterioration to a section of line by laying yarns to fill in the cuntlines (worming), wrapping marline or other small stuff around it (serving), and stitching a covering of canvas over all (parcelling).[115] It can be applied to the entire length of a line, such as a shroud, or selectively to specific parts of a line, such as over the spliced ends of a stay, where the chafe on the middle section of the stay precludes complete protection.
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Variously spelled zebec, xebeck, xebeque, xebecque, zebeck, zebecque, chebec, or shebeck.
1. A Mediterranean sailing ship, usually employed for trading, that is propelled by a combination of lateen sails and oars and characterized by a distinctive hull with a pronounced overhanging bow and stern; early xebecs had two masts and later ones had three.
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the distinctive shape, number, and arrangement of sails and masts of a ship or to fit out with rigging
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General references |
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Nautical charts |
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Lights and buoys |
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Geographic information |
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Celestial navigation |
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Tidal information |
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Radio information |
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Periodicals |
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See also |
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