And a lexicon:
• Advance Note - advance wages, generally given to experienced sailors to have one last bash before setting sail and/or to buy personal gear
• Aft - behind the ship
• Aftcastle - the below-deck portion of a ship at the back of the ship, often containing the master’s cabin and the wardroom
• Albatross - a coast-dwelling bird, similar to a seagull, often viewed by sailors as a sign of good luck (indicating that land is near) - killing an albatross is considered very bad luck
• Aldus Lamp - a signaling device made of a hollow metal cylinder (wide and shallow) set on end, in which a light source is placed, used to flash signals in code - a lever affixed to the lamp opens and closes shutters on one end of the cylinder, creating the light pulses that are used to signal
• All Standing - to have all sails flying
• Almanac - a book that contains a listing of the relative locations of heavenly bodies for the time of the year, used in conjunction with a sextant to determine location on the seas
• Amidships - in the middle of the ship
• Articles - a written agreement to serve aboard a ship
• Ballast - weights (generally rocks or lead) placed in the bilge to aid the ship in keeping vertical
• Batten - to secure loose objects, as in “batten down the hatches”
• Bearing - the direction of a ship’s movement, relative to north, as described on a compass
• Belay - to secure a rope
• Belaying Pin - a 10”-12” heavy wooden pin that can be secured into holes on the deck or rail to tie off ropes - a belaying pin also often serves as a makeshift club-like weapon on deck
• Bilge - the lowest portion of the ship, filled with ballast
• Bilge Pump - bellows and tubing, used to pump standing water out of the bilge
• Binnacle - a lighted housing that contains a ship’s compass, located near the wheel
• Boom - an angled, rotating structural member affixed to a mast (at the “gooseneck”), to which triangular sails are attached - typically, only the mizzenmast sports a boom, called the “mizzenboom” - these sails can be used in conjunction with the rudder to steer the ship
• Bosun - a truncation of the word “boatswain” - the chief petty officer - the sailor who is in charge of the rigging and day-to-day running of the ship - the bosun is the “foreman” of the crew, giving orders and making sure the ship functions properly - the bosun receives a set salary and answers to the captain and mate
• Bow - the frontmost portion of a ship
• Bow-Chaser - a small cannon on the prow of a ship, located on the foc’s’le deck
• Bowls - a simple game that involves rolling cannon shot at a series of upright-placed “pins” (typically 8” tall rectangular pieces of wood) - often involves heavy gambling
• Bowsprit - an angled mast projecting forward from the bow of a ship - jibs are attached here, running back to the nearest mast behind
• Braces - a generic term for the rope and tackle of a ship - “hauling on the braces” describes a sailor who is pulling ropes, tightening/adjusting sails, etc.
• Bring About - to turn the ship - also, “come about”
• Bring About Hard - to turn the ship quickly and abruptly in one direction, often involving sail changes and even dropping the anchor, often to bring the ship to a stop - also, “come about hard”
• Broadside - the long side of a ship (port or starboard), often referred to when ships are firing at each other while parallel
• Bumboat - a small rowboat used by people in harbor to shop their wares on the piers
• Calker - a sailor skilled in plugging holes on a ship
• Capstan - a large, drum-like winch set on the deck around which rope or chain is collected by means of turning the capstan with removable handles set in the side, requiring multiple sailors to operate - typically, there is one capstan for the main sails and another for the anchor
• Captain - the person in charge of a ship - the “master” of the ship
• Cathead - a heavy bulk of wood on one side of the prow of a ship to which the anchor is “catted” (affixed), to provide support for the weight of the anchor
• Chain Locker - a room at the front of the ship, below the cathead, where the ship’s anchor chain is deposited when the anchor is weighed
• Chart - a specialized map used on ships
• Chase - the ship being pursued
• Chief Gunner - the sailor best versed in firing a cannon (often a petty officer)
• Complement - the total number of crew and passengers that a ship can comfortably accommodate
• Cotton - a generic name for sails
• Counter - the overhanging part of a ship’s stern, above the rudder - the davit is mounted here
• Crackerhash - hard biscuits crushed with water and sweetened, forming a paste, baked in the galley oven - a staple of sailors
• Crow’s Nest - a small, bucket-shaped structure, attached to a mast above the yardarms, in which sits a watchman or lookout
• Davit - a hoist and cradle for small boats, generally mounted on the quarterdeck (specifically, on the counter)
• Dead Calm - a condition where the sea and winds grow completely calm - a sailor’s worst nightmare, stranding the ship unless it has an on-board means of propulsion (such as oars)
• Deadlights - eyes
• Doldrums - an area of the sea where wind seldom blows
• Donkey’s Breakfast - a simple straw mattress upon which a sailor sleeps when he doesn’t have access to a hammock
• Drink the Coin - referring to a man who agrees to become a sailor on a vessel by drinking to the bottom of his cup, in which has been placed a gold coin (which he can use to buy more drinks and/or prepare for the voyage)
• Faithful Lover - tobacco carried in the ship’s hold, for use by the sailors
• Fathom - a nautical term of measurement equal to six feet, generally only used to mark depth below the surface
• Feeding the Fish - referring to a sailor who has gone overboard, live or dead
• Fife Rail - a light railing that surrounds the base of a mast to keep objects from rolling into it
• Figurehead - a carved wood bust of a woman, a common decoration on the bow of a ship
• Flash Packet - a light packet that is outfitted to move very quickly, but has few, if any, defenses
• Flunkey - a servant or footman - also, a term for a new, inexperienced sailor
• Foc’s’le Deck - a truncation of the words “forecastle deck”, pronounced (“fock-sul deck”) - a raised, open deck atop the forecastle, located at the front of the ship
• Foot - the bottom of a mast or sail
• Fore - in front of the ship
• Forecastle - the below-deck portion of the ship at the front of the ship, often containing quarters for some of the ship’s crew, especially the ship’s officers
• Foremast - the mast located in front of the mainmast, usually sporting one or two yardarms and square sails
• Furole - glowing electrical fireballs often seen by sailors on watch - St. Elmo’s Fire
• Gaff - a short, fixed, angled structural member on a mast, located above a boom, to which triangular sails are attached
• Gaff Hook - a 6-inch metal hook set perpendicularly into a wooden handle or onto a 2' wooden rod, a simple tool on board ship, used to grab fish and sometimes to haul ropes and tackle or to grab the deck or rails in rough seas - a gaff hook also often serves as a makeshift weapon on deck
• Galley - the kitchen of a ship, usually consisting of a small space sporting a simple stove, food storage space, and a place for the ship’s cook to sleep
• Gooseneck - a pivoting apparatus affixed to a mast, to which a boom is attached, allowing the boom to rotate relative to the mast
• Grappling Ramp - a narrow wooden plank on a movable, pivoting base, used to board adjacent ships
• Green Water - slippery water washing over the rails and onto the deck when the ship is in stormy seas
• Grog - rum mixed with water - commonly provided in specific quantities to sailors at the end of each shift as partial payment for that day’s work - typically it’s not used to get drunk, but instead to help a sailor get to sleep on a moving ship
• Grog-Blossom - the red nose of someone who has drunk too much alcohol, particularly grog - also, a sailor who has drunk too much grog
• Gun - another name for a cannon
• Gunner - a sailor skilled in firing a cannon
• Gunwale - the top edge of the side of the hull, below the rail, particularly on the main deck
• Halyard - a rope running vertically up a mast, to which flags are attached
• Head - the top of a mast or sail
• Heave - to pull ropes, a common command - also, when a ship tips forward due to waves, wind, or obstructions
• Heave To - to adjust the sails to bring the ship to a stop without dropping anchor and without turning into the wind - when sails are pulled up, the ship will often “heave” forward a bit as the sea slows the ship
• Heel - when a ship tips backward due to heavy winds/waves or abrupt maneuvers - when sails are raised quickly, the ship will often “heel” back a bit as the water catches the ship
• Helmsman - the sailor best versed in steering the ship (often a petty officer)
• Hidegild - a fine paid in lieu of flogging, common among well-to-do sailors who have broken the local law
• Hold - a below-deck area of the ship which is used to hold cargo - typically, cargo is placed such as to provide narrow passage through the hold, between the crates and casks
• Jack Tar - a generic term for a sailor
• Jib - a triangular sail mounted from the bowsprit back to the next mast behind it
• Joe - a generic name for a man
• Judy - a generic name for a woman, particularly one of ill repute
• Jury - describing a temporary, makeshift item, such as jury rigging, a jury rudder, or jury shot
• Keel - a downward-pointed fin on the bottom of a ship, below the mainmast, that helps keep the ship vertical
• Keelhaul - to tie a person with rope and drag him under the ship from one side to the other, often used as a punishment - usually results in the victim being cut up by barnacles on the underside of the ship - sometimes results in death by drowning
• Kiss the Gunner’s Daughter - a punishment where the victim is bent over one of the ship’s cannons and flogged
• Kiss the Lady - a practice of sailors when leaving port, where they kiss the figurehead at the prow of the ship, so as to ensure good luck on the voyage
• Lash Up ‘n’ Stow - a term for folding and tying up any loose cloth material, such as sails or hammocks
• League - a nautical unit of measurement equal to three miles
• Leeward - the side away from the wind
• Letter of Mark - a written document given to a privateer crew that outlines the specific actions they are allowed to take without fear of reprisal
• List - when a ship tips to one side, often caused by high winds/waves or abrupt ship maneuvers
• Log - the written record of a voyage
• Lubber’s Hole - an opening in a top that provides for passage up the mast onto the top
• Mainmast - the main, tallest mast of a ship, generally located in the center of the ship, usually sporting two or more yardarms and square sails
• Man - to operate or occupy, such as “manning the wheel”, “manning the crow’s nest”, or “manning a capstan”
• Master’s Cabin - the captain’s quarters, typically the largest, most “luxurious” room on a ship
• Mate - the first officer of the ship, beholding only to the captain, receiving a set salary, not dependent upon work done
• Mess - generic term for food on board a ship
• Mizzenmast - the mast located behind the mainmast
• Monkey Jacket - a short, heavy, cloth coat worn by sailors in cold climates
• Navigator - the sailor best versed in geography, astronomy, and use of a sextant who serves to guide the ship, particularly when land is not in sight (often a petty officer)
• Officer - a crew member who receives a set salary, not dependent on work done, who has specific responsibilities (such as the mate, bosun, and other petty officers)
• Oilskins - a set of heavy garments rubbed with oil to keep them waterproof
• Old Salt - an experienced sailor
• Packet - a ship that sails regularly between two locations
• Paychest - a strong wood or iron chest with a sturdy lock that holds the pay for the crew, usually kept in the ship’s office or master’s cabin
• Pennant - a triangular flag
• Petty Officer - a crewman who has specific, specialized duties defined by the captain and receives a set salary, not dependent on work done - the bosun is the chief petty officer - other petty officers rank below the bosun, but above standard crew - the navigator, helmsman, and chief gunner are often petty officers
• Place the Black Spot - to mark a sailor for death - sometimes, to simply accuse a sailor of a serious crime on board ship
• Port - the left side of a ship
• Press-Gang - a gang of sailors who roam the streets to “recruit” new sailors for their ship, often by physical means, “pressing” them into service
• Privateer - a sailor who functions something like a pirate, but with the backing of a monarch or high-ranking noble - a privateer is beholding to prosecution by enemies if captured, but receives leniency from his home government when performing actions approved by his sponsor – also, a ship manned by privateers
• Privy - the bathroom on board a ship - sometimes also called the “head”
• Prow - the frontmost portion of a ship
• Quarterdeck - a raised, open deck atop the aftcastle, located at the rear of the ship, upon which sits the wheel and often a davit
• Ratline - a tie that secures a shroud to the deck
• Rattoner - an exterminator, particularly one who excels in removing rats (especially on ships) - many ships have a rattoner on board as a crewman
• Ride the Knife - the act of cutting the sail and riding a knife/dagger/sword down a sail from a yardarm to the deck - a sail cut in this way must either be replaced or sewn up while in place
• Rigging - the ropes and ties which stay put, as opposed to the running gear, which moves while the ship is sailing
• Running Gear - the ropes and ties which move, as opposed to the rigging, which stays put
• Sail Locker - a room below deck that houses reserve sails, as well as additional ropes and tools
• Salt Horse - salted beef or pork that has gone over and dried hard in the sun - often used by sailors for carving to pass the time
• Sargasso - thick masses of floating seaweed, so dense that a man can potentially cross them on foot
• Scrimshaw - etchings on bone or whale teeth
• Scupper - an opening in the rail on either side of the deck that runs water overboard to keep the deck dry
• Scuttle-Butt - rumor on board a ship
• Sea Legs - excellent balance and/or skill in manning a ship, as in “he’s got sea legs”
• Sextant - a complicated tool used to determine a ship’s position by measuring the angle formed by the sun/stars and the horizon and then compared to the information in an almanac
• Shanty - a simple song with a simple meter, used by sailors to pass the time while performing repetitive tasks (such as when “hauling on the braces” or “manning the capstan”)
• Shantyman - the sailor who leads the crew in singing shanties
• Short-Handed - working with an incomplete crew
• Shroud - a rope net (10’ wide at the bottom and 5’ wide at the top) that stretches up at an angle from the edge of the deck up to a mast, used as a means to climb up the mast, often to the “top”
• Slipped His Rope - referring to a sailor who died
• Smartly - quickly
• Snake’s Tail - an unsecured rope or tie, flailing about on the deck
• Spanker - a triangular sail mounted between a boom (below) and a gaff (above), all affixed to the rearmost mast - primarily used to help steer the ship - spankers are generally only employed on larger vessels and are affixed to the mizzenmast
• Spar - a pole, typically one to which sails are attached - for square sails, the headspar is secured to the yardarm and the footspar is attached only to the sails and can be drawn up with running gear to “raise” the sail, making it ineffective - in this position, the sail can then be “lashed up and stowed”
• Starboard - the right side of a ship
• Stay - a rope that serves to support a mast, running from the top of the mast forward to the bow, sideways to the edge of the deck, or backwards to the stern - “stays” are named according to the mast to which they are affixed - a forestay runs from the foremast to the front of the ship, a mainstay runs from the mainmast to the side of the ship, etc.
• Stern - the rearmost portion of a ship
• Stunsai’l Boom - a light, movable beam, attached to the end of a yardarm, that can be extended through brackets to extend the yardarm breadth, so as to mount additional sails on the yardarm
• Suttlery - a shop where ship equipment is purchased - the suttler is the owner of the shop
• Swab - to clean, as in “swab the deck” or “swab the (cannon) bore”
• Swallowtail - a rectangular sail with two points
• Tabnab - a stiff, hard cake that keeps well on long voyages, difficult to eat but very filling
• Top - a flat structure affixed to a mast, just above the lowest yardarm, which serves as a standing point for sailors adjusting the sails above - the top can serve as a lookout point, particularly on the foremost or rearmost mast - the maintop sits on the mainmast, the foretop sits on the foremast, etc.
• Wardroom - the room where the captain, ship’s officers, and passengers take their meals - it also serves as a drawing room or parlor for the officers and passengers of the ship
• Wassail - a beverage made from sweetened ale or wine, flavored with spices and roasted apples, drunk to the health of loved ones - a delicacy at sea, particularly on long voyages
• Weigh Anchor - to pull up the anchor - the phrase “anchor a-weigh” is used when the anchor is being pulled up
• Windward - the side facing the wind
• Yardarm - a fixed, horizontal structural member, mounted to a mast, to which the headspar is attached - often abbreviated as “yard” - a yard is often referred to by the mast to which it is attached, such as a mainyard or a foreyard
• Yardarm to Yardarm - describing ships that are abreast of each other or in company, whether moving or not
