18 Terms
Contributors in General boating
General boating
cut of his jib
Boat; General boating
The "cut" of a sail refers to its shape. Since this would vary between ships, it could be used both to identify a familiar vessel at a distance, and to judge the possible sailing qualities of an ...
figurehead
Boat; General boating
symbolic image at the head of a traditional sailing ship or early steamer.
wearing ship
Boat; General boating
Tacking away from the wind in a square-rigged vessel. See also Gybe.
swinging the lamp
Boat; General boating
Telling sea stories. Referring to lamps slung from the deckhead which swing while at sea. Often used to indicate that the story teller is exaggerating.
ship
Boat; General boating
Strictly, a three-masted vessel square-rigged on all three masts, or on three masts of a vessel with more than three. Hence a ship-rigged barque would be a four master, square-rigged on fore, main ...
ship's bell
Boat; General boating
Striking the ship's bell is the traditional method of marking time and regulating the crew's watches.
heaving to
Boat; General boating
Stopping a sailing vessel by lashing the helm in opposition to the sails. The vessel will gradually drift to leeward, the speed of the drift depending on the vessel's design.
