![]() ![]() Some experts say dogwatch is a corruption of dodge watch and others associate dogwatch with the fitful sleep of Sailors called dog sleep, because it is a stressful watch. The dogwatches are only two hours each so the same Sailors aren't always on duty at the same time each afternoon. With the passing of time the coxswain became the helmsman of any boat, regardless of size.Ī dogwatch at sea is the period between 4 and 6 p.m, the first dogwatch, or the period between 6 and 8 p.m., the second dog watch. The term has been in use in England dating back to at least 1463. This widely used term has its origins in the document issued to a ship showing that the port it sailed from suffered from no epidemic or infection at the time of departure.Ī coxswain or cockswain was at first the swain (boy servant) in charge of the small cock or cockboat that was kept aboard for the ship's captain and which was used to row him to and from the ship. The ship's crew then started referring to the stack as the "Charley Noble." It seems that Captain Noble, discovering that the stack of his ship's galley was made of copper, ordered that it be kept bright. Bright it should be and work it is.Ĭharlie Noble is an "it," not a "he." A British merchant service captain, Charles Noble, is said to be responsible for the origin, about 1850, of this nickname for the galley smokestack. ![]() These recruits trained in "boot" camps.īrightwork originally referred to polished metal objects, and bright woodwork to wood which was kept scraped and scrubbed, especially topside. The list was kept at the binnacle.ĭuring the Spanish-American War, Sailors wore leggings called boots, which came to mean a Navy (or Marine) recruit. In the eighteenth century and probably before, a list was given to the officer or mate of the watch, containing the names of men unable to report for duty. A binnacle was the stand on which the ship's compass was mounted. The term is also used more generally to describe seamen as compared with officers, in phrases such as "he sailed before the mast."Ī ship's sick-list. The place on the stern of a ship where the boat's name is written is known as the escutcheon.Literally, the position of the crew whose living quarters on board were in the forecastle (the section of a ship forward of the foremast). Many cat-heads have had the faces of lions or other large cats carved into them - however, it's not known if this gave the cat-head its name, or came as a result of the name. The cat-head is a large wooden beam that extends from vessels at a 45 degree angle and is used to assist in raising and lowering the anchor. It marks the spot at the inside-bottom of the hull, below any floorboards, and it sits below the water-line.įuttocks are the curved timbers used to form the interior ribs on the hulls of wooden ships. ![]() The bilge is the lowest part of the interior of a ship. The mainsheet is a rope or line attached to the boom that allows the sailor to control the speed of a boat by adjusting the main sail. Where ropes and lines come into contact with sails there is serious potential for damage to the sail due to the abrasive nature of most rigging. This strange-sounding gem is simply a soft covering for ropes aboard yachts that prevent chafing of the sails. The treacherous bowsprit earned its name and reputation from of the number of sailors who have lost their lives falling from the it. This is a colloquial term for a boat's bowsprit - the long pole, or "spar," extending from the bow used by sailors to tend to sails. If a wave washes over this deck from behind the vessel, it is said to be "pooped." ![]() As sailors would often gather around the scuttlebutt to chat, the word has also taken on a slang meaning of rumor or gossip.Ī commonly used spelling for "rowlocks." These are the spaces cut into the vessel or small clasps raised up from the side of smaller boats that are used to rest oars when the boat is under paddle.Īre there any other nautical words you'd like to add? Tell us in the Sound Off box below.Ī poop deck is a deck at the rear of a ship, generally formed by the roof of a cabin. It was named this as the container was traditionally a small barrel, the so-called "butt," which had been "scuttled" - had a hole made in it - so water could be accessed. The scuttlebutt is a cask on a ship containing the vessel's drinking water. They are bound to raise a smile and will certainly make you more knowledgeable on the water - who knows, you could even impress friends and colleagues with your mastery of obscure nautical terminology. It is a sport littered with odd words and phrases and MainSail has put together a list of 10 of the weirdest below. Don't be concerned if you don't, as they are both relatively obscure terms used in sailing. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |