Language of the Sea 17
From CruisersWiki
Language of the Sea
UNBEND -
To cast off or untie.
UNDERWAY -
Vessel in motion, i.e., when not moored, at anchor, or aground.
UNION -
The upper inner corner of an ensign. The rest of the flag is called the fly. The union of the U.S. ensign is a blue field with white stars, and the fly is composed of alternate white and red stripes.
Union-down The appearance of the flag when it is hoisted upside down. Used as a distress signal.
Union-jack A small flag, containing only the union, without the fly, usually hoisted at the bowsprit cap.
VANE -
A fly worn at the mast-head, made of feathers or buntine, traversing on a spindle, to show the direction of the wind.
VANG -
A rope leading from the peak of the gaff of a fore-and-aft sail to the rail on each side, and used for steadying the gaff.
V BOTTOM -
A hull with the bottom section in the shape of a "V."
VARIATION -
The angular difference between the magnetic meridian and the geographic meridian at a particular location.
VEER -
Said of the wind when it changes.
Also, to slack a cable and let it out.
VIGIA -
Uncharted, and undocumented or verified, navigational hazard or danger.
VIOL or VOYAL -
A larger messenger sometimes used in weighing an anchor by a capstan.
Also, the block through which the messenger passes.
VHF RADIO -
A very high frequency electronic communications and direction finding system.
WAIST -
That part of the upper deck between the quarter-deck and the forecastle.
WAKE -
Moving waves, track or path that a boat leaves behind when moving across the waters.
WALES -
Strong planks in a vessel's sides running the entire length fore-and-aft.
WALL -
A knot put on the end of a rope.
WALL-SIDED -
A vessel is wall-sided when her sides run up perpendicularly from the bends. In opposwition to tumbling home or flaring out.
WARD ROOM -
The room in a vessel of war in which the commissioned officers live.
WARE or WEAR -
To turn a vessel round, so that, from having the wind on one side, you bring it upon the other, carrying her stern round by the wind. In tacking, the samse result is produced by carrying a vessel's head round by the wind.
WARP -
To move a vessel from one place to another by means of a rope made fast to some fixed object, or kedge.
WASHBOARDS -
Light pieces of board placed above the gunwale of a boat. Also to the companionway.
WATCH -
A division of time on board a ship. There are seven watches in a day, reckoning from 12 A.M., five of them being of four hours each, and the two others, called dog watches, of two hours each.
WATCH-ANDWATCH -
The arrangement by which the watches are alternated every other four hours. In distinction from keeping all hands during one or more watches.
WATCH HO! WATCH -
The cry of the man that heaves the deep-sea-lead.
WATCH TACKLE -
A small luff purchase with a short fall, the double block having a tail to it, and the single one a hook. Used for various purposes about deck.
WATERLINE -
A line painted on a hull which shows the point to which a boat sinks when it is properly trimmed.
WATER-SAIL -
A save-all, set under the swinging-boom.
WATER-WAYS -
Long pieces of timber, running fore-and-aft on both sides, connecting the deck with the vessel's sides. The scuppers are made through them to let the water off.
WAVESON -
Goods floating on the sea after a shipwreck.
WAY -
Movement of a vessel through the water, such as headway, sternway, or leeway.
WAY ENOUGH! -
Order given to a boat's crew when moving alongside. Boat has sufficient way and oars to be placed inside of boat.
WEATHER -
In the direction from which the wind blows.
A ship carries a weather helm when she tends to come up into the wind, requiring you to put the helm up.
Weather gage. A vessel has the weather gage of another when she is to windward to her.
A weatherly ship, is one that works well to windward, making but little leeway.
WEATHER-BITT -
To take an additional turn with a cable round the windlass-end.
WEATHER ROLL -
The roll which a ship makes windward.
WEATHER TIDE -
The wind and the tide run in opposite directions.
WEIGH -
To lift up, as, to weigh an anchor or a mast.
WELL FOUND -
Said of a vessel that is properly equipped with equipment, gear and stores.
WETDECK -
Hull is sealed or self-draining.
WHARF -
A man-made structure bonding the edge of a dock and built along or at an angle to the shoreline, used for loading, unloading, or tying up vessels.
WHARFINGER -
A person who owns or manages a wharf.
WHEEL -
The instrument by which a ship is steered; being a barrel (round which the tiller ropes go), and a wheel with spokes.
WHIP -
A purchase formed by a rope rove through a single block.
WHISKER POLE -
A light spar that holds the jib out when sailing downwind.
WHISTLING PSALMS TO THE TAFFRAIL -
Slang for giving good, yet unheeded, advice.
WHITE HORSES -
Fast running, foam-crested waves.
WINCH -
A device used to increase hauling power when raising or trimming sails.
WINDLASS -
The machine used to weigh the anchor by.
WIND-RODE -
The situation of a vessel at anchor when she swings and rides by the force of the wind, instead of the tide or current. See ( TIDE-RODE )
WINDWARD -
Toward the direction from which the wind is coming. Opposite of leeward.
WING -
That part of the hold or between-decks nearest the side of the vessel.
WING-AND-WING -
The situation of a fore-and-aft vessel when she is going dead before the wind, with her forsail hauled over on one side and her mainsail on the other.
WITHE or WYTHE -
An iron instrument fitted on the end of a boom or mast, with a ring attached to it, through which another boom or mast is rigged out and secured.
WOOLD -
To wind a piece of rope round a spar, or other thing.
Corrections, Additions & Clarifications - MMNETSEA
.
