GLOSSARY.

Abaft, Aft, towards the stern.

Amidships, middle of a ship or anything.

Backstay, ropes which support the mast sideways and backwards.

Beam, breadth of a vessel, also the support of the deck.

Board, the distance sailed on one tack.

Bobstay, the rope that keeps the bowsprit down; reaches from end of bowsprit to cutwater.

Boom, any spar used to extend the foot of a sail.

Bow, front part of a vessel.

Bowsprit, spar projecting in front of a vessel to set the jibs on.

Bulwarks, the wooden railings round the deck of a ship.

Chock, piece of wood to hold anything firmly.

Close, a vessel being as near the direction of the wind as she can go without shaking.

Counter, the projection of the stem.

Cutwater, the sharp part of the bow.

Deck, the covering of the ship to keep the water out, &c.

Draw, a ship draws so much water, i.e. it is so many feet in the water.

Entrance, the forward part of the bottom of a vessel, tapered off to the cutwater, so as to cleave the water.

Fall off, when a vessel turns from the direction of the wind.

Foot, bottom of a mast or sail.

Fore and Aft, any sail which does not cross the mast.

Foresail, sail in forepart of a ship.

Forward, fore part of a ship.

Full, when the sails are distended by the wind.

Full and By, close to the wind yet not shaking. See Close.

Gaff, the spar which supports the head of a fore and aft sail.

Grummet, a ring made of rope.

Gudgeon, a sort of eye-bolt for the rudder to work on.

Gunwale, top of the side of a ship on which the deck is fastened.

Guy, rope to keep and secure the bowsprit, &c., laterally.

Halyards, ropes used to hoist the sails.

Hatchway, openings in the deck of a ship.

Head, top of a mast or sail.

Hoist, height a sail is pulled up.

Hold, the inside of a ship.

Horse, long bars of iron on which the sheets of sails work.

Hull, body of a ship.

Jaws, any arrangement to secure a gaff or boom to a mast, and allow it to swing from side to side, &c.

Jib, a three-cornered sail in front of a ship.

Keel, the centre of the bottom of a ship.

Laced, tied in a certain way.

Larboard, left.

Leach, edge of a sail, generally the side.

Lee, side of a vessel farthest from that from which the wind blows.

Lee-way, the side-way motion of a ship caused by the side pressure of the wind.

Luff, to go closer to the wind.

Luff (of a sail), edge of a sail nearest the wind.

Main-Halyards, ropes to hoist the mainsail.

Mainmast, the lower mast in a cutter.

Mainsheet, the rope or gear to secure and regulate the after lower corner of the mainsail.

Near, same as close. See Close.

Off. See Fall off.

Overall, from stem to stern.

Pay off. See Fall off.

Peak, the angular head of the mainsail.

Peak-Halyards, ropes to hoist the outer end of the gaff.

Quarters, both sides of a ship close to the stern.

Reaching, sailing with the wind abeam or nearly so.

Reefing, reducing the sails by tying them up smaller.

Run, the after part of the bottom of a vessel, tapered off to the sternpost, so as to leave the water freely.

Running, sailing with the wind astern or nearly so.

Running Gear, any ropes used for hoisting the sails or yards.

Selvedge, the even edge of linen, canvas, &c.

Shake, when the sails shake in the wind and so lose their power.

Sheer, slope of a vessel downwards to midships from stem and stern.

Sheet, ropes used to secure and regulate lower after corner of sails.

Standing Gear, any fixed ropes, as backstays, &c.

Starboard, right side.

Stay, ropes used to support the masts forward only.

Stem. See Cutwater.

Step, socket for heel of mast, &c.

Stern, the after part of a vessel.

Sternpost, end of keel and run, upon which the rudder is fixed.

Tack, forward lower corner of a sail.

Tack, to make a zigzag course so as to get to windward.

Taut, tight.

Topmast, the second mast from the deck.

Waterline, line of the water on the side, &c., of a ship, showing how deep she is in the water.

Weather, side of a vessel, &c., nearest the wind.

Windward, in direction of the wind, the side from which the wind blows.