Backstay- A rope of the 'standing rigging' which holds a mast upright.
Backstays run abaft and are named by the mast which they support, ex;
Fore-Backstay, Main-Backstay, Mizzen-Backstay.
Barky- A sailor's term for a well liked vessel.
Barque- A three masted vessel with the main & fore masts 'square rigged' and
the mizzen mast being 'fore & aft rigged'
Beakhead- A small platform at the fore part of the upper deck. The location
of the 'Heads' or 'Jakes'. The 'Privies'
Beam- The breadth of a ship, Also a timber which runs horizontal across the
ship supporting the deck.
Bilander- A two masted merchant vessel with a trapezoidal mainsail.
Bilge - The inside of the vessel upon which she would rest were she aground.
The greatest circumference of a cask
Binnacle - Formerly 'bittacle', from the Spanish 'bittacole'. The housing
for the ship's compass. The binnacle, besides containing the ship's
compasses and a light between them, was used as a place to stow the
log-reel, line and clip, with its half-minute glass, the log-board, the
traverse-board and charts that were in immediate use.
Bitts - Strong timbers framed together upright in the fore part of the
vessel's main deck, around which the cable had a turn when the ship rode at
anchor.
Boom- Long Spar used to extend the foot of a particular sail.
Bow, The- The forward portion of any vessel.
Bower - An Anchor carried forward. The best bower is the heavier of the two
forward anchors.
Bowsprit.- A large spar running out from the bow of a vessel, to which are
attached the 'forestays' and 'jib-sails'.
Braces-The rope attached to the end of a yard, used to 'trim' the sails.
Also timbers used to strengthen the frame of a ship.
Brig - A vessel with two masts, square rigged on both. Also a ship’s prison.
Brigantine - A vessel with two masts, square rigged on the foremast and
fore-and-aft rigged on the mainmast. Formerly called a hermaphrodite brig.
Brightside - The polished and varnished band around an American ship.
Brightwork - The brasswork that must be polished.
Brow - The gangway.
Bulwarks- The side of the ship above the deck. The walls of a vessel.
Bumboat - The small boat used by shore peddlers who visit ships selling
native fruits, souvenirs, etc.
Bunt - The middle of a square sail.
Cable Tier - The place in the hold where cables are stowed.
Caboose - A house on a vessel's deck, usually the galley.
Cat - The tackle used to hoist the anchor to the cathead.
Cat Block- The block of the same tackle.
Cathead - Large timbers projecting from the vessel's sides to which the
anchor is raised and secured.
Charlie Noble (n), - The pipe of the galley stove. To shoot Charley Noble is
to discharge a pistol into the pipe to clear it of soot.
Chronometer - The Ship's clock.
Clinker Built-A style of boat building where planks overlap each other and
fastend with clenched copper nails.
Con (Conn) - To exercise control of the steering of a vessel; an officer
cons the ship by directing the movements of the helmsman.
Courses - Sails hanging from a ship's lower yards. The foresail is called
the fore course and the mainsail is the main course.
Crossjack Yard (Crojack) - The lower yard on the mizzenmast.
Cuddy - Usually a small cabin aboard a small vessel. On Large ships the
Carpenter's cabin was usually called his cuddy
Cutter- A ship's boat fitted with oars and a sail.
Dansker- - A Dane or Danish vessel
Fairlead- A board with holes in it used to rigging through.
Fiferail-A rail that forms the upper fence of the bulwarks on the Poop and
Quarterdecks. Also the rack around the base of masts which holds belaying
pins.
Figurehead- The bust or statue on the bows of a vessel.
Forecastle- Usually pronounced Fo'c'sle. A short raised deck at the fore of
a vessel.
Gaff- A spar used to extend the heads of fore-and-aft rigged sails not set
on stays.
Gallery- A balcony built outside the body of a ship, around the stern
quarters. Enclosed in glass and highly decorated.
Galley- Kitchen
Gallows-A wooden frame at the fore and main hatchways where extra spars were
stowed as well as the ship's boats.
Gantline- A rope passing through a single block on the head of the lower
masts, used to hoist up the rigging. The first line used to rig a ship.
Gaskets- Small ropes used to secure a furled sail to a yard.
Gig- A light, narrow, clinker built boat rigged with sail and oars. The
Captain's boat.
Gunwhale-Upper edge of a vessel's side, the uppermost planking which covers
the timberheads and reaches from the quarterdeck to fo'c'sle.
Halyard- Rope or tackle used for raising or lowering a sail.
Hance- A curved, often ornately carved rise of the fiferails or bulwarks
from the waist to the quarterdecks.
Hawser-A large rope of 5" or more in diameter.
Horse- The footrope sailors stood on while furling or unfurling sails.
Jeer- Heavy tackle used to hoist and lower yards.
Jib- A triangular headsail.
Jib-Boom- A spar run out from the bowsprit to support the jib.
Jolly Boat-A ships boat, smaller than a cutter, with a bluff (rounded) bow
and wide stern.
Kedge- A small anchor.
Keel- The principle peice of lumber on the hull of a ship. It's backbone
essentially. Runs the length of the hull down the center.
Ketch- A strongly built ship used for coastal trading.
Lateen Sail- A triangular sail suspended by a long yard at an angle of about
45 degrees to the mast.
Launch- The largest long boat often fitted with a fore and aft sail.
Leech- Any of the free, un-bent edges of a sail.
Lower-deck- The deck above the orlop deck where sailors live and the
heaviest guns are positioned.
Lugger- A swift weatherly craft used for coastal trading and Privateers. Two
masted with lug-sails.
MainDeck- On a Man O' War, it is the deck below the 'Spar-deck. The
principle deck on any ship with more than one deck.
Main Mast- Center mast on a three masted ship. The largest mast on a two
masted vessel.
Mainsail- Pronounced mains'l. The lowest and largest sail or 'course' on the
mainmast.
Main Tack- The lowest 'weather' (closest to direction of the wind) corner of
the mains'l. The lowest fore corner on afore and aft mains'l.
Man-O'War- A warship of 20 to 120 guns.
Masthead-The top of the lower mast where the next section of mast is
attached. Usually an observation point.
Mizzen-Mast- The aft-most mast on a three masted ship.
Orlop Deck- Lowest deck of a ship. Housing the quarters for midshipmen,
carpentars, bosuns, gunners and supply rooms.
Packet Boat- A boat which delivers goods, supplies, and mail tobetween two
ports.
Quarterdeck- The aft-most and
Highest deck of a vessel. (save for the 'poop-deck', which is only on the
largest of ships of the line) The deck where the captain (commander or watch
officer) command the ship's activities.
Reef-Band- A band of canvas stitched across horizontally on a sail.
Reef-Points- Small ropes attached at the 'Reef-Band'.
Rigging- An All encompassing term referring to all the lines of rope on a
ship used to hold masts and sails in place.
Rigging, Standing- Stationary. Primarily refers to line holding masts
upright.
Rigging, Running- All the lines used for moving sails and yards about while
sailing.
