their living salvaging the shipwrecks caused by the treacherous coral reefs and tricky currents.
Age of Sail Glossary
aft: toward the stern (rear) of the ship.
ahead: in a forward direction
aloft: above the deck of the ship.
barque (bark): a three-masted vessel with the foremast and mainmast square-rigged and the mizzenmast fore-and-aft rigged.
belay: to make a rope fast to a belaying pin, cleat, or other such device. Also used as a general command to stop or cancel, e.g., "Belay that last order!" belaying pin: a wooden pin, later made of metal, generally about twenty inches in length to which lines were made fast, or "belayed." They were arranged in pin rails along the inside of the bulwark and in fife rails around the masts.
binnacle: a large wooden box, just forward of the helm, housing the compass, half-hour glass for timing the watches, and candles to light the compass at night.
boatswain's chair: a wooden seat with a rope sling attached. Used for hoisting men aloft or over the side for work.
bosun: also boatswain, a crew member responsible for keeping the hul, rigging and sails in repair.
bow chaser: a cannon situated near the bow to fire as directly forward as possible.
bowsprit: a large piece of timber which stands out from the bow of a ship.
breeching: rope used to secure a cannon to the side of a ship and prevent it from recoiling too far.
brig: a two masted vessel, square rigged on both masts.
bulwarks: the sides of a ship above the upper deck.
bumboat: privately owned boat used to carry out to anchored vessels vegetables, liquor, and other items for sale.
burgoo: mixture of coarse oatmeal and water, porridge.
canister: musket bal size iron shot encased in a cylindrical metal cast. When fired from a cannon, the case breaks apart releasing the enclosed shot. (not unlike firing buckshot from a shotgun shel.)
Cat-O'-Nine Tails: a whip made from knotted ropes, used to punish crewmen. What was meant by being "flogged." chase: a ship being pursued.
coxswain: (cox'n) The person in charge of the captain's personal boat.
cutter: a sailboat with one mast and a mainsail and two headsails.
dogwatch: the watches from four to six, and from six to eight, in the evening.
fathom: unit of measurement equal to six feet.
flotsam: Debris floating on the water surface.
forecastle: pronounced fo'c'sle. The forward part of the upper deck, forward of the foremast, in some vessels raised above the upper deck. Also, the space enclosed by this deck.
founder: used to described a ship that is having difficulty remaining afloat.
frigate: a fast three masted ful y rigged ship carrying anywhere from twenty to forty-eight guns.
full and by: a nautical term meaning proceed under full sail.
furclass="underline" to lower a sail.
futtock shrouds: short, heavy pieces of standing rigging connected on one end to the topmast shrouds at the outer edge of the top and on the other to the lower shrouds, designed to bear the pressure on the topmast shrouds. Often used by sailors to go aloft.
gaff: a spar or pole extending diagonal y upward from the after side of a mast and supporting a fore-and-aft sail.
galley: the kitchen area of a ship.
grapeshot: a cluster of round, iron shot, generally nine in all, and wrapped in canvas. Upon firing the grapeshot would spread out for a shotgun effect. Used against men and light hulls.
grating: hatch cover composed of perpendicular, interlocking wood pieces, much like a heavy wood screen. It allowed light and air below while still providing cover for the hatch. Gratings were covered with tarpaulins in rough or wet weather.
grog: British naval seaman received a portion of liquor every day. In 1740, Admiral Edward Vernon ordered the rum to be diluted with water. Vernon 's nickname was Old Grogram, and the beverage was given the name grog in their disdain for Vernon.
gunwale: pronounced gun-el. The upper edge of a ship's side.
halyard: a line used to hoist a sail or spar. The tightness of the halyard can affect sail shape.
handsomely: slowly, gradual y.
hard tack: ship's biscuit.
hauclass="underline" pulling on a line.
heave to: arranging the sails in such a manner as to stop the forward motion of the ship.
heeclass="underline" the tilt of a ship/boat to one side.
helm: the wheel of a ship or the til er of a boat.
holystone: a block of sandstone used to scour the wooden decks of a ship.
idler: the name of those members of a ship's crew that did not stand night watch because of their work, example cook, carpenters.
jetty: a manmade structure projecting from the shore.
jib: a triangular sail attached to the headstay.
John Company: nickname for the Honourable East India Company
jolly boat: a small workboat.
jonathan: British nickname for an American.
keeclass="underline" a flat surface (fin) built into the bottom of the ship to reduce the leeway caused by the wind pushing against the side of the ship.
ketch: a sailboat with two masts. The shorter mizzen mast is aft of the main, but forward of the rudder post.
knot: one knot equals one nautical mile per hour. This rate is equivalent to approximately 1.15 statute miles per hour.
larboard: the left side of a ship or boat.
lee: the direction toward which the wind is blowing. The direction sheltered from the wind.
leeward: pronounced loo-ard. downwind.
Letter of Marque: a commission issued by the governmental authorizing seizure of enemy property.
luff: the order to the steersman to put the helm towards the lee side of the ship, in order to sail nearer to the wind.
main mast: the tallest (possibly only) mast on a ship.
mast: any vertical pole on the ship that sails are attached to.
mizzen mast: a smaller aft mast.
moor: to attach a ship to a mooring, dock, post, anchor.
nautical mile: one minute of latitude, approximately 60 feet about 1/8 longer than the statute mile of 5280 feet.
pitch: (1) a fore and aft rocking motion of a boat. (2) a material used to seal cracks in wooden planks.
privateer: a privateer is a captain with a Letter of Marque which allows a captain to plunder any ship of a given enemy nation. A privateer was supposed to be above being tried for piracy.
prize: an enemy vessel captured at sea by a warship or privateer. Technical y these ships belonged to the crown, but after review by the Admiralty court and condemnation, they were sold and the prize money shared.
powder monkey: young boy (usually) who carried cartridges of gunpowder from the filling room up to the guns during battle.
quadrant: instrument used to take the altitude of the sun or other celestial bodies in order to determine the latitude of a place. Forerunner to the modern sextant.
quarterdeck: a term applied to the afterpart of the upper deck. The area is general y reserved for officers.
quarter gallery: a small, enclosed balcony with windows located on either side of the great cabin aft and projecting out slightly from the side of the ship.
Traditionally contained the head, or toilet, for use by those occupying the great cabin.
rake: a measurement of the top of the mast's tilt toward the bow or stern.
rate: Ships were rated from first to sixth rates based on their size and armament:
First rate line of battle 100 or more guns on 3 gundecks
Second rate line of battle 90 to 98 guns on gundecks
Third rate line of battle 80, 74 or 64 guns on 2 gundecks
Fourth rate below the line 50 guns on 1 or 2 gundecks
Fifth rate frigates 32 to 44 guns on gundeck
Sixth rate frigates 20 to 28 guns on gundeck
ratline: pronounced ratlin. Small lines tied between the shrouds, horizontal to the deck, forming a sort of rope ladder on which the men can climb aloft.
reef: to reduce the area of sail. This helps prevent too much sail from being in use when the wind gets stronger (a storm or gale).