The Bosun´s Mate Glossary of Terms

The Bosun´s Mate dictionary of Nautical Terms has been compiled from many sources and is constantly being augmented and revised in our attempt to capture as much of the rich yet complicated (and often conflicting) maritime termonology as possible.

You will find an extensive list of information about all sorts of nautical items from sailor´s knots to the sailors themselves, and from ships to the weather patterns of the seas they ply.

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Abbreviations Abbreviations and Acronyms (41 terms) FRC Any type of vessel designed for high speed used primairly for SAR and in the military	Actions The things sailors do (8 terms) Avast! The command to stop, or cease, in any operation.
Directions Why say back when you can say aft instead! (20 terms) Zenith The point of the celestial sphere which is directly overhead.	Expressions Common sayings and expressions from maritime lore (149 terms) Ahoy A seaman´s call to attract attention
Food The foods of the sea (2 terms) Scurvy A disease historically common to seaman, caused by lack of Vitamin C the British Navy started to fight it bu adding lime juice to their water - this was the origin of the slan "Limey"	Knots Various knots both functional and ornamental from the nautical to the ornamental and with both historic and present day value. (12 terms) Sheetbend A Knot used to tie two ropes of unequal thickness together. Also known as the weaver´s knot
Life aboard Bits and bobs from life aboard ship (5 terms) Heart of Oak A british naval song wirtten by David Garrick that starts: ´Come cheer up, my lads, ´tis to glory we steer, To add something more to this wonderful year´ Set to music by Willian Boyce in 1759 and commerating that same year "the year of vistories" or "the wonderful year" as the song proclaims. This is based on the victories at Lagos, Quiberon Bay, and the capture of Quebec - which all occured in that year during the seven years war 1756-63. It was later a traditional...	Maneuvers Specific sailing maneuvers (33 terms) Nip A vessel is said to be Nipped or beset when caught between ice-flows in Antarctic or Arctic waters.
Navigation The points of sail and seamanship (76 terms) Aid to navigation Any fixed object that a navigator may use to find his position, such as permanent land or sea markers, buoys, radiobeacons, and lighthouses.	Parts The parts of ships (131 terms) Bulwarks Planking or steal plating on the sides and above the upper Deck of a vessel to prevent the seas washing Inboard or persons and/or Gear being washed overboard
People Important people and/or their positions in nautical history (14 terms) Limey A nickname for British sailors coined by the Americans. It referrs to the British regulation that all registered ships had to cary a supply of lime juice and issue the same to the crew to prevent Scurvy.	Places Key locations of the maritime world (20 terms) Quay A wharf used to discharge cargo
Rigging Rigging components and terms (104 terms) Stay 1) A Line or wire from the Mast to the Bow or Stern of a Ship, for support of the Mast (Fore, Back, running, and triadic stays). 2) To make something Fast - "Stay that ..."	Sails Sails, their parts and materials (30 terms) Sail A piece of cloth that catches the wind and so powers a vessel.
Ships Types of vessels and some famous examples (22 terms) Monohull A Boat with a single Hull as opposed to a multi-hull vessel.	Spars The various spars used aboard ship (6 terms) Jibboom A Spar Forward of Bowsprit that supports the Forward most staysails.
Tools The tools of the trade (27 terms) Violl An older name for a Messenger used to assist in weighing the Anchor.	unsorted terms awaiting clasification (36 terms) none found
Weather Meteorology and its relationship to sailing (7 terms) Quartering Sea When the wind, and thus the waves, are falling on a boat´s quarter.

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