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 and Acronyms
contains 41 terms |
The things sailors do
contains 8 terms 1. To slack a tackle and thereby increase the distance apart of the blocks in that tackle by manually running the Rope backwards through the sheaves.
2. The action of passing another vessel. 3. Sometimes used to refer to a refit of a vessel - inspecting and repaiting propulsion and mechanical systems on Board. |
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Why say back when you can say aft instead!
contains 20 terms |
Common sayings and expressions from maritime lore
contains 149 terms |
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The foods of the sea
contains 2 terms 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"
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Various knots both functional and ornamental from the nautical to the ornamental and with both historic and present day value.
contains 12 terms & 2 images 1. A speed of one Nautical mile per hour. (6076 feet) per hour.
2. A method of making a Line Fast to an object, another Line, itself, or for ornament. |
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Bits and bobs from life aboard ship
contains 5 terms A sailor's carving or etching wood, on bones, teeth, tusks or shells. Frequently used as a way to pass the time on long voyages then to be traded or sold on shore.
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Specific sailing maneuvers
contains 33 terms Closehauled to the wind (sailing on a Heading close to the Eye of the wind)
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The points of sail and seamanship
contains 76 terms Any fixed object that a navigator may use to find his position, such as permanent land or sea markers, buoys, radiobeacons, and lighthouses.
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The parts of ships
contains 131 terms A horn type of vent designed to let air into a Cabin and keep water out.
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Important people and/or their positions in nautical history
contains 14 terms 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.
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Key locations of the maritime world
contains 20 terms 1) The distance a vessel keeps from shore
2) The part of sea viewable in the distance from shore (beyone any Anchorage) any where vessels would navigate. |
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Rigging components and terms
contains 104 terms & 10 images |
Sails, their parts and materials
contains 30 terms |
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Types of vessels and some famous examples
contains 22 terms & 8 images |
The various spars used aboard ship
contains 6 terms |
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The tools of the trade
contains 27 terms |
terms awaiting clasification
there are currently no viewable terms in this category
contains 36 terms |
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Meteorology and its relationship to sailing
contains 7 terms A sudden violent blast of wind.
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The Nautical Terms Glossary contains 539 terms and 14 images, viewed 376932 times
