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 hull, 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 ball 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 shell.)
Cat-O’-Nine Tails a whip made from knotted ropes, used to punish crewmen. Used for flogging.
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 fully rigged ship carrying anywhere from twenty to forty-eight guns.
full and by a nautical term meaning proceed under full sail
furl 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 diagonally 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, gradually.
hard tack ship’s biscuit.
haul pulling on a line.
heave to arranging the sails in such a manner as to stop the forward motion of the ship.
heel the tilt of a ship/boat to one side.
helm the wheel of a ship or the tiller 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.
keel 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 6076 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. Technically 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 generally 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 3 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 1 gundeck |
| Sixth rate | frigates 20 to 28 guns on 1 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).
roll a side-to-side motion of the ship, usually caused by waves.
schooner a North American (colonial) vessel with two masts the same size.
scuppers drain holes on deck, in the toe rail, or in bulwarks.
scuttle any small, generally covered hatchway through a ship’s deck.
sextant a navigational instrument used to determine the vertical position of an object such as the sun, moon or stars.
shoal shallow, not deep.
shrouds heavy ropes leading from a masthead aft and down to support the mast when the wind is from abeam or farther aft.
skiff a small boat.
sky lark to frolic or play, especially up in the rigging.
spar any lumber/pole used in rigging sails on a ship.
starboard the right side of a ship or boat.
stern the aft part of a boat or ship.
stern chasers cannons directed aft to fire on a pursuing vessel
tack to turn a ship about from one tack to another, by bringing her head to the wind.
taffrail the upper part of the ship’s stern, usually ornament with carved work or bolding.
thwart seat or bench in a boat on which the rowers sit.
topgallant the mast above the topmast, also sometimes the yard and sail set on it.
transom the stern cross-section/panel forming the after end of a ship’s hull.
veer a shifting of the wind direction.
waister landsman or unskilled seaman who worked in the waist of the ship.
wear to turn the vessel from one tack to another by turning the stern through the wind.
weigh to raise, as in to weigh anchor.
windward the side or direction from which the wind is blowing.
yard a spar attached to the mast and used to hoist sails.
yard arm the end of a yard.
yawl a two-masted sailboat/fishing boat with the shorter mizzen mast placed aft of the rudder post. Similar to a ketch.
zephyr a gentle breeze. The west wind.