Professional Documents
Culture Documents
All hands: entire ship's company, both officers and enlisted personnel.
Amidships (or midships): in middle portion of ship, along the line of the keel.
Anchor detail: group of ship's personnel who handle ground tackle when the ship is anchoring
or getting under way.
Athwart, athwartships: at right angles to the fore and aft or centerline of a ship.
Bail: to dip water out of a boat with a bucket. A hoop or ring; a half hoop or yoke.
Bend on: to secure one thing to another, as bend a flag onto a halyard.
Bight: middle part of a line as distinguished from the end and the standing part; a single
complete turn of line; bend in a river or coastline.
Bitt: strong iron post on ship's deck for working or fastening lines; almost invariably in pairs.
Boat gripe: lashing used at sea to secure a boat hanging from the davits against the
strongback and away from the ship's side.
Boat painter: rope attached to the stern ringbolt of a boat; used for securing it. Also a short
piece of rope secured to the bow of a boat; used for towing or making fast. Not to be confused
with the sea painter, which is a much longer rope.
Boatswain's pipe: small, shrill silver whistle used by boatswain's mate to pass a call or pipe
the side.
Bollard: wooden or iron post on a pier or wharf to which mooring lines are secured.
Bridge: raised platform from which ship is steered, navigated, and conned; usually located in
forward part of the ship.
Broad on the starboard or port beam: bearing 090 degrees or 270 degrees relative to the
bow of the ship.
Broad on the starboard or port quarter: bearing 135 degrees or 225 degrees relative to the
bow of the ship.
Brow: large gangplank leading from a ship to a pier, wharf, or float; usually equipped with
rollers on the bottom and hand rails on the side.
Bull nose: a closed chock at the head of the bow on the forecastle deck.
Bulwark: raised plating or woodwork running along the side of a vessel above the weather
deck. Helps keep decks dry and prevents crew and gear from being swept overboard.
Camel: large fender float used for keeping vessel off wharf, pier, or quay; usually of one or
more logs.
Cargo whip: rope or chain used with a boom for handling cargo. One end has a heavy hook;
the other end is rove through a block and taken to the winch. Also, called cargo hoist or cargo
rope.
Chains: platform or a general area on either side of forward part of a ship where leadsman
stands as he or she takes soundings.
Check: to slack off slowly; to stop a vessel's way gradually by a line fastened to some fixed
object or to an anchor on the bottom; to ease off a rope a little, especially with a view to
reducing the tension; to stop or regulate the motion, as a cable when it is running too fast.
Chock: steel deck member, either oval or U-shaped, through which mooring lines are passed.
Usually paired off with bitts.
Clamp down: going over a deck with damp swabs; a lesser form of swabbing down.
Cleat: (1) a small, metal deck fitting with horns; used for securing lines; also called belaying
cleat. (2) Short piece of wood nailed to brow of gangplank to give surer footing.
Colors: national ensign; distinguishing flag flown by a vessel to indicate her nationality. Also,
the ceremonies performed at a naval activity when colors are hoisted at eight o'clock and
hauled down at sunset.
Companionway: set of steps or ladders leading from one deck level to another.
Davit: shipboard crane that can be swung out over the side; used for hoisting and lowering
boats and weights. Often found in pairs.
Dead reckoning: navigator's estimate of ship's position from the course steered and the
distance run.
Deep: the distance in fathoms between two successive marks on a lead line, as "By the deep,
four."
Deep six: slang meaning to dispose of by throwing over the side. Also, when referring to lead
line use, a depth of six fathoms of water.
Dip: lowering a flag part way in salute or in answer, and hoisting it again. A flag is "at the dip"
when it is flown at about two-thirds the height of the halyards.
Dog: metal fitting used to secure watertight doors, hatch covers, scuttles, etc.
Duty day: a period of duty wherein one section of the ship's in-port watch organization
remains onboard for a 24-hour period in order to ensure safety aboard, to operate the ship as
may be required, and to maintain it in readiness. The section "having the duty" is called the
duty section. One or more watches of varying types may be stood by members of the duty
section during the duty day; ship's work may also be assigned to duty section members when
off-watch. Most Coast Guard ships operate a four-section duty organization, wherein each
section has the duty every four days. A duty organization is also employed aboard most shore
units of the Coast Guard.
Fake down: coiling down a line so that each fake of rope overlaps the one underneath and
makes the line clear for running.
Fancy work: intricate, symmetrical rope work used for decorative purposes.
Forecastle: upper deck in forward part of the ship. Pronounced "foke'-sul"; abbreviated fo'csle.
Frap: to bind lightly by passing lines around; to draw together the parts of tackle or other
combinations of ropes to increase tension.
Gangway: opening in the bulwarks of the rail of the ship to give entrance at the head of the
gangplank or brow; an order to stand aside and get out of the way.
Gripes: metal fastenings for securing a boat in its cradle; canvas bands fitted with thimbles in
their ends and passed from the davit heads over and under the boat for securing for sea.
Handsomely: to ease a line gradually; to execute something deliberately and carefully, but not
necessarily slowly.
Heave 'round: to revolve the drum of a winch or windlass so as to pull in a line or anchor
cable.
Heave to: to bring the ship's head into the wind or sea and hold her there by the use of
engines and rudder.
Holiday: an imperfection or vacant space in an orderly arrangement; spots in painted work left
unfinished.
Hull down: said of a distant vessel when only her stack-tops and mast are visible above the
horizon.
Jack: flag similar to the union of the national ensign; flown at the jackstaff when in port; plug
for connecting an electrical appliance to a power or phone line.
Jacob's ladder: light ladder made of rope or chain with metal or wooden rungs; used over the
side and aloft.
Jury rig: makeshift rig of mast and sail or of other gear, as jury anchor, jury rudder; any
makeshift device.
Knife edge: smooth, polished edge of the coaming against which the rubber gaskets of
watertight doors and scuttles press when closed; furnishes better watertight integrity.
Liberty: any authorized absence granted for short periods to provide respite from the work
environment or for other specific reasons. Liberty is not chargeable to the member.
Marry: placing two lines together, as in hoisting a boat; to sew together temporarily the ends of
two lines for rendering through the block.
Mess: to eat; group of crew members eating together; the compartment or location for the
dining of a select group aboard ship, such as the CPO mess.
Messenger: light line used for hauling over a heavier rope or cable; for example, the
messenger is sent over from the ship to the pier by the heaving line and then used to pull the
heavy mooring lines across. Also, an enlisted crew member who runs errands for the OOD.
Monkey fist: a knot, with or without a weight enclosed, worked in the end of a heaving line to
form a heavy ball to facilitate throwing the line.
Oscar: Traditionally, the name given to the dummy employed for ship's "Man overboard" drills;
the flag hoisted by a ship to indicate a man/woman overboard.
Overhead: on a ship, equivalent to the ceiling of a building ashore; ships have overheads
rather than ceilings.
Pelican hook: hinged hook held in place by a ring; when the ring is knocked off, the hook
swings open.
Pelorus: navigational instrument used in taking bearings; consists of two sight vanes mounted
on a hoop revolving about a dumb compass or a gyro repeater.
Port: left side of the ship facing forward; a harbor; an opening in the ship's side. The usual
opening in the ship's side for light and air is also a port. The glass set in a brass frame that fits
against it is called a port light.
Quarterdeck: that part of the main (or other) deck reserved for honors and ceremonies and as
the station of the OOD in port.
Quarters: living space; assembly of the crew; all hands assembled at established stations for
muster, drills, or inspections.
Rate: grade of official standing of enlisted personnel. A rate identifies an enlisted member by
pay grade or level of advancement with a rating; a rate reflects level of aptitude, training,
Rating: name given to an enlisted occupational specialty that requires basically related
aptitudes, training, experience, knowledge, and skills.
Reeve: to pass the end of a rope through any lead, such as a sheave or fairlead.
Relative bearing: bearing or direction of an object in degrees in relation to the bow of the ship.
The bow of the ship is taken as 000 degrees and an imaginary circle is drawn clockwise
around the ship; objects are then reported as being along a line of bearing through any degree
division of this circle.
Relieving (the watch, the duty, etc.): to take over the duty responsibilities, as when one
sentry relieves another. Those who relieve are reliefs.
Scuttle: small opening through hatch, deck, or bulkhead to provide access; similar hole in side
or bottom of ship; cover for such an opening; to sink a ship intentionally by boring holes in the
bottom or by opening seacocks.
Sea lawyer: enlisted member who likes to argue; usually one who thinks the regulations and
standing orders can be twisted to favor his or her personal inclinations.
Secure: to make fast; to tie; an order given on completion of a drill, exercise or evolution,
meaning to withdraw from the corresponding stations and duties.
Shellback: person who has crossed the equator and been initiated.
Side boys: non-rated personnel manning the side when visiting senior officers or distinguished
visitors come aboard.
Single up: to reduce the number of mooring lines out to a pier preparatory to sailing; that is, to
leave only one easily cast off line in each place where mooring lines were doubled up for
greater security.
Sound: to measure depth of water by means of a lead line. Also, to measure depth of liquids
in oil tanks, voids, blisters, and other compartments or tanks.
Spring: mooring line leading at an angle of about 45 degrees off centerline of vessel; to turn a
vessel with a line.
Stem: upright post or bar at most forward part of the bow of a ship or boat. It may be a casting,
forging, welding, or made of wood.
Stopper: short length of rope or chain firmly secured at one end; used in securing or checking
a running line.
Tackle: arrangement of ropes and blocks to give mechanical advantage; a purchase, that is, a
rig of lines and pulleys to increase available hauling force. Pronounced "take-el".
Take a turn: to pass a turn around a cleat, bitts, or bollard with a line and hold on.
Toggle: wooden or metal pin slipped into a becket; furnishes a rapid release.
Topping lift: line used for topping a boom and taking its weight.
Two-blocked: when two blocks of a tackle have been drawn as closely together as possible.
Veer: to let anchor cable, line, or chain run out by its own weight. Also, when the wind changes
direction clockwise or to the right, it is said to veer.
Very well: reply of a senior (or officer) to a junior (or enlisted person) to indicate that
information given is understood, or that permission is granted.
Watchcap: knitted wool cap worn in cool or cold weather; canvas cover placed over a stack
when not in use.
Weather deck: portion of main, forecastle, poop, and upper deck exposed to weather.
Whipping: keeping the ends of a rope from unlaying, by wrapping with turns of twine and
tucking the ends.
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Last Modified on: May 19, 2003