Glossary Of Nautical Terms

ARQUEBUSSES Old fashioned blunderbusses about 3" bore for scouring the deck with shot, nails or metal parts; murderous at close range.

B. P. Between perpendiculars; from stem to stern post.

BEAKHEAD That part of the fore deck extending beyond the stem head.

BOARDING Vertical planks overside for boarding an enemy ship, obsolete after 1591.

SKEDS BONNETS Sail extensions that were laced to the foot of all sails in light or moderate winds.

BROAD PENNANT A forked white pennant flown at the masthead to denote an Admiral on board.

CARTHAPINS Rope lashings between mast and shrouds.

CHANNELS DEMI Chain plates that fasten the dead eyes to the hull.

CULVERINS The fourth heaviest gun of the Stuart period, exceeded only by the demi cannon 30 Ib. shot; cannon-perrier 24 Ib. shot, and culverins 17 Ib. shot.

EUPHOES Old time vertical blocks with two or more sheaves.

FALCONS The smallest cannon used for bow or stern chasers.
 
GROUND TACKLE GAMMONINGS The ropes attached to the anchor. Rope lashings to secure the bowsprit to the stem knee. Inside the bulwarks or railings.

GROUND TACKLE GAMMONINGS The outer sides of a square sail.

MARTNETS The after fore and aft sail on the mizzen used for steering the ship. Distinct from propelling sails. Lines rove through the euphoes and fastened to the leeches of square sails for clewing up the sail from the deck.

ORIFLAMES The red lanterns on the taffrail of the leading ship hence "Follow my oriflames."

POOP DECK The deck farthest aft.

QUARTER DECK The deck between the poop and the main deck.

ROBANDS Lines used to lace a sail to the yard.

RATLINES The horizontal lines that form the ladder up the shrouds.

SPRIT-SAIL The balancing sail under the bowsprit to keep the ship's head up.

SHIPPE OR SHIP The word shippe is used to denote a full rigger or galleon. Ship is used in the collective sense to denote vessels of any rig or size.

SHROUDS The multiple stays from the mast to the sides of the ship.

SAKERS A small 5 Ib. shot cannon for short range.

STERN WALK A railed-in walk around the stern of the ship. That part of the stem which supports the beak-head.

STEM KNEE A tackle on the mainstay used for hoisting purposes.

STAY GARNET The second square sail from the deck.

TOPSAIL Top gallant; the third square sail from the deck.

T. GALLANT The inward slope of the ship above the waterline.

TUMBLE HOME WALES Fore and aft timbers outside the hull to protect the ship from collision.

WHIPSTAFF A long steering lever with a forked end which gripped the tiller below decks.

WINDING TACKLES Falls fastened to the main stay to hoist shot from lower decks.

WITHE RODS Tough roots of trees found in the marshes or ponds.

WOLDINGS Rope bands around the masts and bowsprit to strengthen them.

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