The Bosun´s Mate Glossary of Terms

Shorthand Acronym for a GPS equipped EPIRB

1. To throw Overboard.

2. To expell or otherwise remove.

At right angles to the fore-and-aft Line of the Boat; rowboat seats are generally positioned Athwartships.

Shanties are the work songs that were used on tall ships. Their rhythms coordinated the efforts of many sailors hauling on Lines and helped to Ease the hard work.

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"

A quick release Knot used primairly for furling sails. Similar to the Sheet Bend, but finished by passing a Bight rather then the free end when finishing the Knot.

Many ships would have a supply of short Lines already having a Bight spliced in one end to used for creating Sail ties.

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...

The motion of a Ship when she sways from to the right or left.

A figure with the complete 360° directional system displayed as a circle with each degree graduated upon it, and with the 0° indicated as True North. Also called true rose. This is printed on nautical charts to indicate the reference direction.

A disturbed column of water around and behind a pleasure craft as it makes its way through the water. It includes both the charastic "V" shaped wave pattern and the turbulent wated thrown Back by the propellers.

A detailed look: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/jul2001/994688283.Ph.r.html

Also Boatswain, bos´n, bo´s´n, and bo´sun, all of which are pronounced Bosun. A crew member responsible for keeping the Hull, Rigging and sails in good repair.

With the straightforward meaning of being in a troublesome spot, the interesting thing is the origin of this expression.

The deep blue sea part is obvious - but in this case the "devil" is not the scary guy with horns but the Hull plank closest to the waterline where barnacles and marine growth gather the heaviest.

The crew on long voyages would always spend time maintaining the Ship and scraping the growth off this area was one of the nastiest of jobs.

Both due to the fact t...

1) To Secure or bind something using Rope or twine.

A large, light-weather headsail set in place of the working Jib; generally used for reaching, but rarely seen today.

A nickname for British ships 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.

A Spar usually fixed horizontally to a Mast that supports a Sail.

1. Rope used for various purposes Aboard Ship.

2. The design drawings of a vessel, normally consisting of three diagrams: the sheer plan: showing the longitudnal vertical section of the Ship; the body plan: showing the vertical cross sections; and the half-bredth plan: showing the longitudnal transverse section at the deckline.

3. A collective term referring to the design of the Ship "she has good lines"

Used in meteorology to describe bounderies between hot and cold air masses. This is typically where bad weather is found.