Practical Boat-Sailing Part 14

GORING.--Cutting a sail obliquely.

GRANNY-KNOT.--A foul knot,--one not tied in a proper manner.

GRIPING.--When a yacht carries too great a weather-helm.

HALLIARDS.--Ropes or pulleys to hoist up sails.

HANDS.--The crew; i.e., "Send a hand aft here!" "All hands," all the crew. To "hand a sail," to furl it. "Bear a hand," hurry up to help.

Hand lead, instrument used for sounding.

HANDSOMELY.--Carefully.

HANKS.--Oval rings, fitted to work upon stays, to which the sail is lashed to be hoisted or lowered.

HATCHWAY.--A square hole in the deck that communicates with the hold.

TO HAUL.--To pull.

TO HAIL.--To call out to another ship; such as "What ship is that?"

TO HEEL.--To incline to one side; i.e., she heels over too much on account of a want of ballast.

HELM.--A tiller or wheel which controls the rudder.

TO HAUL HOME.--To pull the clew of any sail as far as it will go.

TOO HIGH.--The warning given to the helmsman when the yacht is too near the wind.

TO HITCH.--To make fast.

THE HOLD.--The s.p.a.ce under deck.

HULL.--The body of a yacht.

"IN IRONS."--A yacht is said to be "in irons" when she has lost steerage way from any cause, and will not obey the helm.

JACK-STAY.--A small bar of iron, or slat of wood, fastened to a spar, and to which the sail is bent.

TO JAM.--A knot is said to be jammed when it cannot be untied.

JUNK.--Old pieces of rope, canvas, &c.

JURY-MASTS.--Temporary masts used when others are carried away.

JIBING.--The act of pa.s.sing the main-boom from one side of the yacht to the other, whilst running before the wind.

KEEL.--That part of the yacht lowest in the water, and upon which all her superstructure is erected.

KINK.--A twist or turn in the rope.

TO LABOR.--A yacht is said to labor when she pitches and rolls heavily in a sea-way.

LAND-FALL.--Discovering the land.

LARBOARD.--The left side of the yacht, facing forward, now almost obsolete, _port_ having almost wholly taken its place; larboard having been found in practice to be too near in sound to its opposite starboard.

LAY AFT.--The command to come aft. "Lay aloft," to go up the rigging.

"Lay out," to go out, on the bowsprit, for instance. "Lay in," to come in.

LEACH.--The perpendicular border of a fore-and-aft sail.

LEE-LURCH.--When the yacht rolls heavily and suddenly to leeward.

LEE-Sh.o.r.e.--The coast-line to leeward of the yacht, on which the wind is blowing.

LEEWARD.--The direction towards which the wind is blowing.

LONG LEG.--A term used when the wind is not dead ahead, but so as to cause the yacht to make a long tack and a short one. Hence, to make "a long leg," and a short leg.

LOG.--The record of the yacht's performance each day of twenty-four hours, as concerns weather, courses, &c., kept in a log-book. "Heaving the log," to ascertain the speed by means of a log-line.

LOOMING.--The appearance of a distant object, such as another vessel, or the land, especially in foggy or misty weather, when it is said to loom, i.e., look larger, and appear nearer, than it really is.

LUBBER.--A person who is not a sailor,--a greenhorn.

LUFF.--An order to have the helmsman put the helm to leeward; the forward part of a fore-and-aft sail attached to the mast by hoops.

LYING TO.--Bringing the yacht to the wind under small sail, and lashing the helm a-lee, so that she may lie safely, and ride out the storm.

TO MOOR.--To secure the yacht by more than one anchor.

MOORINGS.--The place where the yacht is generally kept when in harbor, and denoted by a buoy, which watches over them.

NEAP-TIDES.--Those tides which occur when the moon is in her quarters; spring-tides being much higher, and occurring at the full and change.

TOO NEAR.--A warning to the helmsman that the sails are not quite full, and that he is steering a little too near the wind.

MAIN CHAINS.--Place on the yacht's side where the shrouds and backstays are fastened.

MISS-STAYS.--The act of failing to "go about" on the other tack.

MODEL.--The shape and form of the hull.

OFF AND ON.--Approaching the land on one tack, and leaving it on the other.

OFFING.--Out to sea, clear of all dangers, yet near the land; sea-room.

OVERBOARD.--Out of the yacht; in the water.