The Sailor's Word-Book Part 102

FOREIGN SERVICE. Vessels or forces stationed in any part of the world out of the United Kingdom. The opposite of _home service_.

FORELAND. A cape or promontory projecting into the sea: as the North and South Forelands. It is nearly the same with _headland_, only that forelands usually form the extremes of certain lines of sea-coast. Also, a s.p.a.ce left between the base of a ca.n.a.l bank, and an adjacent drainage cut or river, so as to favour the stability of the bank.

FORE-LIGHTROOM. _See_ LIGHT-ROOM.

FORELOCK. A flat pointing wedge of iron, used to drive through a mortise hole in the end of a bolt, to retain it firmly in its place. The forelock is sometimes twisted round the bolt's point to prevent its drawing. Also, spring-forelock, which expands as it pa.s.ses through.

FORELOCK-BOLTS. Those with an eye, into which an iron forelock is driven to retain them in place. When secured in this way, the bolt is said to be forelocked.

FORELOCKS. The pins by which the cap-squares of gun-carriages are secured.

FORE-MAGAZINE. _See_ MAGAZINE.

FORE-MAN AFLOAT. The dockyard officer in charge of the shipwrights working on board a ship not in dock.

FORE-MAST. The forward lower-mast in all vessels. (_See_ MAST.)

FORE-MAST MAN. From "before the mast." A private seaman as distinguished from an officer of a ship.

FOREMOST. Anything which is nearer to the head of a ship than another.

FORE-NESS. An old term for a promontory.

FORE-PART OF A SHIP. The bay, or all before the fore-hatches.

FORE-PEAK. The contracted part of a vessel's hold, close to the bow; close forward under the lower deck.

FORE-RAKE. That part of the hull which rakes beyond the fore-end of the keel.

FORE-REACH, TO. To shoot ahead, or go past another vessel, especially when going in stays: to sail faster, reach beyond, to gain upon.

FORERUNNER. A precursor, an avant-courier.

FORERUNNERS OF THE LOG-LINE. A small piece of red bunting laid into that line at a certain distance from the log, the s.p.a.ce between them being called the stray-line, which is usually from 12 to 15 fathoms, and is an allowance for the log to be entirely out of the ship's dead-water before they begin to estimate the ship's velocity, consequently the knots begin from that point. (_See_ LOG-LINE.)

FORE-SAIL. The princ.i.p.al sail set on the fore-mast. (_See_ SAIL.)

FORE-SHEET HORSE. An iron bar fastened at its ends athwart the deck before the mast of a sloop, for the foresail-sheet to traverse upon from side to side.

FORE-SHEETS OF A BOAT. The inner part of the bows, opposite to stern-sheets, fitted with gratings on which the bowman stands.

FORE-SHEET TRAVELLER. An iron ring which traverses along on the fore-sheet horse of a fore-and-aft rigged vessel.

FORE-SHIP. An archaic form of forecastle of a ship; it means the fore-part of a vessel.

FORE-SHROUDS. _See_ SHROUDS.

FORE-STAFF. An instrument formerly used at sea for taking the alt.i.tudes of heavenly bodies. The fore-staff, called also _cross-staff_, takes its name hence, that the observer in using it turns his face towards the object, in contradistinction to the back-staff, where he turns his back to the object. The fore or cross staff consists of a straight square staff, graduated like a line of tangents, and four crosses or vanes which slide thereon. The first and shortest of these vanes is called the ten cross or vane, and belongs to that side of the instrument whereon the divisions begin at 3 and end at 10. The next longer vane is called the thirty cross, belonging to that side of the staff on which the divisions begin at 10 and end at 30, called the thirty scale. The next is called the sixty cross, and belongs to that side where the divisions begin at 20 and end at 60. The last and longest, called the ninety cross, belongs to that side whereon the divisions begin at 30 and end at 90.

FORE-STAGE. The old name for forecastle.

FORE-STAY. _See_ STAY.

FORE-TACK. Weather tack of the fore-sail hauled to the fore-boomkin when on a wind.

FORE-TACKLE. A tackle on the fore-mast, similar to the _main-tackle_ (which see). It is used for similar purposes, and also in stowing the anchor, &c.

FORE-THWART. The seat of the bowman in a boat.

FORE-TOP. _See_ TOP.

FORETOP-GALLANT-MAST. _See_ TOPGALLANT-MAST, to which may be added its proper sail, yard, and studding-sail.

FORETOP-MAST. _See_ TOP-MAST.

FORETOP-MEN. Men stationed in the fore-top in readiness to set or take in the smaller sails, and to keep the upper rigging in order.

FORE-TYE. _See_ TYE.

FORE-YARD. (_See_ YARD.) For the yards, sails, rigging, &c., of the _top-mast_ and _topgallant-mast_ see those two articles.

FORFEITURE. The effect or penalty of transgressing the laws.

FORGE. A portable forge is to be found in every ship which bears a rated armourer; and it can be used either on board or ash.o.r.e.

FORGE AHEAD, TO. To shoot ahead, as in coming to an anchor--a motion or moving forwards. A vessel forges ahead when hove-to, if the tide presses her to windward against her canvas.

FORGING OVER. The act of forcing a ship violently over a shoal, by the effort of a great quant.i.ty of sail, steam, or other manuvre.

FORK-BEAMS. Short or half beams to support the deck where there is no framing, as in the intervention of hatchways. The _abeam arm fork_ is a curved timber scarphed, tabled, and bolted for additional security where the openings are large.

FORKERS. Those who reside in sea-ports for the sake of stealing dockyard stores, or buying them, knowing them to be stolen.

FORLORN HOPE. Officers and men detached on desperate service to make a first attack, or to be the first in mounting a breach, or foremost in storming a fortress, or first to receive the whole fire of the enemy.

Forlorn-hopes was a term formerly applied to the videttes of the army.

This ominous name (the _enfants perdus_ of the French) is familiarized into a better one among soldiers, who call it the _flowing-hope_.

Promotion is usually bestowed on the survivors.

FORMATION. The drawing up or arrangement of troops, or small-arm men, in certain orders prescribed as the basis of manuvres in general. Also, the particulars of a ship's build.

FORMER. The gunner's term for a small cylindrical piece of wood, on which musket or pistol cartridge-cases are rolled and formed. The name is also applied to the flat piece of wood with a hole in the centre used for making wads, but which is properly _form_.

FORMICAS. Cl.u.s.ters of small rocks [from the Italian for ants]. Also, Hormigas [Sp.]

FORMING THE LINE. _See_ LINE.

FORMING THE ORDER OF SAILING. _See_ SAILING, ORDER OF.