The Sailor's Word-Book Part 235

STRAY LINE OF THE LOG. About 10 or 12 fathoms of line left unmarked next the log-ship, in order that it may get out of the eddy of the ship's wake before the measuring begins, or the gla.s.s is turned.

STRAY-MARK. The mark at the junction of the stray and log lines.

STREAM. Anglo-Saxon for _flowing water_, meaning especially the middle or most rapid part of a tide or current.

STREAM-ANCHOR. A smaller one by two-thirds than the bowers, and larger than the kedges, used to ride steady, or moor with occasionally. In certain cases it is used for warping.

STREAM-CABLE. A hawser smaller than the lower cables, and used with the stream-anchor to moor the ship in a sheltered river or haven; it is now more generally a small chain.

STREAMER. Formerly described thus:--"A streamer shall stand in the toppe of a shippe, or in the forecastle, and therein be putt no armes, but a man's conceit or device, and may be of the length of 20, 30, 40, or 60 yardes."

STREAM-ICE. A collection of pieces of drift or bay ice, joining each other in a ridge following in the line of current. (_See_ SEA-STREAM.)

STREAM-LAKE. One which communicates with, the sea by means of a river.

STREAM THE BUOY, TO. To let the buoy fall from the after-part of the ship's side into the water, preparatory to letting go the anchor, that it may not foul the buoy-rope as it sinks to the bottom.

STREMES. An old English word for "the rays of the sun."

STRENGTH. In naval architecture, means giving the various pieces of a ship their proper figures, so that by their combination and disposition they may be united into a firm and compact frame. In regimental affairs it implies merely the number of men actually serving.

STRENGTH OF THE TIDE. Where it runs strongest, which in serpentine courses will be found in the hollow curves.

STRESS. Hard pressure by weather or other causes. Stress of weather often compels a ship to put back to the port whence she sailed.

STRETCH. A word frequently used instead of tack; as, "We shall make a good stretch."--_To stretch._ To sail by the wind under a crowd of canvas.

STRETCH ALONG A BRACE, TO. To lay it along the decks in readiness for the men to lay hold of; called _manning it_.

STRETCHER. _See_ SHEER-POLE.

STRETCHERS. Narrow pieces of wood placed athwart the bottom of a boat, for the rowers to place their feet against, that they may communicate greater effort to their oars. Also, cross-pieces placed between a boat's sides to keep them apart when hoisted up and griped. Colloquially, a _stretcher_ means a lie exaggerated to absurdity.

STRETCH OUT! In rowing, is the order to pull strong; to bend forward to the utmost.

STRICTLAND. An archaic term for an isthmus.

STRIKE, TO. A ship strikes when she in any way touches the bottom. Also, to lower anything, as the ensign or top-sail in saluting, or as the yards, topgallant-masts, and top-masts in a gale. It is also particularly used to express the lowering of the colours in token of surrender to a victorious enemy.

STRIKE DOWN! The order to lower casks, &c., into the hold.

STRIKERS. Men furnished with harpoons or grains to attack fish; hence the term _dolphin-striker_ (which see), where these men place themselves.

STRIKE SOUNDINGS, TO. To gain bottom, or the first soundings, by the deep-sea lead, on coming in from sea.

STRING [Anglo-Saxon _straeng_]. In ship-building, a strake within side, const.i.tuting the highest range of planks in a ship's ceiling, and it answers to the sheer-strake outside, to the scarphs of which it gives strength.

STRINGERS. A name sometimes applied to _shelf-pieces_ (which see). Also, heavy timber similarly carried round a ship to fortify her for special heavy service, as whaling, &c.

STRIPPED TO THE GIRT-LINE. All the standing-rigging and furniture having been cleared off the masts in the course of dismantling.

STRIPPING. An inconvenient fault of many lead-coated projectiles--the throwing off portions of their coating on discharge from the gun.

STRIP THE MASTS, TO. To clear the masts of their rigging.

STROKE. A pull or single sweep of the oars in rowing; hence the order, "Row a long stroke," which is intended to move the boat forward more steadily.

STROKE-OAR. The aftermost oar in a boat, from which the others take their time.

STROKE OF THE SEA. The shock occasioned to a vessel by a heavy sea striking her.

STROKE-SIDE OF A BOAT. That in which the after starboard rowlock is placed, or where the after oar is rowed if single-banked.

STROKESMAN. The man who rows the aftmost oar in a boat.

STROM. An archaism of storm or tempest.

STROMBOLO. Bits of ampelite or cannel-coal found on our southern coasts, charged with bitumen, sulphur, and salt. The name is referred to the Island of Stromboli, but the Brighton people insist that it is from the Flemish _strom-bollen_, meaning stream or tide b.a.l.l.s.

STRONG-BACK. The same with _Samson's post_ (which see). Also, an adaptation of a strong piece of wood over the windla.s.s, to lift the turns of a chain-cable clear of it.

STRONG BREEZE. That which reduces a ship to double-reefed top-sails, jib, and spanker.

STRONG GALE. That strength of wind under which close-reefed top-sails and storm-staysails are usually carried when close-hauled.

STROP, OR STRAP. A piece of rope, spliced generally into a circular wreath, and used to surround the body of a block, so that the latter may be hung to any particular situation about the masts, yards, or rigging.

Strops are also used occasionally to fasten upon any large rope for the purpose of hooking a tackle to the eye or double part of the strop, in order to extend or pull with redoubled effort upon the same rope; as in setting up the rigging, where one hook of the tackle is fixed in a strop applied to the particular shroud, and the other to its laniard.

STROP-BOUND BLOCK. A single block used in the clue of square-sails for the clue-lines to lead through; it has a shoulder left on each side to prevent the strop from chafing.--_Iron-strop_, a hoop of iron, in lieu of rope, round the sh.e.l.l of a block.

STRUCK BY A SEA. Said of a ship when a high rolling wave breaks on board of her.

STRUT. A stanchion or sustaining prop to the lower beams.

STUBB, OR DOGG. The lower part of a rainbow visible towards the horizon, and betokening squally weather: it is fainter than the wind-gall. On the banks of Newfoundland they are considered precursors of clearer weather, and termed fog-dogs.

STUD, OR BAR. A small piece of cast-iron introduced across the middle of each link of the larger chain-cables, where, acting as a strengthener, it prevents collapse, and keeps the links endways to each other.

STUDDING-SAIL BOOM. A spar rigged out for the purpose of setting a studding-sail, and taking its name from the sail it belongs to.

STUDDING-SAILS. Fine-weather sails set outside the square-sails; the term "scudding-sails" was formerly used.--_Top-mast and top-gallant studding-sails._ Those which are set outside the top-sails and topgallant-sails. They have yards at the head, and are spread at the foot by booms, which slide out on the extremities of the lower and top-sail yards, and their heads or yards are hoisted up to the top-sail and top-gallant yard-arms.

STUDDING-SAIL YARD. The spar to which the head of the studding-sail is extended.

STUFF. A _coat of stuff_, a term used for any composition laid on to ships' spars, bottom, &c. Also, square timber of different thicknesses.

STUFFING-BOX. A contrivance on the top of a steam cylinder-cover, packed with hemp, and kept well soaked with tallow, to prevent steam from pa.s.sing through while the piston-rod is working.

STUMP. A derogatory but well-known name in navigating our eastern coasts for the beautiful tower of Boston church. (_See_ SNAGS.)