The Sailor's Word-Book Part 34

BOLOTO. A small boat of the Philippines and Moluccas.

BOLSTERS. Small cushions or bags of tarred canvas, used to preserve the stays from being chafed by the motion of the masts, when the ship pitches at sea. Pieces of soft wood covered with canvas, placed on the trestle-trees, for the eyes of the rigging to rest upon, and prevent a sharp nip. Also pieces of oak timber fayed to the curvature of the bow, under the hawse-holes, and down upon the upper cheek, to prevent the cable from rubbing against the cheeks.--_Bolsters_ for sheets, tacks, &c., are small pieces of fir or oak, fayed under the gunwale, or other part, with the outer surface rounded to prevent chafing.--_Bolsters_, for the anchor lining. Solid pieces of oak bolted to the ship's side at the fore part of the fore-chains on which the stanchions are fixed that receive the anchor lining.

BOLT. A cylindrical pin of iron or copper to unite the different parts of a vessel, varied in form according to the places where they are required. In ship-building square ones are used in frame-fastening; the heads of all bolts are round, saucer, or collared.--_Bolt of the irons_, which runs through three pairs of shackles.--_Drift_ or _drive-bolts_ are used to drive out others.--_Bay-bolts_, have jags or barbs on each side, to keep them from flying out of their holes.--_Clench-bolts_ are clenched with rivetting hammers.--_Fend_ or _fender bolts_, made with long and thick heads, and struck into the outermost bends of the ship, to save her sides from bruises.--_Forelock-bolts_ have at the end a forelock of iron driven in, to keep them from starting back.--_Set-bolts_ are used for forcing the planks, and bringing them close together.--_Ring-bolts_ are used for the bringing to of the planks, and those parts whereto are fastened the breeches and tackle of the guns.--_Scarp-bolts_ and _keel-bolts_, pointed, not clinched, used for false keel or temporary purposes.--_Bringing-to bolts_, fitted with an eye at one end, and a nut and screw at the other, for bringing to the ends at the stem, &c.--_To bolt_, to start off, to run away.

BOLT-BOAT. An old term for a boat which makes good weather in a rough sea.

BOLTING TIMBERS. Those on each side of the stem, continued up for the security of the bowsprit. (_See_ KNIGHT-HEADS.)

BOLT OF CANVAS. The piece or roll of 39 yards in which it is supplied, but which usually measure about 40 yards in length; it is generally from 22 to 30 inches wide.

BOLT-ROPE. A rope sewed all round the edge of the sail, to prevent the canvas from tearing. The bottom part of it is called the foot-rope, the sides leech-ropes, and if the sail be oblong or square the upper part is called the head-rope; the stay or weather rope of fore-and-aft sails is termed the luff.

BOLTROPE-NEEDLE. A strong needle for st.i.tching the sail to the bolt-ropes.

BOLT-SPRIT. _See_ BOWSPRIT.

BOLT-STRAKE. Certain strakes of plank which the beam fastenings pa.s.s through.

BOLT-TOE. The c.o.c.k of a gun-lock.

BOMB [formerly _bomber_, from _bomba_]. The mortar of bomb-vessels.

BOMB OR MORTAR VESSELS. Small ships fortified for throwing bombs into a fortress; said to be the invention of M. Reyneau, and to have been first used at the bombardment of Algiers in 1682. Until then it had been judged impracticable to bombard a place from the sea.

BOMBALO. A delicate kind of sand-eel taken in quant.i.ties at Bombay.

BOMBARD. A piece of ordnance, anciently in use before the introduction of more complete cannon with improved gunpowder, propelling iron b.a.l.l.s.

Its bore, for the projection of stone shot, sometimes exceeded 20 inches in diameter, but was short; its chamber, for containing the powder-charge, being about as long, but much narrower both within and without. There were also very diminutive varieties of it. It has been vaguely called by some writers _basilisk_, and by the Dutch _donderba.s.s_. Used to a.s.sail a town, fortress, or fleet, by the projection of sh.e.l.ls from mortars. It was also the name of a barrel, or large vessel for liquids; hence, among other choice epithets, Prince Henry calls that "tun of man," Falstaff, a "huge bombard of sack." Also, a Mediterranean vessel, with two masts like the English ketch.

BOMB-BED BEAMS. The beams which support the bomb-bed in bomb-vessels.

BOMB-BEDS. _See_ BED OF A MORTAR.

BOMBO. Weak cold punch.

BOMB-Sh.e.l.l. A large hollow ball of cast-iron, for throwing from mortars (distinguished by having ears or lugs, by which to lift it with the sh.e.l.l-hooks into the mortar), and having a hole to receive the fuze, which communicates ignition to the charge contained in the sh.e.l.l. (_See_ FUZE.)

BOME-SPAR [a corruption of _boom_]. A spar of a larger kind.

BOMKIN. _See_ b.u.mKIN.

BONA FIDE. In good faith; without subterfuge--_Bona fides_ is a condition necessary to ent.i.tle to the privilege of pre-emption in our admiralty courts.

BONAVENTURE. The old outer mizen, long disused.

BONDING. _See_ WAREHOUSING SYSTEM.

BONDING-POND. An inclosed s.p.a.ce of water where the tide flows, for keeping timber in.

BOND-MAN. A harsh method in some ships, in keeping one man bound for the good behaviour of another on leave.

BOND OF BOTTOMRY. An authority to borrow money, by pledging the keel or bottom of the ship. (_See_ BOTTOMRY.)

BONE, TO. To seize, take, or apprehend. A ship is said to carry a bone in her mouth and cut a feather, when she makes the water foam before her.

BON GRACE. Junk-fenders; for booming off obstacles from a ship's sides or bows. (_See_ BOWGRACE.)

BONITO. The _Thynnus pelamys_, a fish of the s...o...b..r family, commonly about 2 feet long, with a sharp head, small mouth, full eyes, and a regular semi-lunar tail.

BONI-VOCHIL. The Hebridean name for the great northern diver (_Colymbus glacialis_).

BONNET. An additional part laced to the foot of the jibs, or other fore-and-aft sails, in small vessels in moderate weather, to gather more wind. They are commonly one-third of the depth of the sails they belong to. Thus we say, "Lace on the bonnet," or "Shake off the bonnet."

Bonnets have lately been introduced to secure the foot of an upper-topsail to a lower-topsail yard. The unbonnetted sail is for storm service. Bonnet, in fortification, is a raised portion of the works at any salient angle, having the same plan, but 10 or 12 feet more command than the work on which it is based. It a.s.sists in protecting from enfilade, and affords a plunging fire.

BONNET-FLOOK. A name of the well-known flat-fish, brill, pearl, or mouse-dab; the _Pleuronectes rhombus_.

BONXIE. The Shetland name for the skua-gull (_Cataractes vulgaris_).

Also a very general northern term for sea-birds.

BONY-FISH. One of the names of the hard-head (which see).

b.o.o.bY. A well-known tropical sea-bird, _Sula fusca_, of the family _Pelecanidae_. It is fond of resting out of the water at night, even preferring an unstable perch on the yard of a ship. The name is derived from the way in which it allows itself to be caught immediately after settling. The direction in which they fly as evening comes on often shows where land may be found.

b.o.o.bY-HATCH. A smaller kind of companion, but readily removable; it is in use for merchantmen's half decks, and lifts off in one piece.

BOOK. A commercial term for a peculiar packing of muslin, bast, and other stuffs.--_Brought to book_, made to account.

BOOKING. A reprimand.

BOOKS. (_See_ SHIP'S BOOKS.) Official doc.u.ments.

BOOM. A long spar run out from different places in the ship, to extend or boom out the foot of a particular sail; as, jib-boom, flying jib-boom, studding-sail booms, driver or spanker boom, ringtail-boom, main-boom, square-sail boom, &c. A ship is said to come booming forwards when she comes with all the sail she can make. Boom also denotes a cable stretched athwart the mouth of a river or harbour, with yards, top-masts, or stout spars of wood lashed to it, to prevent the entrance of an enemy.--_To top one's boom_, is to start off.--_To boom off_, to shove a boat or vessel away with spars.

BOOMAGE. A duty levied to compound for harbour dues, anchorage, and soundage.

BOOM-BOATS. Those stowed on the booms.

BOOM-BRACE PENDANT. A rope attached to the extremity of a studding-sail boom, and leading down on deck; it is used to counteract the pressure of the sail upon the boom.

BOOM-COVER. The tarpaulin, or painted, cover over the spars.

BOOMING. Sound of distant guns; it is often, but wrongly, applied to the hissing or whistling of shot.

BOOM-IRONS. Are metal rings fitted on the yard-arms, through which the studding-sail booms traverse; there is one on each top-sail yard-arm, but on the lower yards a second, which opens to allow the boom to be triced up; it is one-fourth from the yard-arms, and holds down the heel of the boom when it is rigged out.

BOOM-JIGGER. A tackle used in large ships, for rigging out or running in the top-mast studding-sail booms.

BOOMKIN. _See_ b.u.mKIN.