The Seaman's Friend Part 28

TAIL-TACKLE. A watch-tackle. (See page 54.)

TAIL ON! or TALLY ON! An order given to take hold of a rope and pull.

TANK. An iron vessel placed in the hold to contain the vessel's water.

TAR. A liquid gum, taken from pine and fir trees, and used for caulking, and to put upon yarns in rope-making, and upon standing rigging, to protect it from the weather.

TARPAULIN. A piece of canva.s.s, covered with tar, used for covering hatches, boats, &c. Also, the name commonly given to a sailor's hat when made of tarred or painted cloth.

TAUT. Tight.

TAUNT. High or tall. Commonly applied to a vessel's masts.

_All-a-taunt-o._ Said of a vessel when she has all her light and tall masts and spars aloft.

TELL-TALE. A compa.s.s hanging from the beams of the cabin, by which the heading of a vessel may be known at any time. Also, an instrument connected with the barrel of the wheel, and traversing so that the officer may see the position of the tiller.

TEND. To watch a vessel at anchor at the turn of tides, and cast her by the helm, and some sail if necessary, so as to keep turns out of her cables.

TENON. The heel of a mast, made to fit into the step.

THICK-AND-THIN BLOCK. A block having one sheave larger than the other.

Sometimes used for quarter-blocks.

THIMBLE. An iron ring, having its rim concave on the outside for a rope or strap to fit snugly round.

THOLE-PINS. Pins in the gunwale of a boat, between which an oar rests when pulling, instead of a rowlock.

THROAT. The inner end of a gaff, where it widens and hollows in to fit the mast. (See JAWS.) Also, the hollow part of a knee.

The _throat_ brails, halyards, &c., are those that hoist or haul up the gaff or sail near the throat. Also, the angle where the arm of an anchor is joined to the shank.

THRUM. To stick short strands of yarn through a mat or piece of canva.s.s, to make a rough surface.

THWARTS. The seats going across a boat, upon which the oarsmen sit.

THWARTSHIPS. (See ATHWARTSHIPS.)

TIDE. To _tide up or down_ a river or harbor, is to work up or down with a fair tide and head wind or calm, coming to anchor when the tide turns.

TIDE-RODE. The situation of a vessel, at anchor, when she swings by the force of the tide. In opposition to _wind-rode_.

TIER. A range of casks. Also, the range of the fakes of a cable or hawser.

The _cable tier_ is the place in a hold or between decks where the cables are stowed.

TILLER. A bar of wood or iron, put into the head of the rudder, by which the rudder is moved.

TILLER-ROPES. Ropes leading from the tiller-head round the barrel of the wheel, by which a vessel is steered.

TIMBER. A general term for all large pieces of wood used in ship-building. Also, more particularly, long pieces of wood in a curved form, bending outward, and running from the keel up, on each side, forming the _ribs_ of a vessel. The keel, stem, stern-posts and timbers form a vessel's outer frame. (See PLATE 3.)

TIMBER-HEADS. (See PLATE 3.) The ends of the timbers that come above the decks. Used for belaying hawsers and large ropes.

TIMENOGUY. A rope carried taut between different parts of the vessel, to prevent the sheet or tack of a course from getting foul, in working ship.

TOGGLE. A pin placed through the bight or eye of a rope, block-strap, or bolt, to keep it in its place, or to put the bight or eye of another rope upon, and thus to secure them both together.

TOMPION. A bung or plug placed in the mouth of a cannon.

TOP. A platform, placed over the head of a lower mast, resting on the trestle-trees, to spread the rigging, and for the convenience of men aloft. (See PLATE 1.)

To _top_ up a yard or boom, is to raise up one end of it by hoisting on the lift.

TOP-BLOCK. A large iron-bound block, hooked into a bolt under the lower cap, and used for the top-rope to reeve through in sending up and down topmasts.

TOP-LIGHT. A signal lantern carried in the top.

TOP-LINING. A lining on the after part of sails, to prevent them from chafing against the top-rim.

TOPMAST. (See PLATE 1.) The second mast above the deck. Next above the lower mast.

TOPGALLANT MAST. (See PLATE 1.) The third mast above the deck.

TOP-ROPE. The rope used for sending topmasts up and down.

TOPSAIL. (See PLATE 2.) The second sail above the deck.

TOPGALLANT SAIL. (See PLATE 2.) The third sail above the deck.

TOPPING-LIFT. (See PLATE 1.) A lift used for topping up the end of a boom.

TOP TIMBERS. The highest timbers on a vessel's side, being above the futtocks. (See PLATE 3.)

TOSS. To throw an oar out of the rowlock, and raise it perpendicularly on its end, and lay it down in the boat, with its blade forward.

TOUCH. A sail is said to _touch_, when the wind strikes the leech so as to shake it a little.

_Luff and touch her!_ The order to bring the vessel up and see how near she will go to the wind.

TOW. To draw a vessel along by means of a rope.

TRAIN-TACKLE. The tackle used for running guns in and out.

TRANSOMS. (See PLATE 3.) Pieces of timber going across the stern-post, to which they are bolted.

TRANSOM-KNEES. Knees bolted to the transoms and after timbers.

TRAVELLER. An iron ring, fitted so as to slip up and down a rope.