RANDOM SHOT. The extreme range to which a gun could send its shot, giving very uncertain results. REEF, to. To reduce the surface of a sail. RUDDER. A solid framework, pivoted at the stern of a vessel, which being turned to one side deflects her course. See "Helm" and "Wheel." SAILS. Sails are of two kinds: square, and fore and aft. Square sails spread more across the vessel, in the direction of her width. Fore and aft sails more in the direction of the length. Square sails are better for a free wind; and also for large vessels, because they can be more readily subdivided. Fore and aft sails trim nearer to the wind, and so are convenient for coasters, which generally are smaller. Vessels carrying square sails are called square-rigged. They have always two masts, usually three; each carrying three or four sails, one above the other. These are named from the mast on which they are carried (see “Spars"); e.g., main sail, fore topsail, mizzen topgallant-sail; and also from their positions on the same mast. Thus, from lowest up, main sail, main topsail, main topgallantsail; and main royal, if there be a fourth. The fore and main sails are called also courses. The topsails were the chief battle sails, because the largest, except the courses, and more manageable than the courses. All square-rigged vessels carry fore and aft sails, three cornered, stretched between the bowsprit and jib-booms, and the fore topmast. These sails are called jibs. Fore and aft vessels also carry jibs; but on each upright mast they have one great sail, the size of which makes it less easily handled in an emergency, therefore less fit for fighting. Above the big sail they have a small, light, three-cornered topsail, but this is merely a fair weather sail, useless in battle. Vessels of war were almost all square-rigged, with three masts. SAILS, STUDDING. ‘Light square sails, for moderate weather, extended beyond the other square sails, to increase the normal spread of canvas. Set only with a free wind, and never in battle. SCANTLING. The size, and consequent weight and strength, of the timbers of a vessel's hull. SHAKE, to. So to place a sail that the wind blows along it, neither filling nor backing. The sail is thus neutralized without taking in. SHARP-UP. A yard is sharp-up, when turned by the braces as far as the rigging of the mast will allow. A close-hauled course requires the yards to be sharp-up, in order that the sails may be full. SPARS. A spar is a long piece of timber, cylindrical, tapering, in masts, towards one end, and in yards towards both. Spars serve for spreading the several sails of a vessel. The names of spars vary with their use and position. Chiefly, for ships of war, they divide into masts, yards, and booms. A mast is an upright, and is in three connected pieces: the lower mast, the topmast, and the top-gallant-mast. Most ships of war had three such masts: fore, near the bow; main, near the centre; mizzen, near the stern. The bowsprit is also a mast; not upright, but projecting straight ahead from the bow, approaching horizontal, but inclining upwards. Like the masts, it has three divisions: the lower, or bowsprit proper, the jib-boom, and the flying-jib-boom. Across the masts, horizontal, are the yards, four in number, lower, topsail, topgallant, and royal. Yards are further designated by the name of the mast to which each belongs; e.g., foreyard, main topsail yard, mizzen topgallant yard, main royal yard. The bowsprit formerly had one yard, called the spritsail yard. This has disappeared. Otherwise it serves to spread the threecornered sails called jibs. These sails were useful for turning a vessel, because their projection before the centre gave them great leverage. Fore and aft vessels had no yards. See "Sails." SPRING. See p. 65, note. SQUARE-RIGGed. See "Sails" and "Spars." STAND, to. Used, nautically, to express movement and direction, e.g., "to stand toward the enemy," "to stand out of harbor," "to stand down," "to stand south." The underlying idea seems to be that of sustained, decided movement. STARBOARD. To the right hand, or on the right side, of a vessel, looking from aft forward. Opposite to Port. STEER, to. To control the course by the use of the helm and rudder. STERN. The extreme rear, or after, part of a vessel. the distribution and movements of armies, or of fleets, with reference to the objects of a campaign as a whole. STRIKE, to. Applied to the flag. To haul down the flag in token of surrender. TACK. A vessel is on the starboard tack, or port tack, according as the wind comes from the starboard or port hand. See p. 84, note. TACK, to. When a vessel is close-hauled, with the wind on one side, to tack is to turn round towards the wind, in order to be again close-hauled, with the wind on the other side. To wear is to attain the same object by turning away from the wind. Wearing is surer than tacking, but loses ground to leeward. To tack, or wear, in succession, the leading vessel tacks, and those which follow tack, each, as it arrives at the same point; the order thus remaining the same. To tack, or wear together, all tack at the same moment, which reverses the order. TACTICS. That department of the Art of War which decides the disposition and movements of an army, or of a fleet, on a particular field of battle, in presence of an enemy. TIDAL CURRENTS. Ebb tide, the outflow of the water due to the tides. Lee tide, the set of the current to leeward. Weather tide, the set of the current to windward. TIDE. The rise and fall of the water of the oceans under the influence of the moon. Used customarily, but inaccurately, to express the currents produced by the changes of level. High tide, or high water, the two highest levels of the day. Low tide, or low water, the two lowest. Neap tide the least rise and fall during the lunar month. Spring tide the greatest rise and fall during the same, being soon after full and change of moon. TRADE, the. A term applied to a body of merchant vessels, to or from a particular destination. TRADE WIND. A wind which blows uniformly from the same general direction throughout a fixed period. In the West Indies, from the northeast the year round. See also Monsoon." VEER. See "Cable." VESSEL. A general term for all constructions intended to float upon and move through the water. Specific definitions applicable to this book: Ship, a square-rigged vessel with three masts. Brig, a square-rigged vessel with two masts. Schooner, a fore and aft rigged vessel with two or more masts. Sloop, a fore and aft rigged vessel with one mast. See pp. 9, 15, 17. VESSELS OF WAR. Ship of the Line. A ship with three or more tiers of guns, of which two are on covered decks; that is, have a deck above them. See "Line of Battle Ship." Frigate. A ship with one tier of guns on a covered deck. Sloop of War. A ship, the guns of which are not covered, being on the upper (spar) deck. Sloops of war were sometimes brigs, but then were usually so styled. WAKE. The track left by a vessel's passage through the water. "In the wake of ": directly astern of. WAY. Movement through the water. "To get underway": to pass from stand-still to movement. WEAR, to. See under "Tack." WEATHER. Relative position to windward of another object. Opposite to Lee. Weather side, lee side, of a vessel; weather fleet, lee fleet; weather gage, lee gage (see "Gage"); weather shore, lee shore. WEATHER, to. To pass to windward of a vessel, or of any other object. WEATHERLY. The quality of a vessel which favors her getting, or keeping, to windward. WEIGH, to. To raise the anchor from the bottom. Used alone; e.g., "the fleet weighed." WHEEL. So called from its form. The mechanical appliance, a wheel, with several handles for turning it, by which power is increased, and also transmitted from the steersman on deck to the tiller below, in order to steer the vessel. WIND AND WATER, between. That part of a vessel's side which comes out of water when she inclines to a strong side wind, but otherwise is under water. WINDWARD. Direction from which the wind blows. YARD. See "Spars." |
