Midship-flat, is the Floor-timber in the middle or greatest Part of the Ship, or what properly divides the Ship into two Halves.
Rake of the Post, what he declines from a Perpendicular.
Draught of Water, how many Foot and Inches any Ship is below the Surface of the Water.
Rake of the Stem, what projects forward from the straight Line of the Keel.
Stem, the fore-most Part of the Ship, as Stern post is the after-most, or hindermost Part of the Ship, that is fix'd intire to the Body.
Rabbit, a Gutter, or Channel in the Keel, Stem, and Stern-post, to receive, or fit in the out-side Plank.
Moulded, the Mark that is made on every Rib, or Timber, to fashion the Body of the Ship.
Thick-stuff, Timber cut into Plank thicker than four Inches.
Limber-boards, Planks fitted loose on each side the Kelson, in order to take up and put down, to clear the Limber-holes, which are Holes cut in the Floor-timbers; as Channels to let the Water in the Ship come to the Pumps.
Floor timbers, the Timbers of the first Floor in the Ship, or Seat of bearing.
Floor-line, the Line that shapes the Floor-timber.
Breadth-line, the Line, or Mark, that shapes the Ship at the breadth.
Rising-line, a Line that gives the lipping or rising of the Floor-timbers.
Sheering-line shews the shape of the Ship at the Wales and Channel-wales.
Scantling, the bigness or measure of the Parts.
Decks, the Floors, or Plans, the Guns are plac'd upon; whereof the there's first the Lower gun-deck, the Second-deck, and the Upper-deck, and Quarter-deck, Forecastle and Poop.
Poop-lanthorns, such as are plac'd at the aft-part of the Ship, to carry the Candles as Lights.
Bowsprit, a Mast standing out of the forpart, or Bow of the Ship, as some certain Angle, neither Level or Perpendicular.
Top-gallant-mast, such as stands on the Top-masts; as a Dress beyond the Top-masts.
Cheeks, Oak-pieces of Timber brought on of each side a Fir-mast, to save the same, and prevent the rubing or twisting.
Cap, a Piece of Elm put upon the Head of a Mast, to receive the Topmast, &c.
Cross-trees, and Tresle trees, are also Pieces of Oak brought on upon the Head of a Mast, to secure the Topmasts, and Top-gallant-masts.
Partners of the Masts, are almost in the same sense to joyn, and to help hold up the same.
Running ships, a Term for such Ships as are counted the lightest, and swiftest of the Ships.
Main-sail, the greatest Sail that belongs to the bigest Mast; as all Masts gives Names to its respective Sail.
Reeves, Holes made at the Heads of the Sails, to take them up, and lessen them when it over blows, or blows to [sic] hard.
Horn, is meant to lay the Beams exactly thwart the Ship, or of the Stern, to be exactly cross the Keel.
Gratings, are in the Nature of Lattice-windows.
Rails, imboss'd Pieces, to mark out the fashioning, or sheer of the Ship.
Fife-rail, the upper or smallest Rail.
Standing-rigging, such as is fix'd, or immoveable; as Running Rigging, such as is for managing, and traversing the Sails, and other uses of the Ship.
Planking, to cover the Timber with Plank.
Clamps, thicl Planks laying under the Beams of each Deck, to let the Beams into, or to help strengthen the Ship.
Strings, Planks thicker than those joyning to them; and are scor'd, to let the Timbers into them for strengthning.
By-hand, in the Seamen or Shipwrights Phrase, is meant one Man; as if I say, I can do such a piece of Work with ten Hands; that is, I can do it with ten Men.
Publick-ships, such as are belonging to the Royal navy; and Private-ships, such as are for Traffick, or Merchandising.
Docking a Ship, to put her into a Dock, in order to repair her.
Sheathing a Ship, to cover the bottom under Water with Board, Tar and Hair, to preserve her from the Worms.
Cock, a Piece brought on to help the Wants in the growth of Ship-timber.
Triming, dressing, or nicely fitting the Work of any kind, in building the Ship.
Frame timbers, such as are nicely fitted, and put up first, to guide the rest of the Body.
Cross-pillars, pieces of Timber, put cross, under the Beams of the Lower-deck, to support, in case the Ship comes to lay on the Ground.
Dubing, a Term made use of for working with the Adze, as Hewing is for working with an Axe.
Ship's-crew, the whole Company of Men in a Ship.
Transums, pieces of Timber that frames the Stern, lays a-thwart.
Calkers, such as drive in Oakam into the Seems, or Chinks of the Planks, to keep the Water out of the Ship.
Oakam, old Ropes untwisted again; and may be also call'd, old tar'd Hemp.
Planks, Timber parted by long Saws, and those that cut them are call'd Sawyers.
Block-makers, such as make the Pullies for the Ropes to be hal'd through.
Platerers, such as covers the Planks in the Wake of the Fire-place, to save from scorching.
Bow, the bending, or round Part of the Ship forward; as Buttock is the said Part at the After-end of the Ship.
Gunnel, the upper Part of the Ship's side.
Sheering-line, the upper fashioning Line, and lays a little below the Gunnel.
Buttock, the After-most round Part of the Ship.
Timbering, to place the Ribs of the Ship in their Places.
Lower deck, and Main-deck, to be understood the same.
Riders, large Pieces of Timber plac'd upon the Plank within board, to strengthen.
Knight-head-timbers, two large Timbers standing on each side the Bow-sprit, commonly with carv'd Faces.
Sleepers, thick Planks laying in the bottom of the Ship within board.
Spiling a Plank, to mark him out in order to work him.
Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius
Sj�historiska Samfundet | The Maritime History Virtual Archives | Etymology | Search.
Copyright © 2000 Lars Bruzelius.