Compiled by Peter Monks
 

A.1.	The highest class in Lloyd's Register of Shipping.
A.B.	Able bodied or fully qualified seaman.
Aback	The position of sails when the wind is on the wrong side of them.
Abaft	On the after side or behind.  Towards the stern of the vessel.
Abaft the Beam	Within four points (45 degrees)behind abeam.
Abeam	At right angles to the centre of the ship's fore and aft line outside the vessel.
Able Seaman	See A.B.
About - Putting	Turning a ship on her heel to put her on the other tack.
Above Board	A nautical expression for straightforwardness or dealing.
Abox	When sails on one mast are aback.
Accommodation Ladder	A wooden stairway rigged at the gangway for use in smooth water.
Act of God	See perils beyond human control.
Adrift	Floating in a helpless condition.
Advance Note	A note usually for a month's wages, advanced to a seaman when signing on.
Ahead	In front of the vessel.
A-Hull	The situation of a vessel when she lies with all sails furled and her helm lashed a-lee.
A?ele / A-Lee   Leeward..	Opposite direction from that which the wind blows.
All ATaunto/Shipshape and Bristol Fashion	Everything set up and shipshape.
Alleyways	Narrow covered in passages.
Aloft	Up above on the masts or yards.
Anchor Light	A single white light hoisted forward when a ship is moored.
Anchor Watch	The watch kept when a vessel is moored to a buoy or anchored.
Answer	The response by a vessel to the action of her helm.
Apeak	When the cable is up and down and before the anchor is broken out.
Arming	Soap or grease put into bottom of deep sea lead to enable it to indicate character of seabed by bringing up a sample.
Articles	The agreement between the shipowner and the crew with regard to the condition of the voyage.
Astern	Behind the vessel.
Athwartships	At right angles to a vessel's fore and aft line inside the vessel.  (See Abeam)
Avast   Stop.	Avast hauling–stop hauling.
Awash	Level with the surface of the water.
Aweigh	When the anchor is off the bottom.
Back and Fill	To get the wind first on the fore side of the sails and then on the aft side and therefore a general simile for indecision.
Backed	When the wind changes anti-clockwise.
Backing	Wind–when the wind shifts against the sun.  With the sun it is ‘Hauling’.
Ballast	Sufficient weight in the bottom of a vessel to prevent her capsizing.
Bare Poles	A ship with no sails set has bare poles.
Bark / Barque	A three masted vessel having square sails on fore and main masts and a spanker on the mizzen.
Batten Down	To secure hatch tarpaulins round the coamings by means of long flat bars and wedges.
Beams	Heavy timbers stretched across the vessel to support her decks.
Beam Ends	A vessel lying so far over on her side as to be out of control.
Bearing	The direction of an object from a vessel.
Beating	To sail as close as possible in the direction of the wind is coming and continually tacking.
Before the Beam	Within four points (45 degrees)forward of a beam.  Between this and straight ahead it is the port or starboard bow.
Belay	To make fast a rope, wire etc.
Belaying Pin Soup	The system holding in the old time sailing ships of maintaining discipline by laying out a man at the slightest pretext.
Bend	To bend is to fasten off. To connect the sail to the jackstay, knot two ropes together.
Berth	A cabin or apartment.  An anchorage or place alongside a wharf for a vessel.
Berthage	Charges for a ship’s berth alongside.
Bight	A loop or slack length in the middle of a rope.
Bilge	The round bottom of a ship.
Bilge Keels	Or rolling chocks–narrow keels along the curve of a bilge to reduce rolling.
Binnacle	The stand which supports the compass.
Bitts	Short iron or wooden posts strongly bolted to the deck for making fast heavy ropes or wires.
Block	An iron or wooden shell enclosing one or more sheaves (pulleys).
Blue Peter	A blue and white center flag hoisted at fore masthead of a ship on the day of sailing.  “P” in the International code.
Boatswain’s Chair	Swing seat suspended by a strong line used for working on stays, shrouds or parts of mast not in reach of the rigging.
Bobstays	Stays or chains used to steady the bowsprit down to the stem or cutwater.
Bogey	The closed in stove used in the forecastle or half deck.
Bolt Ropes	Ropes stitched round the edges of sails to strengthen them.
Boom	A spar used to extend the foot of a fore-and-aft or studding sail.
Bower Anchors	The two anchors in general use. A corruption of “Bow” anchors.
Bowline	A line used when close hauled for steadying the weather leach of the lower square sails.
Bowse	To bowse is to haul in utmost possible slack of the rope or wire.
Bowsprit	A large strong spar standing out from the bows of a vessel used to support parts of the rigging.
Boxing the Compass	To name the points of the compass in their proper order.
Boxing Yards	To haul the yards right round from one tack into another.
Braces	The ropes by which the yards are trimmed or turned to the wind.
Brails	Ropes used for hauling certain fore and aft sails into the mast.
Bread Barge	Box in which ship’s biscuit is kept in forecastle or half deck. Biscuit is always 'bread,' bread itself is 'soft tack'.
Break Bulk	To commence discharging cargo.
Breaker	A small water cask.  Part of a ship’s boat equipment.
Breaking Off	When the wind draws more ahead and a vessel cannot keep on her original course she is said to be breaking off.
Bream	To clean a ship’s bottom by burning off weed.
Breast Ropes	Moorings from forward and quarter pipes to keep a vessel close alongside the wharf.
Brigantine	A two-masted square rigged vessel.  A brig.
Brightwork	The varnished wooden fittings round the decks of a vessel.
Bring Up	To come to anchor.
Broach To	Vessel suddenly coming up to the wind after running before it caused by faulty steering or the following sea.
Broadside	The full length of a vessel’s side.
Bulk Cargo	Cargo such as coal etc. which is not in bags.
Bulkhead	Any partition between compartments.
Bull Rope	Rope rove through block at bowsprit end down to the mooring buoy to keep it clear of stem of the vessel.
Bulwarks	The boarding along the sides of a vessel forming a parapet.
Bumpkin	A stiff iron bar or spar projecting from ship’s side aft to which brace lead blocks or in the case of a yawl, the mizzen sheets are made fast.
Bunkers	The space used for keeping the ship’s supply of coal in.
Bunt	The middle part of a square sail when furled.
Buntlines	The ropes used for hauling up the fore of a square sail.
By The Head	Said of a vessel when her bows are lower in the water than her stern.  Opposite to by the stern.
Cable	A heavy rope or chain used to anchor or secure a vessel.
Cable Tier	That part of a vessel where anchor cables are stowed.
Cabs	Wooden shelters with windows at the end of a steamer’s upper bridge.
Cant	To incline.
Cape Horn Fever	A term for malingering in cold and wet weather.
Careen	To haul a vessel onto her side in shallow water or on a beach in order to clean or repair the hull.
Carry Away	To break a rope spar etc.
Cascabel	The heavy round knob at the rear end of a cannon.
Cat Walk	Narrow platform around the funnel not very often fitted.  Also a narrow grating platform in the engine room.
Cathead	A stout projection from the forecastle head to which the anchor is secured.
Caulk	To fill the seams of the deck with oakum and pitch.
Chain Hook	A long shanked iron hook for handling cable.
Chain Locker	The place below the windlass where the cables are stowed.
Chain Plates	Plates of iron bolted to the side of a vessel to carry the chains and dead-eyes of the lower standing rigging.
Chanties	Songs and choruses sung while heaving up the anchor or hoisting yards.  Properly “Shanties”.
Chock-A-Block	Full up.
Chocks	Wooden beds for boats to rest on when in board.  Odd pieces of wood used for blocking off heavy weights to prevent them shifting.
Claw Off	To beat off a (usually dangerous)lee shore.
Clews	The lower corners of square sails and the after corners of fore and aft sails.
Clinker (or Clencher)	Boat or ship construction using overlapping planks.  Also known as lapstrakes.
Close Hauled	Steering as close to the course as the wind will allow keeping the weather clew of the upper sail lifting.
Coamings	The raised edge around the hatchways.
Come About	To tack to alter course so as to turn into and through wind to bring the wind on the other side of the vessel.
Companionway	Originally skylight of cabins below quarterdeck. Later, covering over access to below now used for ladder or stairs.
Conning	Directing the steering of a ship.
Counter	That part of a vessel between the bottom of her stern and the wing transom and buttock.
Course	The direction steered by a vessel.
Cracking On	Carrying the greatest amount of sail possible under the circumstances.
Crank	A vessel is crank when inclined to lean over so that she cannot carry much sail.
Cringle	Iron thimbles or rings in the boltropes of a sail.
Cross–Jack	(Pronounced cro-jack) the crossjackyard is the lower yard on the mizzen mast.
Crown	Where the arms and shank of an anchor join.
Cut-Water	The foremost part of a vessel’s prow.
Davits	Curved iron stanchions for hoisting boats in and out.
Deckhead	The underside of the deck above.
Dead Horse	The first month out when seamen are working off the advance of wages they had prior to sailing.
Deadeyes	Rounded blocks of hardwood for taking the lanyards used for setting up the rigging.  Looking like a monkey’s face
Dead-Reckoning	Estimating position by course and speed current and leeway alone.
Deck Lights	Thick glasses let in level with the deck.
Deep Sea Lead	Or “dipsey” lead.  A heavy lead used for taking soundings in deep water.
Derricks	Booms for handling cargo.
Doctor	The complimentary name for the ship’scook.  “Slushey” is one of the many which are the reverse.
Dodger	A strip of canvas along the bridge of a steamer to afford additional protection to the officer on watch.
Dog Vane	A strip of bunting mounted on the truck to show the direction from which the wind is blowing.
Dog Watches	From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (known as ‘first’ and ‘last’)
Doldrums	The belt of calms and light airs about the equator.
Dolly Winch	A portable hand winch used in sailing ships to handle cargo.
Donkey	The boiler which supplies steam to the windlass winches and other auxiliary machinery.
Donkey’s Breakfast	A sailors mattress.
Doublings	The portions of the upper and lower mast which are alongside one another in a fore and aft line.
Downhauls	Lines for hauling down fore and aftsails.
Draught	The depth of the bottom of the vessel’s keel from the water line.
Drawbucket	A canvass bag with the mouth kept open with a wire loop used for drawing-up water from over the side.
Drop	The depth of a sail from head to foot amidships.
Dry Dock	A dock from which the water can be pumped out leaving a vessel completely dry.
Dunnage	Pieces of wood on floor of vessel to keep cargo from being damaged by water. Sailors' terms for seagoing clothes.
Escutcheons	Ornamental wooden badges on the bows of a ship’s boats.
Embayed	When through stress of weather or poor windward performance vessel is unable to beat out of a bay.
Ensign	The flag of the nation to which a vessel belongs.
Fairleads	Small blocks of hard wood with holes through on the rigging for leading running gear to keep it steady. Any iron contrivance so designed.
False-Keel	Timbers fixed beneath the main keel.
Farmer	A seaman in a sailing vessel who has no wheel or lookout in the night watch.
Fathom	Six feet (of rope or depth of water)or 1.83m.
Fenders	Stout pieces of timber or rope hung over side to take pressure when vessel is going alongside.
Fid	Tapered hardwood for splicing rope. Strong pin of wood or iron on which heel of upper mast rests.
Fiddles	Light wooden frames fixed on tables at meal times when a ship is rolling to prevent crockery etc. falling off.
Fife Rail	A heavy rail round the masts fitted with pins for belaying running gear to.
Fish Tackle	Gear used for getting anchor inboard.  To fish a cracked or broken spar is to lash long pieces of wood across break.
Floor	The bottom of a vessel on each side of her keelson.
Flotsam	Gear which floats after being thrown overboard.  (See Jetsam.)
Flukes	The hooks or points of an anchor.
Flush-Decked	Having one continuous deck from forward to aft, generally to have no forecastle, quarterdeck or poop.
Flying Bridge	The uppermost bridge of a steamer or a light fore-and-aft bridge from the poop deck on a sailing vessel.
Flying Fish	Literally tropical weather.
Foot-Rope	The rope stretched under a yard on which men stand when reefing or furling a sail.
Fore	Used to indicate the forward part of a vessel.
Fore-And-Aft	Lengthwise with the vessel, opposite to athwart.
Forecastle	The enclosed portion of a vessel right forward on the main deck.  Generally the seamen’s abode.
Foul	Tangled together.  Caught on an obstruction.
Foul Hawse	When a vessel with both anchors out has the cables crossed or twisted.
Founder	A vessel founders when she fills with water and sinks.
Fox	A light lashing made of two yarns twisted together.
Freeboard	The height of a vessel’s side above the water.
Freshen the Nip	To ease the strain in a rope with a heavy strain so that any chafe will come in a fresh place.
Full and Bye	Steering near the wind but not close enough to cause the sails to shake.
Galley	The cookhouse of a vessel. An out of date name for a certain boat.
Gallows	Short davit with chains for supporting bottom of accommodation ladder.  An iron erection on a trawler’s deck which acts as fairlead for the trawl warp.
Gammoning	The lashing which secures the bowsprit to the stem.
Gantline	A strong rope for sending yard sails and other gear up aloft.
Garboard Strake	The plates immediately next to the keel.
Gaskets	Light lines used for securing the sails when they are furled.
Ginblocks	Iron blocks used for working cargo.
Going Free	Sailing with the wind on the beam or quarter.
Grating	Heavy open lattice work of wood used mainly for covering hatches in fine weather.
Ground Tackle	Gear used for anchoring.
Guest Warp	A line hanging along the ship’s side for hauling boats to and from the gangway.
Gudgeons	The metal straps or fittings into which the pintle of a rudder fits.  Gudgeons and pintles are the normal way of fitting any unbalanced rudder.
Gunwale	(Pronounced gun-nel) the upper railof a boat.
Gybe	In fore-and-aft rigged vessel to turn away from the wind to bring wind to other side. Requiring careful handling of spars to prevent them slamming across.
Half Deck	The apprentices’ quarters in a sailing vessel formally under the poop but now usually in a deck house.
Halyards	Ropes or tackles used for hoisting sails or yards.
Handsomely	To slack away steadily.
Handspike	The bars shipped in the capstan for heaving up the anchor.
Handy Billy	A light tackle consisting of a double and a single block with a light rope rove through them and a short rope tail spliced on to the double block.
Hanks	The iron rings on the stays onto which the fore and aft sails are bent.
Harness Casks	Ornamental casks either on the poop or flying bridge in which the current supplies of salt meat are kept.
Harriet Lane	Or Fanny Adams.  Sailors’name for any tinned meat.
Hatch	An opening in the deck giving access to the holds.
Hauling  Wind.	When the wind shifts with the sun.  (See backing.)
Hawse Pipes	Apertures in the bows through which the cables pass. To come through the hawse pipe: qualify for a second mate’s certificate as forecastle hand.
Hawsers	Stout ropes or wires used for towing or mooring.
Head Earings	Lines used for making fast the upper corners of square sails to the extreme yard arms.
Head Sails	All sails set forward of the foremast and usually secured to the bowsprit.
Heave Down	To careen.
Heaver	A short hardwood bar tapered at each end used for the levering of taut ropes or cables.
Heave To	In bad weather to keep the ships as near as possible head-on to the wind and sea with only just sufficient speed to give her steerage way.
Heave To	In order to stop a ship is to set the sails against one another so that she makes no progress.
Heel	The afterpart of the keel -also the bottom of the stern post.
Helm	The apparatus by which the rudder is controlled.
Hogged	When the ends of the vessel are depressed from the level of the midships portion.
Holidays	Patches missed when painting or tarring down.
Holystone	Pieces of sandstone used for cleaning the decks.
Hounding	The length of the mast from the upper deck to where the rigging is placed.
Idlers	Members of the crew who do not take a watch such as the cook, sailmaker and carpenter.
In Stays	A vessel is in stays when it is in the process of coming about on to another tack.
Irish Pennant	A loose end of a line or scrap of canvas blowing about up aloft.
Jackstay	A thin iron bar along the top of the yards for securing the sails to.
Jacob’s Ladder	A light rope ladder with wooden steps used in place of an accommodation ladder.
Jetsam	Gear which sinks when thrown overboard.
Jettison	To throw cargo or heavy gear overboard in order to lighten the vessel.
Jib	A triangular sail set on a stay and secured between foremast and bowsprit.
Jurymast	A temporary mast rigged in place of one carried away.
Jury-Rigged	A temporary substitute made from materials to hand to replace a damaged rudder or rig.
Kedge	To move a small vessel by means of a small anchor and line.
Keelson	The upper part of the keel inside the vessel.
Ketch	A small boat with one mainmast and a small mast ahead of the rudder.
Killick	A small anchor.
Kink	A sharp bend in a rope or chain.
Knees	Curved or angled arms of iron or timber used to connect the beams of a vessel to her timbers.
Knot (speed)	1 Nautical mile per hour
Labour	To roll and pitch heavily.
Landfall	The position at which a ship sights land after a passage.
Larboard	The left side of a ship looking forward.  (Obsolete, now port)
Lazarette	A compartment usually below the cabin floor in which the more important stores are kept.
Lazy Tack	A stout rope used for hauling down the weather clew of the foresail before hooking on the chain tack.
Leach	The border or edge of a sail at the sides.
Lee	The side opposite to that from which the wind blows.
Lee Fore Brace	The order to brace up the foreyards on account of the wind going more ahead.
Lee Shore	A shore to the leeward of a vessel, one towards which the wind is blowing her.
Lee Way	Going sideways away from the wind.
Leech Lines	Ropes for hauling up leaches (or sides) of a square sail.
Leeward	The direction in which the wind is blowing.
Lie-To	Same as heave-to.
Lifts	The wires from the mastheads to the end of the yards to take the weight of them.
Lighter	A large boat used in loading and unloading vessels lying in the roads.
Limejuicer	American name for British ships on account of limejuice issued daily to the crews.  (To combat scurvy.)
List	The inclination of a vessel when it leans to either port or starboard.
Log	Apparatus for ascertaining speed formally by line marked off with knots, now by a self-registeringdevice.
Log Book	The official record of all happenings of importance on board.
Loom	The indistinct outline of land when first sighted or the glare of a light in the sky.  The inboard end of an oar.
Longboat	Normally the largest boat carriedon the vessel.
Luff	To put the helm over to bring the ship closer to the wind.  The weather edge of a fore and aft sail.
Making a Sternboard	Trimming sail so as to drive a ship astern.
Mainyard	The lowest yard on the main mast, the yard which carries the main sail.
Man Rope	The rope rail of the gangway ladder.
Marline Spike	Tapered steel tool for making seizings or wire splicings. In splicing hemp or manila rope wooden fid generally used.
Martingale	The stay from the jib-boom end to dolphin striker and guys which run from striker to the vessel’s bow. Stays and guys serve to hold jib-boom down.
Mast Coat	A canvas cover over the wedges between the partners and the mast to prevent water getting into the hold.
Meridian	A line running from pole to pole crossing all latitudes at right angles also known as line of longitude.
Mess	Any number of men who live and eat together.
Mizen mast	That mast which is furthest aft.
Monkey Gaff	A short gaff on the aftermost mast for signaling purposes.
Monkey Jacket	A short double breasted coat made of thick cloth.
Monkey’s Island	The uppermost tier of a very big ship’s bridge, generally the roof of the chart-room.
Moon Sail	A small sail sometimes carried in very light winds above the sky sail.
Mousing	A few turns of thin wire taken around a hook to prevent it coming adrift.
Nautical Mile	Effectively one minute of latitude or the accepted standard of 6080 ft.  (1852 m)
Oakum	Tarred hemp yarn used for caulking decks.
Offing	The distance kept offshore to avoid dangers or made offshore on a tack before coming about.
Old Man	The name for the Captain of every merchant vessel.
On The Bow	Four points on either side of rightahead.
On The Quarter	Four points forward of rightaft.
Orlop	The lowest deck of any vessel. In warships the deck on which the surgeon lived and worked.
O.S.	Ordinary seamen.  Three years as O.S. is the qualifying time for A.B.’s rating.
Outhaul	A single rope used for hauling out the head of a spanker or trysail.
Painter	A light line by which a boat is tied up alongside.
Palm	A piece of stiffened leather to go around the hand with a steel thimble in the palm used for sewing canvas.
Parceling	Tarred strips of canvas or bagging wound round rope or wire before it is served.
Parrel	The band by which a yard works on its mast.
Partners	The frame round the opening of the deck through which the mast goes.
Pay	The process of coating with pitch or tar.
Pay-Off	When a ship turns away from the wind particularly after coming about.
Pin Rail	Rail running along inside of bulwarks fitted with belaying pins for making fast braces and other running gear.
Pitch	A ship is said to pitch when she plunges alternately head and stern into head-on or following seas.
Plimsoll Mark	The line indicating the maximum depth to which a vessel may be loaded.
Points	There are 32 compass points each covering 11¼º of arc. A full rigged sailing ship can be expected to be able to sail six points or 67½º from the wind.
Poop	The raised deck at the after end of a vessel.
Pooped	A heavy sea taken over the stern.
Port	The left hand side looking forward.
Port Tack	Sailing close to the wind with it blowing on the port side of the vessel.
Ports	Any opening in a ship’s side.
Pounding	When in steep short seas the bows of the ship fall violently into a trough or the face of a wave.
Pricker	A small marline spike like an ice-pick used for splicing light ropes and sail-making.
Privateer	An armed merchant ship licensed by the crown to attack and plunder enemy vessels in time of war.
Pulling	Rowing.
Purchase	Tackle used for a heavy pull.
Put About	To veer the vessel onto another tack.
Quarter-Deck	That part of the upper deck abaft the main mast occupied in warships by their commissioned officers.
Quartermaster	A petty officer whose principal duties in a steamer are to steer look after the chart room and keep the bridge instruments in proper conditions.
Quarters	The extreme after ends of the sides of a ship.  Positions allotted to the crew for certain duties.
Race	Tide race or rip.  Where currents run very fast causing broken water.
Rake	The inclination of the masts, funnel etc. forward or aft from the perpendicular.
Ratlines	Steps of thin line on the rigging forming a ladder.
Reefing	To reduce a sail’s area by rolling up sections of it.
Reeve	To pass through a narrow aperture.
Ribs	A figurative term for a vessel’s timbers.
Ride	To lie at a buoy or anchor.
Riding Light	(See Anchor Light).
Rigging	Applies to all ropes, shrouds, stays, halyards etc. attached to the masts or yards.
Right	To right the helm is to put the rudder to amidships.
Roach	The curve in the foot of a square sail.
Roads	Anchorages in the stream outside a harbour.
Robands	Yarns or sennet used for securing rails to the jackstays.
Roundhouse	Cabins formed by the poop on early ships. 18th & 19C deckhouses built on quarterdeck or maindeck often with poop deck built right over them.
Rowlocks	Small iron crutches in the gunwaleof a boat to steady the oar while rowing.
Royal	The first square sail above the topgallants.
Run	The after part of a vessel’s hull which rises and narrows as it approaches the stern-post.
Running Gear	The ropes such as braces, sheets etc. which are constantly being used for working the ship.
Running Moor	Letting go anchors and heaving in cable in turn until there is the same amount of chain out on both anchors.
Running The Easting Down	Eastward passage of a vessel in the high latitudes between Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope and Australia.
Sagging	The depression of the midship portion of a vessel from the level of her ends.
Salt Horse	Salt beef.
Scantling	The heavy timbers (or iron)of a ship’s hull.
Scarf	The joint between two pieces of timber, overlapping and pegged or morticed.
Scotchmen	Strips of wood or iron seized onto shrouds to prevent chafe by the yards.
Schooner	A vessel with only fore and aft sails.
Scud	To drive before a strong wind.
Scuppers	Waterways along the edges of the decks by which water is drained away.
Scurvy	Physical disorder cause by lack of vitamin C.
Sea Anchor  Or Drogue	Surface anchor of wood and canvas for keeping a vessel not under control, head on to wind and sea in bad weather.
Second Greaser	The second mate of a sailing ship.
Seize	To make fast tightly with thin wire or line.
Sennet	Rope or yarn plaited together to make lashings or chafing gear.
Service	Soft tarred hemp yarn wound tightly round parts of standing or running gear to keep weather out or prevent chafe.
Shakings	Odds and ends of rope or canvas etc.
Shank	The shaft of an anchor from the ring to the crown.
Shank Painter	A length of chain securing the shank of the anchor when on deck.
Sheer	The longitudinal curve of the deck or gunwale.
Sheer Strake	The plates immediately below the edge of the main deck.
Sheets	The ropes and chains by which the clews of the sails are hauled out.
Shifting Boards	Boards fastened along midship stanchions in lower hold when carrying cargo in bulk such as grain or coal to prevent its shifting.
Ship	Properly used, a vessel square rigged on all masts.  (More than three masts).
Shipped	To take aboard.
Shoal	Shallow water.
Shrouds	Arrangement of ropes reaching from mast-heads down to ship’s side to support masts and also to provide access (via the ratlines) for work aloft.
Sidelights	Red or Green. port and starboard lights which all vessels except certain fishing craft must carry when underway.
Skysail	A small sail set next above the royal but underneath the moon-sail.
Sling	A long strop for handling cargo.
Slop Chest	Clothing, tobacco, soap etc.shipped by the Captain for sale to the crew.
Sloop	A small vessel with only one mast.
Slush	The fat skimmed off the salt meat copper and carefully preserved by the cook for sale on arrival in port.
Snub	The means by which a rope is suddenly checked.
Soundings	Finding the depth of water by use of the lead.
Sounding Rod	Thin iron rod marked off in inches attached to a line used for sounding the well.
Spanker	The aftermost sail of a ship or barque always set fore-and-aft and always with a boom and gaff.
Spar	Describes all masts, yards, booms, gaffs etc.
Spencer	Trysail, commonly know as spencer, when carried on foremast or mainmast of a ship or barque and a spanker when carried on the mizzen.
Spindthrift	Tops of waves cut off and carried along by the force of the wind.
Spring Tides	The high tides which occur about full and new moon.
Square The Main Yard	The order given when the wind comes further aft.
Stand On	To keep the same course.
Standard	The compass by which the course is set.
Standing Gear	Stays, shrouds etc. which are more or less permanently fast.
Starboard	The right hand side looking forward.
Starboard Tack	Sailing as close as possible to the wind with the wind on the starboard side of the vessel.
St Elmo’s Fire	Electrical discharges producing lights at the extremities of a vessel's spars usually during thundery weather.
Steep To	Cliffs etc. which have deep water right up to the foot of them.
Steep Tub	The tub used by the cook for soaking the salt meat before boiling.
Steerage	At first the accommodation space provided under the quarterdeck before the great cabin and used by those passengers who could not afford a cabin.
Stem	That heavy timber at the forward part of a vessel to which is scarfed both keel and bowsprit and to which is united the sides of her hull.
Stern Gallery	An open gallery running

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