Man on the Ocean: A Book about Boats and Ships : 9781481842792

Excerpt: ...the ropes by which sails are fixed tightly in any position. Hauling a rope taut, means hauling it tight. The weather side of a ship means the side which happens to be presented to the wind; the lee side, that which is away from the wind, and, therefore, sheltered. The starboard side means the right side, the larboard signifies the left; but as the two words resemble each other, the word port is always used for larboard to prevent mistakes in shouting orders. Heaving the lead is the act of throwing a heavy leaden plummet, with a line attached, into the sea to ascertain its depth. It is thrown from the chains as far as possible ahead of the ship, so that it may reach the bottom and be perpendicularly beneath the man who heaves it when the ship comes up to the spot where it entered the water. A peculiar and musical cry is given forth by the heaver of the lead each time he throws it. The forecastle is the habitat of the ordinary sailors, and is usually in nautical parlance termed the foge-s

Author: Robert Michael Ballantyne

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Publication Date: Dec 25, 2012

Number of Pages: 144 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: 148184279X

ISBN-13: 9781481842792