Glossary

A not so comprehensive guide to nautical terms used in "Shamrock's Blog".

BEAM A cambered timber which crosses the hull transversely to support the deck. The breadth of the vessel.

BEAMSHELF A line of thick timbers scarfed together and bolted to the upper futtock and top timbers of the frames to form a hoop inside the hull for the beams to rest on.

BREASTHOOK A grown timber crook or wrought-iron knee used either as a tie to bind the stempost, beamshelf, hawse or frame tim­bers of the bow together.

BULWARK An extension of a ship's sides above the level of the deck.

CAULKING The operation of forcing cotton and/or oakum into the treenail fastenings, butt ends and plank seams, with a variety of wedge­ like caulking irons of suitable shape and size using a caulking mallet specially designed for the purpose. This operation renders the hull water­ tight and stiffens the hull structure. After 'hors­ing-up' with a horsing iron and beetle mallet to harden in the oakum, the seams are sealed with pitch.

CARLINGS Any of the pieces of squared timber fitted fore and aft between the deck beams of a wooden ship to support the deck planking and coamings.

CAMBER The round-up or arching upwards of the deck beams to facilitate the drainage of water from the deck.

CAVIL Large, fore-and-aft cleat for belaying heavy lines.

CEILING The inner strakes of hull planking be­tween the beamshelf and the limber-strakes on each side of the keelson. The ceiling prevents cargo or dirt clogging the pumps and spreads the weight of cargo or ballast evenly over the frames.

CHAINPLATE Any of the metal plates secured to the hull of a sailing vessel or elsewhere to hold shrouds and backstays at their lower ends.

COAMINGS A raised frame bolted to the carl­ings for the hatches, companion way, scuttle and ladder-ways.

COVERING BOARD The outermost deck plank which covers the timber heads of the frames. Also known as the planksheer.

DEADWOOD A range of timbers bolted on the upper face of the keel and to the stem and stern post.

FALSE KEEL An additional timber 'planted' on to the main keel to provide protection when grounding, or, as in Shamrock's case, to provide more lateral resistance for an exceptionally shal­low hull.

FRAMES The bends of timbers which constitute a 'frame of single or doubled timbers' - i.e. one frame consisting of a floor, 2 first futtocks, 2 second futtocks, 2 third futtocks, and 2 top­ timbers.

FUTTOCK Originally foothook. One of the several curved timbers which make up a com­plete frame of timbers.

HAWSEPIPES The flanged iron pipes which line the hawse-holes through which the anchor cables pass out and inboard.

KEELSON A heavy, fore-and-aft centre line timber fitted inside the hull, seated on top of the floors with bolts which pass through the false keel, keel plank and keelson .

KNEE An angled piece of wood or metal frame used to connect and support the beams and timbers of a wooden ship.

LIMBER STRAKES The thick strakes placed at about a plank's width from each side of the keel­son to form a watercourse to carry the bilge wa­ter to the pumps.

MIZZEN MAST The smaller mast of a ketch rigged vessel, stepped before the tiller.

OAKUM Strands of old rope untwisted and with the yarns teased out. The fibres are rolled into threads of suitable thickness for caulking the vessel's seams.

PINTLE A pin or bolt on which a rudder or other part turns.

PORT The side of a ship that is on the left when one is facing forward.

SHEER Is a measure of longitudinal main deck curvature.

STARBOARD The side of a ship that is on the right when one is facing forward.

STEM The main upright timber or metal piece at the bow of a ship.

STERNPOST The central upright support at the stern of a boat, traditionally bearing the rudder.

STRAKE A continuous line of planking or plates from the stem to the stern of a ship or boat.

TABERNACLE  A strong upright casing or trunk used in barges to step the heel of the mast in on deck, so that it can be lowered for passing under bridges.

TRANSOM The flat surface forming the stern of a boat

WASHSTRAKE Or washboard. A wide board fitted on top of the bulwark rail to provide extra height and protection from the sea.

WINDLASS A special form of winch fitted in the , bows to haul in the anchor-cable. Shamrock has a
patent reefing windlass, heavily geared, with a 'gypsy' wheel patterned to fit the studded chain cable, which stows itself as it is heaved in.