Glossary of Nautical Terms - B

B

Back and fill

To use the advantage of the tide being with you when the wind is not.

Backstays

Long lines or cables, reaching from the stern of the vessel to the mast heads, used to support the mast.

Baggywrinkle

A soft covering for cables (or any other obstructions) that prevents sail chafing from occurring.

Bailer

A device for removing water that has entered the boat.

Ballast tank

A device used on ships and submarines and other submersibles to control buoyancy and stability

Balls to four watch

The 0000–0400 watch. (US Navy)

Bank

A large area of elevated sea floor.

Banyan

Traditional Royal Navy term for a day or shorter period of rest and relaxation.

Bar

Large mass of sand or earth, formed by the surge of the sea. They are mostly found at the entrances of great rivers or havens, and often render navigation extremely dangerous, but confer tranquility once inside. See also: Touch and go, grounding. Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Crossing the bar" is an allegory for death.

Bar pilot

A bar pilot guides ships over the dangerous sandbars at the mouth of rivers and bays.

Barbette

1. During the second half of the 19th century, a fixed armored enclosure protecting a ship's gun aboard warships without gun turrets, generally taking the form of a ring of armor over which guns could fire.

2. Since the late 19th century, the inside fixed trunk of a warship's turreted gun-mounting, on which the turret revolves, containing the hoists for shells and cordite from the shell-room and magazine.

Barca-longa

A two- or three-masted lugger used for fishing on the coasts of Spain and Portugal and more widely in the Mediterranean Sea in the late 17th century and 18th century. The British Royal Navy also used them for shore raids and as dispatch boats in the Mediterranean.

Bareboat charter

An arrangement for the chartering or hiring of a vessel, whereby the vessel's owner provides no crew or provisions as part of the agreement; instead, the people who rent the vessel are responsible for crewing and provisioning her.

Barge

1. A towed or self-propelled flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river, canal, and coastal transport of heavy goods.

2. Admiral's barge: A boat at the disposal of an admiral for his or her use as transportation between a larger vessel and the shore or within a harbor.

Bark

Alternative spelling of barque.

Barkentine

Alternative spelling of barquentine.

Barque (also bark)

A sailing vessel of three or more masts, with all masts but the sternmost square-rigged, the sternmost being fore-and-aft-rigged.

Barquentine (also barkentine)

A sailing vessel with three or more masts; with a square-rigged foremast and all other masts fore-and-aft rigged.

Barrelman

A sailor that was stationed in the crow's nest.

Batten

1. A stiff strip used to support the roach of a sail, enabling increased sail area.

2. Any thin strip of material (wood, plastic etc) which can be used any number of ways

Batten down the hatches

To prepare for inclement weather by securing the closed hatch covers with wooden battens so as to prevent water from entering from any angle.

Battlecruiser

A type of large capital ship of the first half of the 20th century, similar in size, appearance, and cost to a battleship and typically armed with the same kind of heavy guns, but much more lightly armored (on the scale of cruiser) and therefore faster than a battleship but more vulnerable to damage.

Battleship

A type of large, heavily armored warship of the second half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century armed with heavy-caliber guns, designed to fight other battleships in a line of battle. It was the successor to the ship-of-the-line of the Age of Sail.

Beaching

Deliberately running a vessel aground to load and unload (as with landing craft), or sometimes to prevent a damaged vessel sinking.

Beacon

A lighted or unlighted fixed aid to navigation attached directly to the earth’s surface. (Lights and daybeacons both constitute beacons.)

Beam

The width of a vessel at the widest point, or a point alongside the ship at the midpoint of its length.

Beam ends

The sides of a ship. "On her beam ends" may mean the vessel is literally on her side and possibly about to capsize; more often, the phrase means the vessel is listing 45 degrees or more.

Bear

Large squared off stone used with sand for scraping clean wooden decks.

Bear down or bear away

Turn away from the wind, often with reference to a transit.

Bearing

The horizontal direction of a line of sight between two objects on the surface of the earth. See also "absolute bearing" and "relative bearing".

Beating or Beat to

Sailing as close as possible towards the wind (perhaps only about 60°) in a zig-zag course to attain an upwind direction to which it is impossible to sail directly.(also tacking)

Beat to quarters

Prepare for battle (beat = beat the drum to signal the need for battle preparation)

Beaufort scale

The scale describing wind force devised by Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort in 1808, in which winds are graded by the effect of their force (originally, the amount of sail that a fully rigged frigate could carry). Scale now reads up to Force 17.

Becalm

To cut off the wind from a sailing vessel, either by the proximity of land or by another vessel.

Becalmed

Unable to move due to lack of wind; said of a sailing vessel.

Before the mast

Literally, the area of a ship before the foremast (the forecastle). Most often used to refer to men whose living quarters are located here, officers being quartered in the stern-most areas of the ship (near the quarterdeck). Officer-trainees lived between the two ends of the ship and become known as "midshipmen". Crew members who started out as seamen, then became midshipmen, and later, officers, were said to have gone from "one end of the ship to the other" (also see hawsepiper).

Belay

1. To make fast a line around a fitting, usually a cleat or belaying pin.

2. To secure a climbing person in a similar manner.

3. An order to halt a current activity or countermand an order prior to execution.

Belaying pins

Short movable bars of iron or hard wood to which running rigging may be secured, or belayed.

Belt armor

A layer of heavy metal armor plated onto or within the outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers, cruisers, and aircraft carriers, usually covering the warship from her main deck down to some distance below the waterline. If built within the hull, rather than forming the outer hull, the belt would be installed at an inclined angle to improve the warship's protection from shells striking the hull.

Bend

A knot used to join two ropes or lines. Also see hitch.

Bermuda rig or Bermudan rig

A triangular mainsail, without any upper spar, which is hoisted up the mast by a single halyard attached to the head of the sail. This configuration, introduced to Europe about 1920, allows the use of a tall mast, enabling sails to be set higher where wind speed is greater.

Bermuda sloop

A fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel with Bermuda rig developed in Bermuda in the 17th century. In its purest form, it is single-masted, although Bermuda sloops can have up to three masts, three-masted ships being referred to as schooners. Originally gaff rigged, but evolved to use Bermuda rig. The Bermuda sloop is the basis of nearly all modern sailing yachts.

Berth (moorings)

A location in a port or harbour used specifically for mooring vessels while not at sea.

Berth (navigation)

Safety margin of distance to be kept by a vessel from another vessel or from an obstruction, hence the phrase, "to give a wide berth."

Berth (sleeping)

A bed or sleeping accommodation on a boat or ship.

Best bower (anchor)

The larger of two anchors carried in the bow; so named as it was the last, best hope.

Between the devil and the deep blue sea

See devil seam.

Between wind and water

The part of a ship's hull that is sometimes submerged and sometimes brought above water by the rolling of the vessel.

Bight (/ˈbaɪt/)

1. Bight, a loop in rope or line—a hitch or knot tied on the bight is one tied in the middle of a rope, without access to the ends.

2. An indentation in a coastline.

Bilander (also billander or be'landre)

a small European merchant sailing ship with two masts, the mainmast lateen-rigged with a trapezoidal mainsail, and the foremast carrying the conventional square course and square topsail. Used in the Netherlands for coast and canal traffic and occasionally in the North Sea, but more frequently used in the Mediterranean Sea.

Bilge

The compartment at the bottom of the hull of a ship or boat where water collects and must be pumped out of the vessel.

Bilge keels

A pair of keels on either side of the hull, usually slanted outwards. In yachts, they allow the use of a drying mooring, the boat standing upright on the keels (and often a skeg) when the tide is out.

Bilged on her anchor

A ship that has run upon her own anchor, so the anchor cable runs under the hull.

Bimini top

Open-front canvas top for the cockpit of a boat, usually supported by a metal frame.

Bimmy

A punitive instrument

Binnacle

The stand on which the ship's compass is mounted.

Binnacle list

A ship's sick list. The list of men unable to report for duty was given to the officer or mate of the watch by the ship's surgeon. The list was kept at the binnacle.

Bitt or bitts

A post or pair mounted on the ship's bow, for fastening ropes or cables.

Bitter end

The last part or loose end of a rope or cable. The anchor cable is tied to the bitts; when the cable is fully paid out, the bitter end has been reached.

Block

A pulley or set of pulleys.

Blue Peter

A blue and white flag (the flag for the letter "P") hoisted at the foretrucks of ships about to sail. Formerly a white ship on a blue ground, but later a white square on a blue ground.

Boat

1. A small craft or vessel designed to float on, and provide transport over, or under, water.

2. Naval slang for a submarine of any size.

Boat-hook

A pole with a hook on the end, used to reach into the water to catch buoys or other floating objects.

Boatswain or bosun (both /ˈboʊsən/)

A non-commissioned officer responsible for the sails, ropes, rigging and boats on a ship who issues "piped" commands to seamen.

Bobstay

A stay which holds the bowsprit downwards, counteracting the effect of the forestay. Usually made of wire or chain to eliminate stretch.

Bollard

From "bol" or "bole", the round trunk of a tree. A substantial vertical pillar to which lines may be made fast. Generally on the quayside rather than the ship.

Body plan

In shipbuilding, an end elevation showing the contour of the sides of a ship at certain points of her length.

Bombay runner

Large cockroach.

Bonded jacky

A type of tobacco or sweet cake.

Bonnet

A strip of canvas secured to the foot of the course (square sail) to increase sail area in light airs.

Booby

A type of bird that has little fear and therefore is particularly easy to catch.

Booby hatch

A sliding hatch or cover.

Boom

A spar attached to the foot of a fore-and-aft sail.

Boom gallows

A raised crossmember that supports a boom when the sail is lowered (obviates the need for a topping lift) .

Booms

Masts or yards, lying on board in reserve.

Boom vang or vang

A sail control that lets one apply downward tension on a boom, countering the upward tension provided by the sail. The boom vang adds an element of control to sail shape when the sheet is let out enough that it no longer pulls the boom down. Boom vang tension helps control leech twist, a primary component of sail power.

Boomkin

See #Bumpkin.

Bore : i.e.Bore up or Bore away

To assume a position to engage, or disengage, the enemy ship(s)

Bosun

See #Boatswain.

Bottlescrew

A device for adjusting tension in stays, shrouds and similar lines.

Bottomry

Pledging a ship as security in a financial transaction.

Bow

The front of a ship.

Bow chaser

See chase gun

Bowline

A type of knot, producing a strong loop of a fixed size, topologically similar to a sheet bend. Also a rope attached to the side of a sail to pull it towards the bow (for keeping the windward edge of the sail steady).

Bowse

To pull or hoist.

Bowsprit

A spar projecting from the bow used as an anchor for the forestay and other rigging.

Bow thruster

A small propeller or water-jet at the bow, used for manoeuvring larger vessels at slow speed. May be mounted externally, or in a tunnel running through the bow from side to side.

Boxing the compass

To state all 32 points of the compass, starting at north, proceeding clockwise. Sometimes applied to a wind that is constantly shifting.

Boy Seaman

a young sailor, still in training

Brace abox

To bring the foreyards flat aback to stop the ship.

Brail

To furl or truss a sail by pulling it in towards the mast, or the ropes used to do so.

Brake

The handle of the pump, by which it is worked.

Brass monkey or brass monkey weather

Used in the expression "it is cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey."

Break bulk cargo (or breakbulk cargo)

Goods that must be loaded aboard a ship individually, and not in intermodal containers or in bulk, carried by a general cargo ship.

Breakwater

1. A structure constructed on a coast as part of a coastal defense system or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.

2. A structure built on the forecastle of a ship intended to divert water away from the forward superstructure or gun mounts.

Bridge

A structure above the weather deck, extending the full width of the vessel, which houses a command centre, itself called by association, the bridge.

Brig

1. (historically) A vessel with two square-rigged masts.

2. (in the US) An interior area of the ship used to detain prisoners (possibily prisoners-of-war, in war-time) & stowaways, and to punish delinquent crew members. Usually resembles a prison-cell with bars and a locked, hinged door.

Brig sloop

A type of sloop-of-war introduced in the 1770s which had two square-rigged masts like a brig (in contrast to ship sloops of the time, which had three masts).

Brigantine (also hermaphrodite brig)

A two-masted vessel, square-rigged on the foremast, but fore-and-aft-rigged on the mainmast.

Brightwork

Exposed varnished wood or polished metal on a boat.

Bring to

Cause a ship to be stationary by arranging the sails.

Broach

When a sailing vessel loses control of its motion and is forced into a sudden sharp turn, often heeling heavily and in smaller vessels sometimes leading to a capsize. The change in direction is called broaching-to. Occurs when too much sail is set for a strong gust of wind, or in circumstances where the sails are unstable.

Broadside

1. One side of a vessel above the waterline.

2. All the guns on one side of a warship or mounted (in rotating turrets or barbettes) so as to be able fire on the same side of a warship.

3. The simultaneous firing of all the guns on one side of warship or able to fire on the same side of a warship.

4. Weight of broadside, the combined weight of all projectiles a ship can fire in a broadside, or the combined weight of all the shells a group of ships that have formed a line of battle collectively can fire on the same side.

brow

See gangplank.

Buffer

The chief bosun's mate (in the Royal Navy), responsible for discipline.

Bulk cargo

Commodity cargo that is transported unpackaged in large quantities.

Bulk carrier (also bulk freighter or bulker)

A merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo in its cargo holds.

Bulkhead

An upright wall within the hull of a ship. Particularly a watertight, load-bearing wall.

Bulwark or Bulward (/ˈbʊlək/ in nautical use)

The extension of the ship's side above the level of the weather deck.

Bumboat

A private boat selling goods.

Bumpkin or boomkin

1. A spar, similar to a bowsprit, but which projects from the stern. May be used to attach the backstay or mizzen sheets.

2. An iron bar (projecting out-board from a ship's side) to which the lower and topsail brace blocks are sometimes hooked.

Bunker

A container for storing coal or fuel oil for a ship's engine.

Bunker fuel or bunkers

Fuel oil for a ship.

Bunting tosser

A signalman who prepares and flies flag hoists. Also known in the American Navy as a skivvy waver.

Buntline

One of the lines tied to the bottom of a square sail and used to haul it up to the yard when furling.

Buoy

A floating object of defined shape and color, which is anchored at a given position and serves as an aid to navigation.

Buoyed up

Lifted by a buoy, especially a cable that has been lifted to prevent it from trailing on the bottom.

Burden

Early Modern English: Burthen

Middle English: Byrthen

The Builder's Old Measurement, expressed in "tons bm" or "tons BOM", a volumetric measurement of cubic cargo capacity, not of weight. This is the tonnage of a ship, based on the number of tuns of wine that it could carry in its holds. One 252-gallon tun of wine takes up approximately 100 cubic feet – and, incidentally, weighs 2,240 lbs (1 long ton, or Imperial ton).

Burgee

A small flag, typically triangular, flown from the masthead of a yacht to indicate yacht-club membership.

By and large

By means into the wind, while large means with the wind. "By and large" is used to indicate all possible situations "the ship handles well both by and large".

By the board

Anything that has gone overboard.