Glossary of Nautical Terms - J

J

Jack

1. A sailor. Also jack tar or just tar.

2. A flag. Typically the flag was talked about as if it were a member of the crew. Strictly speaking, a flag is only a "jack" if it is worn at the jackstaff at the bow of a ship.

Jack Dusty

A naval stores clerk.

Jacklines or jack stays

Lines, often steel wire with a plastic jacket, from the bow to the stern on both port and starboard. The Jack Lines are used to clip on the safety harness to secure the crew to the vessel while giving them the freedom to walk on the deck.

Jack Tar

A sailor dressed in 'square rig' with square collar. Formerly with a tarred pigtail.

Jenny

See genoa

Jetty

A man-made wall in open water rising several feet above high tide made of rubble and rocks used to create a breakwater, shelter, erosion control, a channel, or other such purpose.

Jetsam

Debris ejected from a ship that sinks or washes ashore. See also Flotsam.

Jib

A triangular staysail at the front of a ship.

Jibboom

A spar used to extend the bowsprit.

Jibe

See #Gybe.

Jibe-ho

See gybe-oh.

Jigger-mast

The fourth mast, although ships with four or more masts were uncommon, or the aft most mast where it is smallest on vessels of less than four masts.

Jollies

Traditional Royal Navy nickname for the Royal Marines.

Joggle

a slender triangular recess cut into the faying surface of a frame or steamed timber to fit over the land of clinker planking, or cut into the faying edge of a plank or rebate to avoid feather ends on a strake of planking. The feather end is cut off to produce a nib. The joggle and nib in this case is made wide enough to allow a caulking iron to enter the seam.

Jonah

A person (either a sailor or a passenger) who carries a jinx, one whose presence on board brings bad luck and endangers the ship.

Junk

1. Old cordage past its useful service life as lines aboard ship. The strands of old junk were teased apart in the process called picking oakum.

2. A sailing ship of classic Chinese design with characteristic full batten sails that span the masts usually on unstayed rigs.

Jury rig

Both the act of rigging a temporary mast and sails and the name of the resulting rig. A jury rig would be built at sea when the original rig was damaged, then it would be used to sail to a harbor or other safe place for permanent repairs.