Glossary of Nautical Terms - P

P

Packet, Packet boat, or packet ship

1. Originally, a a vessel employed to carry post office mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts.

2. Later, any regularly scheduled ship, carrying passengers, as in packet trade.

Packetman

A seaman aboard a ship engaged in packet trade.

Packet trade

Any regularly scheduled cargo, passenger and mail trade conducted by ship.

Panting

The pulsation in and out of the bow and stern plating as the ship alternately rises and plunges deep into the water

Parley

a discussion or conference, especially between enemies, over terms of a truce or other matters.

Parbuckle

A method of lifting a roughly cylindrical object such as a spar. One end of a rope is made fast above the object, a loop of rope is lowered and passed around the object, which can be raised by hauling on the free end of rope.

Parrel

A movable loop or collar, used to fasten a yard or gaff to its respective mast. Parrel still allows the spar to be raised or lowered and swivel around the mast. Can be made of wire or rope and fitted with beads to reduce friction.

Part brass rags

Fall out with a friend. From the days when cleaning materials were shared between sailors.

Passageway

Hallway of a ship.

Passenger-cargoman

A merchant ship configured primarily for the transportation of cargo but also for the transportation of at least some passengers.

Pay off

To let a vessel's head fall off from the wind (to leeward.)

Paying

Filling a seam (with caulking or pitch), lubricating the running rigging; paying with slush (q.v.), protecting from the weather by covering with slush. See also: The Devil to pay. (French from paix, pitch)

Paymaster

The officer responsible for all money matters in RN ships including the paying and provisioning of the crew, all stores, tools and spare parts. See also: purser.

Pendant

A length of wire or rope secured at one end to a mast or spar and having a block or other fitting at the lower end. Often used incorrectly when referring to a Pennant (flag).

Pennant

A long, thin triangular flag flown from the masthead of a military ship (as opposed to a burgee, the flags thus flown on yachts).

Pier

A raised structure, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars, used industrially for loading and unloading commercial ships, receationally for walking and housing attractions at a seaside resort, or as a structure for use by boatless fishermen. The lighter structure of a pier contrasts with the more solid foundations of a quay or the closely spaced piles of a wharf. In North America, the term "pier" used alone connotes either a pier used (or formerly used) by commercial shipping or one used for fishing, while in Europe the term used alone connotes a recreational pier at a seaside resort.

Pier-head jump

When a sailor is drafted to a warship at the last minute, just before she sails.

Pilot

Navigator. A specially knowledgeable person qualified to navigate a vessel through difficult waters, e.g. harbour pilot etc.

PIM

Points (or plan) of intended movement. The charted course for a naval unit's movements.

Pinnace

1. Pinnace (ship's boat), a small, light boat propelled by oars or a sail, used as a tender to larger vessels during the Age of Sail.

2. Full-rigged pinnace, a small "race built" galleon, squared rigged with either two or three masts.

3. In modern usage, any small boat other than a launch or lifeboat associated with a larger vessel.

Pintle

The pin or bolt on which a ships rudder pivots. The pintle rests in the gudgeon.

Pipe (Bos'n's), or a bos'n's call

A whistle used by Boatswains (bosuns or bos'ns) to issue commands. Consisting of a metal tube which directs the breath over an aperture on the top of a hollow ball to produce high pitched notes. The pitch of the notes can be changed by partly covering the aperture with the finger of the hand in which the pipe is held. The shape of the instrument is similar to that of a smoking pipe.

Pipe down

A signal on the bosun's pipe to signal the end of the day, requiring lights (and smoking pipes) to be extinguished and silence from the crew.

Piping the side

A salute on the bos'n's pipe(s) performed in the company of the deck watch on the starboard side of the quarterdeck or at the head of the gangway, to welcome or bid farewell to the ship's Captain, senior officers and honoured visitors.

Piracy

An act of robbery or criminal violence at sea by the occupants of one vessel against the occupants of another vessel (thus excluding such acts committed by the crew or passengers of a vessel against others aboard the same vessel). Piracy is distinguished from privateering, which is authorized by national authorities and therefore a legitimate form of war-like activity by non-state actors.

Pirate

One who engages in an act of piracy.

Pitch

A vessel's motion, rotating about the beam/transverse axis, causing the fore and aft ends to rise and fall repetitively.

Pitchpole

To capsize a boat stern over bow, rather than by rolling over.

Planing

When a fast-moving vessel skims over the water instead of pushing through it.

Plimsoll line (also national Load Line)

A special marking, positioned amidships, that indicates the draft of the vessel and the legal limit to which the vessel may be loaded for specific water types and temperatures.

Plotting room

see #Transmitting station.

Point

A unit of bearing equal to one thirty-second of a circle, i.e., 11.25°. A turn of 32 points is a complete turn through 360°.

Point up

To change the direction of a sailboat so that it is more up wind. To bring the bow windward. Also called heading up. This is the opposite of falling off.

Points of sail

The course of a sailing vessel in relation to the direction of the wind, divided into six points: in irons (pointed directly into the wind), close hauled (sailing as close into the direction of the wind as possible), close reach (between close reach and beam reach), beam reach (perpendicular to the wind), broad reach (wind behind the vessel at an angle), and running downwind or running before the wind (the wind is behind the vessel).

Pontoon

A flat-bottomed vessel used as a ferry, barge, car float or a float moored alongside a jetty or a ship to facilitate boarding.

Poop deck

A high deck on the aft superstructure of a ship.

Pooped

1. Swamped by a high, following sea.

2. Exhausted.

Port

The left side of the boat. Towards the left-hand side of the ship facing forward (formerly Larboard). Denoted with a red light at night.

Porthole or port

an opening in a ship's side, esp. a round one for admitting light and air, fitted with thick glass and, often, a hinged metal cover, a window

Port tack

When sailing with the wind coming from the port side of the vessel. Must give way to boats on starboard tack.

Powder hulk

A hulk used to store gunpowder.

Powder magazine

A small room/closet area in the hull of the ship used for storing gunpowder in barrels, or, "kegs", usually located centrally so as to have easy access to the grated loading area. Sometimes may be an enclosed closet with a door, so it can be locked and only the captain would have the key, similar to how rum is stored.

Predreadnought

Term used retrospectively after 1906 for a wide variety steam battleships built between the 1880s and ca. 1905 designed with only a few large guns for long-range fire, relying on an intermediate secondary battery used at shorter ranges for most of their offensive power, and having triple-expansion steam engines. They were rendered obsolete by the revolutionary dreadnought battleships which began to appear in 1906 and which differed from predreadnoughts in having steam turbine propulsion and an "all-big-gun" armament layout in which the ship's primary gun power resided in a primary battery of its largest guns intended for use at long range, with other gun armament limited to small weapons intended for defense against torpedo boats and other small warships.

Press gang

Formed body of personnel from a ship of the Royal Navy (either a ship seeking personnel for its own crew or from a 'press tender' seeking men for a number of ships) that would identify and force (press) men, usually merchant sailors into service on naval ships usually against their will.

Preventer (gybe preventer, jibe preventer)

A sail control line originating at some point on the boom leading to a fixed point on the boat's deck or rail (usually a cleat or pad eye) used to prevent or moderate the effects of an accidental jibe.

Principal Warfare Officer

PWO, one of a number of Warfare branch specialist officers.

Prison ship or prison hulk

A vessel used as a prison, often to hold convicts awaiting transportation to penal colonies; particularly common in the British Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Privateer

A privately owned ship authorised by a national power (by means of a #Letter of marque) to conduct hostilities against an enemy. Also called a private man of war.

Prize

A property captured at sea in virtue of the rights of war, as a vessel.

Prize crew

Members of a warship's crew assigned to man a vessel taken as a prize.

Propeller (fixed)

A propeller mounted on a rigid shaft protruding from the hull of a vessel, usually driven by an inboard motor;

Propeller (folding)

A propeller with folding blades, furling to reduce drag on a sailing vessel when not in use.

Propeller walk or prop walk

tendency for a propeller to push the stern sideways. In theory a right hand propeller in reverse will walk the stern to port.

Prow

a poetical alternative term for bows.

Puddening

Fibres of old rope packed between spars, or used as a fender.

Purchase

A mechanical method of increasing force, such as a tackle or lever.

Purser

The person who buys, stores and sells all stores on board ships, including victuals, rum and tobacco. Originally a private merchant, latterly a warrant officer.