Scuttlebutt navy term portable#

It may also imply that a vessel is not anchored and not under control, therefore goes where the wind and current take her, (Loose from moorings, or out of place).

In UK administered by the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice.Īdrift - Afloat and unattached in any way to the shore or seabed. In the Royal Navy (UK) the Board of Admiralty, executing the office of the Lord High Admiral, promulgates Naval law in the form of Queen's (or King's) Regulations and Admiralty Instructions.Īdmiralty law - Body of law that deals with maritime cases.

Scuttlebutt navy term portable#

Close aboard means near a ship.Ībsentee pennant - Special pennant flown to indicate absence of commanding officer, admiral, his chief of staff, or officer whose flag is flying (division, squadron, or flotilla commander).Īccommodation ladder - A portable flight of steps down a ship's side.Īdmiralty - A high naval authority in charge of a state's Navy or a major territorial component. 'two points abaft the port beam.'Ībandon Ship - An imperative to leave the vessel immediately, usually in the face of some imminent danger.Ībeam - 'On the beam', a relative bearing at right angles to the centerline of the ship's keel.Ībel Brown - A sea song (shanty) about a young sailor tryingĪboard - On or in a vessel. Also see Letter of Marque.Ībaft - Toward the stern, relative to some object ('abaft the fore hatch')Ībaft the beam - A relative bearing of greater than 90 degrees from the bow. This is a glossary of nautical terms some remainĬurrent, many date from the 17th-19th century.Ībove board - On or above the deck, in plain view, not hiding anything.Īct of Pardon / Act of Grace - A letter from a state or power authorising action by a privateer. (And after a day of steering in bad weather, the pilot was “pooped.A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z During heavy weather, the foam and spray from tall waves behind the ship would leave the poop deck and the pilot quite wet. When sailing, the wind generally comes from the rear, filling the sails and propelling the ship forward. In case you are wondering, the name “poop deck” comes from the French word for the stern, “la poupe.” I wouldn’t want my readers to get the wrong idea, there! The poop deck was elevated so the captain and pilot would have a clear view over the front of the ship. This is where the ship’s wheel was located - in the rear of the ship, near the rudder - in order to reduce the number of pulleys and ropes needed for steering. The upper-most rear, or the stern, was called the poop deck. It is a nautical or naval term that goes back to the day of the old sailing ships. The source of this relatively delicate term is rather interesting. Dr Jerry Wilson answers in the Index-Journal that weighty question, “Why is the toilet on a boat referred to as the ‘head’?”