A Public Service Announcement

Ralph Johnstone · Apr 29, 2015

Enquiring Minds .....................

Stu Jackson said:
Recent posts have included terms that have seemed to confuse boating terms with house/home terms. Here are the

Translations

Bedroom = berth or cabin

........................ want to know.

If you fall out of your bunk in the bedroom, will you get berth marks

?

Joe · Apr 30, 2015

pulley = block

sunman · Apr 30, 2015

cheek

Crazy Dave Condon · Apr 30, 2015

If unknown refer to it as a whatcha ma call it or tat thing.

Anonymous 121765 · Apr 30, 2015

Here are a few more:

STERN = when you make the captain mad.

OVERBOARD = the one that made the captain mad.

IRON JIB = motor

ALOFT = someone who thinks they are special, er....sorry, I meant ALOOF.

BOW = show of respect each time the captain passes by.

LIFELINES = if not stopping you from falling overboard, the term is questionable.

BARKING ORDERS = what the captain likes to do to feel empowered.

CAPTAIN = God-like creature...........again, must bow in his presence.

RUNNING RIGGING = folks that lose their grip on a line & have to chase it down.

KEEL = what inebriated guests do when they fall (keel) over.

PROP = someone that brings a broom to match their witches' costume.

MAST = that big tall stick-like thing on the deck that loves lightning.

COME ABOUT = hey, lets turn around.

CR

31seahorse · Apr 30, 2015

We all knew this could go downhill fast!

Bird's Nest.......a mess of rope (line) to untangle :cussing:

Bird's Nest.......(alternate) a mess of grass and feathers you remove from the end of your boom

Draw........one of those sliding things in the galley (a perfect place to lose anything you need)

Pulpit......bow rail

Pushpit....stern rail (and I love this one!)

POS..... a boat owned by someone else

PITA......most powerboat operators and some sailboat owners (and some bridge operators, it seems) :naughty:

Heave To......accomplished by sea sick crew :cry:

Parsons · Apr 30, 2015

Boom = the sickening sound when aluminum hits the back of someone's head

Hard a Lea (Lee, Leah, whatever) = sound made by the skipper right before the preceding definition

Downwind = proper side to propel bodily fluids you don't want to wear for the remainder of the trip

Cleat = metal shape attached to something slowly floating away from you that you thought you had tied up somehow

Companionway Hatch = something to crack your head on to make sure you're awake before your night watch begins.

Anonymous 121765 · Apr 30, 2015

Stu,

I need to apologize man but, you left me an opening & I couldn't help myself pal.
This is why my boat friends call me Captn' Ron.

It could be worse, I could be a yacht club member but...................

31Seahorse,
you are correct as, it REALLY deteriorated from this point on.

I did forget one however:

SREADERS = a........CENSORED, CENSORED............

AH, the single sailor's life.........

ps: Please don't tell my mom I said this.

CR

jsalley · Apr 30, 2015

"Sidestays" = Shrouds

Bill Roosa · Apr 30, 2015

powder room is the place they kept the gunpowder, powder monkeys were the young boys that ran gunpowder kegs from the powder room to the gun deck.
loafer - one who spends too much time in the room the cook stores the freshly baked bread in aka the loaf room.
leeward - away from the wind or the downwind side
windward - toward the wind or the windward side
helms a lee(ward) - position of the helm tiller hard over to leeward to begin a tack
brass monkey - the square brass plate with raised corners that they stack cannon balls on in a pyramid. dont' see them much on boats, more of a shore side thing
cold enough to freeze the (cannon) balls off a brass monkey - interesting application of physics as cannon balls are iron and change size at a different rate than brass as they heat or cool. the math is left up to the reader to determine if this is actually possible.

DHaranSailor · Apr 30, 2015

31seahorse said:
POS..... a boat owned by someone else

Gets my vote for best one yet!

Image from my favorite shirt.

Ralph Johnstone · Apr 30, 2015

As We Continue to Wander Further ............

................. and further afield:

Ukeluthier · Apr 30, 2015

It's always amusing to try to explain to lubbers that the overhead is NOT the ceiling... the ceiling is on the "walls." Similarly, they are not standing on the floor; they are standing on the sole. The floors are UNDER the sole.

Don't get me started on "upstairs" and "downstairs."

Dalliance · Apr 30, 2015

If we venture into marine plumbing.....Well, let's just say "down hill" is relative and the joker valve is very aptly named.
No, that's not a "cute little toilet". It's a HEAD, which means "unisex urinal". Please don't use it for anything else.

Calif. Ted · Apr 30, 2015

We always referred to the hole and frame as the "port" and the glazing or clear center that kept water out as the "light", put them together, it was a portlight.
So, I called an online chandlery and said "I want to order replacement lights for some Beckson Portlights "
Him: What kind of lights ?
Me: Portlights, Beckson portlights
Him: What color are the lights ?
Me: Smoked
Him: If they're smoking, don't turn them on.
Me: No, Portlights, portlights
Him: So it's a red light ?
After 20 minutes of "Who's on First ?" I called them "boat windows" and we successfully concluded the transaction.

WayneH · May 1, 2015

"Not enough room to swing a cat!"
http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Nine-Tails-Whip-Leather/dp/B000C05Z9Y

When the crew doesn't bow to the captain.

Joe · May 1, 2015

Scuttle Butt .... the keg of water located near the mainmast, usually guarded by a marine sentry, where the crew could quench their thirst and exchange ship's news at tweet like speed.

Scotty C-M · May 1, 2015

Nippers, young boys who nipped - attached lines to the anchor rhode as it was then pulled in . This was a small space which was why they used young (small) boys. Now it means any young lad.

A Public Service Announcement

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