General sailing

General sailing

Terms used to sail, navigate, and maintain a sail boat.

Contributors in General sailing

General sailing

Cleaning off a ship's bottom by burning the excrescences thereon. Sometimes when a vessel is not coppered small worms will eat into the plank. It is usual then to scrape her bottom, coal tar her, and ...

scud

Sailing; General sailing

To run before a gale of wind with very little canvas set, or "under bare poles."

eyelet holes

Sailing; General sailing

Small holes worked in sails for lacings, &c., to be rove through.

home

Sailing; General sailing

Any operation that is completely performed, as "sheeted home" when the clew of a sail is hauled out to the last inch, &c. An anchor is said to come home when it breaks out of the ground.

leech line

Sailing; General sailing

A line running through the leech of the sail, used to tighten it.

sooji

Sailing; General sailing

A composition of caustic soda and quicklime for cleaning off old paint, varnish, oil, grease and a good deal of skin.

skinning

Sailing; General sailing

In stowing a mainsail lifting the outside part up time after time, the bunt forming a kind of bag. This should never be allowed, as it ruins the sail.