Sea going boat terminology

[Hair Bear Bunch]

I thought the term 'Heads' came from the fact that you shouted 'Heads!' as you emptied the bucket over the side in case someone on a lower deck happened to be leaning out at the same time .

Port and Starboard were suposed to refer to a board that stuck out on one side to give the navigator a clear view of the night sky hence 'starboard. Port was the side on which you came into port otherwise you knocked off your 'starboard'. Ships passed port to port otherwise the starboards collided.

Apparently a rope can also be a 'painter', but I've no idea why...

[cheshire~rose]

Also used on planes are port and starboard, unless you are in the a navy air force where left and right are used to avoid confusion with ship port and starboard.

 

Other canal boat terms not normally used in other nautical circles (that I am aware of):

 

cratch

deckboard?

fore-end?

t-stud?

cants

cross-chains

shuts

use of the term "Rooms" when talking about hold partitioning

back-end

back-end rail (well, if ships don't have a back-end, they aren't going to have a back end rail are they!)

Anser Pins

looby

breasting up

Butty

Ellum

blade (used for the whole propeller rather than just one blade on the prop)

Mud Box

 

...oh there must be hundreds, some just related to the problems of inland navigation, but many have nautical equivalents.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

 

 

I dispute this --

 

there cannot be very many ships aboard which a bacon butty has not been consumed!

Edited November 2, 2009 by cheshire~rose

[pugwash61]

So how much Sea going boat terminology has been applied to roads and cars?

 

 

Well I've been known to go out in the car on a Saturday night, CRUISING.

[Chertsey]

I've been known to moor the dog outside the corner shop.

But surely you don't moor a narrow boat, you 'tie up'

 

(ducks again)

[luctor et emergo]

Ooooooh no it isn't - well those are the terms my brother in law uses and he fixes a car for a living

 

 

Not very good is he? Only fixing the one car. Perhaps that's why he has trouble understanding nearside and offside.

 

 

[Mister Allnut]

Haven't read the whole thread so I'm probably repeating here but isn't starboard from the Norse "Steerbord" i.e rudder, located on the right. The other side was known as "Larboard" until too many accidents occurred due to miss hearing an order

[Chertsey]

... to mooring rings?

To rings?

[carlt]

Haven't read the whole thread so I'm probably repeating here

I see....so we're expected to read your posts but you can't be bothered reading ours.

 

[colin stone]

Using a nautical expression often uses less words. Eg Tell the foredeck crew to "Pull in the headrope to remove the slack but do not put weight on it to pull the vessel to the bank" in less than 10 - 20 words. The nautical expression is "Down slack headrope". 3 succinct words. "Cast off xxxrope" is similarly brief and simple.

 

"Let go" refers to an anchor. And if you think about it is also grammatically correct. You are letting go of the anchor, but if you were to let go a rope, you would let go your end, probably the end attached to the vessel and leave it on the bank - although some ferry types may well let go to leave their ropes ready to pick up on return.

 

Ho hum!!

[Chertsey]

Using a nautical expression often uses less words. Eg Tell the foredeck crew to "Pull in the headrope to remove the slack but do not put weight on it to pull the vessel to the bank" in less than 10 - 20 words. The nautical expression is "Down slack headrope". 3 succinct words. "Cast off xxxrope" is similarly brief and simple.

 

"Let go" refers to an anchor. And if you think about it is also grammatically correct. You are letting go of the anchor, but if you were to let go a rope, you would let go your end, probably the end attached to the vessel and leave it on the bank - although some ferry types may well let go to leave their ropes ready to pick up on return.

 

Ho hum!!

True (and the point I was making earlier about P&S), but it does depend upon people knowing the language. If you are going to learn a new language (or basically a set of shorthands) why not the one traditionally associated with the waterways and type of boat you're actually using.

[mayalld]

No. I've already said it on another thread, but they don't. Some Authorities such as the PLA base their own regs on the COLREGS, but they are still the PLA Regs and are anyway not identical. BW do not publish any "Rules of the Road" as far as I know, and certainly do not use the COLREGS.

 

COLREGS would by default apply on the canals, but are overridden by BW bye-laws which differ subtly

[Guest]

Not very good is he? Only fixing the one car. Perhaps that's why he has trouble understanding nearside and offside.

 

 

 

He runs a (very) small garage....

[mayalld]

But that would depend on which way you were facing. If I were to say 'the left headlamp isn't working', is that left hand as I'm facing it, or the left of the car as I'm driving it?

 

Which is why, on cars, the terms nearside and offside are used.

 

In a slightly ironic turn of phrase, we refer to the saloon as the Wardroom, and the area immediately inside the stern door where I keep the Nicholsons as the Chartroom

[howardang]

Which is why, on cars, the terms nearside and offside are used.

 

In a slightly ironic turn of phrase, we refer to the saloon as the Wardroom, and the area immediately inside the stern door where I keep the Nicholsons as the Chartroom

I hope you, as master, follow the tradition and wait for an invitation before entering the wardroom!

 

Howard

[mayalld]

I hope you, as master, follow the tradition and wait for an invitation before entering the wardroom!

 

Howard

 

Indeed I do!

[madcat]

I have real problems with left and right,side bed side and chimney side solved that one.Port n starboard I have to think about but I struggle to stop my OH using these terms.I struggle not to call lock gates doors and got told off for using the name longboat for a canal boat allthough I understand that in Bristol where I first saw such a vessel the term is local.Considering the problem carefully I think for me trying to learn and use the accepted canal names for things is probably best in the long run.

[blodger]

COLREGS would by default apply on the canals, but are overridden by BW bye-laws which differ subtly

 

Do you mean, which is my understanding, that col regs are appropriate guidance (not to be slavishly adopted) unless BW bye-laws specifically instruct otherwise?

[Mister Allnut]

I see....so we're expected to read your posts but you can't be bothered reading ours.

 

Bad day at the office dear? I apologise most sincerely for not hanging onto your every word. You aren't ob;iged to read anything and neither am I

[Guest]

Bad day at the office dear? I apologise most sincerely for not hanging onto your every word. You aren't ob;iged to read anything and neither am I

 

Carl's post was a joke....chill.

Edited November 3, 2009 by MJG

[Phil Ambrose]

I met a woman once who was nicknamed Hornblower. Not sure she knew much about boating.

 

Did she work in a hoover factory?

[soldthehouse]

Carl's post was a joke....chill.

Somethings are best not said

[Guest]

Somethings are best not said

 

Indeed I think we've been here before

 

,Cheers.

[soldthehouse]

Indeed I think we've been here before

 

,Cheers.

Youre welcome my friend

[carlt]

I had a day at the office dear. I apologise most sincerely for misinterpreting your humour.

I've edited your post accordingly and unreservedly accepted your apology

[Tam & Di]

COLREGS would by default apply on the canals, but are overridden by BW bye-laws which differ subtly

 

Why do you think this? The full title is International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and the given Application is "a - These rules shall apply to all vessels upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels. b - Nothing in these rules shall interfere with the operation of special rules made by an appropriate authority for roadsteads, harbours, rivers, lakes or inland waterways connected with the high seas and navigable by seagoing vessel ............. "

 

There is nothing in them to suggest they are applicable inland - they certainly don't have a lot to say about who has priority at locks. A summit level may be fairly high, but high seas it ain't, and the only ships are hardships.