Distress Signals to Drag

Colors hoisted upside down: guns fired, and fireworks set off promiscuously are all signals of distress.

A small bag used for the same purpose as a ditty box.

A small box with a hinge lid used by men-o'-war's men to keep sewing gear and such like in.

A place where ships are loaded and unloaded; the water space between two wharves. (See Dry Dock.)

The act of placing a vessel in a dry dock. Also used in connection with making a vessel fast to a wharf. (See Berthing a Ship.)

The title given to the cook on merchant vessels.

The documenting of vessels has reference to Registers. Enrollments, and Licenses which legalize the several trades, etc., in which they may be employed.

A short iron bar with a ring in one end and a shar? fang in the other; the latter being driven securely into a piece of timber, and the block of a tackle hooked to the ring of the dog so as to drag the timber along, etc.

A piece of timber placed at the forward end of the launching ways to hold the ship until ready for launching.

A kind of weather-cock generally made of bunting, for showing the direction of the wind.

(See Watch.)

A mess of dried peas boiled in a bag.

The small bight made in the leech-rope of a sail when it is reefed or made up.

A post on a wharf (not a spile head) to which hawsers are made fast; a spar driven in the sand on a beach for making a mooring line fast; a strap of plaited cordage around a mast to support the puddening; a fender secured permanently below the gunwale of a large boat; a wooden buoy acting as a morning.

The lower spear-shaped ending of a martingale. Sometimes the dolphin striker and martingale are spoken of collectively, when either one of the two above names are applied. (See Martingale.)

A flat-bottom, high-sided rowing boat used by fishermen; a flat-floor cargo boat used in the West Indies. (See John Dorey.)

A trading vessel of Persia.

A block containing two sheaves.

An ornamental knot worked with the strands of a rope and used on man-ropes, etc. (See engraving.)

(See Topgallant Sail.)

(See Topsail.)

A knot put on the end of a rope. (See engraving.)

To sail around or pass beyond a point of land.

To lower a sail; to put out a light; to cover with water.

An order to put the helm to leeward so as to bring the vessel up to the wind.

Meaning the same as down anchor. The expression down killick is made use of at times by the men manning the windlass brakes, who cry "down killick" as they bear the brake-handle down, and "up killick" as they bear it up.

A rope used for hauling down jibs, staysails and studding-sails.

A piece of canvas laced to the bonnet of a sail in the same manner, as the bonnet is laced to the sail itself. It is employed in order to obtain more drop.

A bag-net used for dragging the bottom for specimens or for lost articles. An instrument made of canvas and rings or spars, with a long hawser attached, led through the weather hawse pipe, to throw overboard in heavy weather to keep the vessel's head to the sea. These contrivances are known by the name of Cornucopia, Spar, and Kite Drags, according to their shapes and manufacture.