Two Topsail Schooner to Vakka

A vessel carrying a square topsail both on the fore and main topmasts.

(See Tie.)

Short lengths of rope used for tying up a sail. They take the place of gaskets.

A Chinese river boat.

To discharge the ballast out of a vessel.

To cast adrift, or to untie.

To cast off the turns of a cable from the bitts.

Same as under sail.

A stream flowing beneath the surface water, which is either at rest or running in a contrary direction to the under current.

When the anchor is directly below the hawse pipe.

Short-handed.

Masts either too short or too slender for the vessel.

To haul a small boat under a hawser stretched across her path by lifting up the rope.

Said of a vessel when she has sail set and is under way.

Moving through the water under the propelling power of the paddle wheels or screw.

A vessel is under the lee of the land when she is close to a weather shore. A vessel is under the lee of another when the former is to lee-ward.

(See Under Current.)

Said of a vessel when she is making progress through the water, whether under sail or steam.

An insurer of vessels, freights and cargoes against the perils of the sea in accordance with a contract issued to the insured, which is known as a policy of insurance. (See Marine Insurance.)

To cast loose a sail; to throw the gaskets off a sail.

The inner upper corner of an ensign--the starry field in the American flag, the remainder of the flag is called the fly.

The situation of an ensign when hoisted upside-down. This is a universal signal of distress.

A small flag flown at the bowsprit cap on a jack-staff. It contains only the union of the national ensign, and is set on Sundays and when dressing ship.

U. S. Local Inspectors. Officers appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury to examine and license all classes of American steam vessels, and to grant to capable captains, mates and engineers certificates of competency authorizing them to serve in their several capacities on board steam vessels.

To heave up one anchor, leaving the ship riding to the other.

To draw a rope out of a block, etc.

To take the rigging off a vessel.

To remove anything from its place; to take anything apart.

The order to weigh anchor.

Anything in a perpendicular position, as, the yards are up and down the rigging.

The order to hoist the boats to the davits.

The order to let go the tacks and sheets and haul up those sails.

(See Helm Up.)

An order given to the boat's crew by the coxswain, signifying that they are to lift their oars from the thwarts and hold them before them perpendicularly. The order "Up Oars" precedes that of "Let Fall."

(See Euphroe.)

(See Deck.)

(See Topgallant Sail.)

(See Topsail.)

The sides of the vessel from the water-line to the covering board.

A small armed Spanish boat.

(See Uphroe.)

A fly carried at the truck, made of bunting, which traverses on a spindle and shows the direction of the wind.

A large canoe belonging to the Friendly Islands.