| Just for fun! TheYachtMarket brings you
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| | N is for... Nipper - Short rope used to
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| sailing terms that you may not be
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| | bind a cable to the "messenger" (a moving
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| familiar with. Why not test yourself?
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| | line propelled by the capstan) so that
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| A is for... Aft - Towards the stern
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| | the cable is dragged along too (Used
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| B is for... Baggywrinkle - A soft
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| | because the cable is too large to be
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| covering for cables that prevents sail
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| | wrapped round the capstan itself). During
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| chafing from occurring.
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| | the raising of an anchor the nippers were
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| C is for... Chock-a-block - Rigging
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| | attached and detached from the (endless)
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| blocks that are so tight against one
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| | messenger by the ship's boys. Hence the
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| another that they cannot be further
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| | term for small boys: 'nippers'.
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| tightened.
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| | O is for... Orlop deck - The lowest deck
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| D is for... Deadeye - A round wooden
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| | of a ship of the line. The deck covering
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| plank which serves a similar purpose to a
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| | in the hold.
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| block in the standing rigging of large
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| | P is for... Pipe down - A signal on the
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| sailing vessels.
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| | bosun's pipe to signal the end of the
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| E is for... Embayed - The condition where
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| | day, requiring lights (and smoking pipes)
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| a sailing vessel is confined between two
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| | to be extinguished and silence from the
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| capes or headlands, typically where the
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| | crew. A red light at night.
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| wind is blowing directly onshore.
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| | Q is for... Quarterdeck - The aftermost
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| F is for... Fathom - A unit of length
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| | deck of a warship. In the age of sail,
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| equal to 6 feet (1.8 m), roughly measured
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| | the quarterdeck was the preserve of the
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| as the distance between a man's
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| | ship's officers.
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| outstretched hands.
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| | R is for... Ratlines - Rope ladders
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| G is for... Gunwale - Upper edge of the
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| | permanently rigged from bulwarks and tops
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| hull.
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| | to the mast to enable access to top masts
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| H is for... Hand over fist - To climb
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| | and yards. Also serve to provide lateral
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| steadily upwards, from the motion of a
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| | stability to the masts.
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| sailor climbing shrouds on a sailing ship
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| | S is for... Sampson post - A strong
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| (originally "hand over hand").
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| | vertical post used to support a ship's
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| I is for... In Irons - When the bow of a
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| | windlass and the heel of a ship's
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| sailboat is headed into the wind and the
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| | bowsprit.
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| boat has stalled and is unable to
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| | T is for... Three sheets to the wind - On
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| manoeuvre .
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| | a three-masted ship, having the sheets of
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| J is for... Jibboom - A spar used to
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| | the three lower courses loose will result
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| extend the bowsprit.
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| | in the ship meandering aimlessly
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| K is for... Killick - A small anchor. A
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| | downwind. Also, a sailor who has drunk
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| fouled killick is the substantive badge
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| | strong spirits beyond his capacity.
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| of non-commissioned officers in the RN.
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| | U is for... Under the weather - Serving a
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| Seamen promoted to the first step in the
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| | watch on the weather side of the ship,
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| promotion ladder are called 'Killick'.
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| | exposed to wind and spray.
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| The badge signifies that here is an Able
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| | V is for... Vanishing angle - The maximum
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| Seaman skilled to cope with the awkward
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| | degree of heel after which a vessel
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| job of dealing with a fouled anchor.
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| | becomes unable to return to an upright
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| L is for... Luffing - When a sailing
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| | position.
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| vessel is steered far enough to windward
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| | W is for... Windlass - A winch mechanism,
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| that the sail is no longer completely
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| | usually with a horizontal axis. Used
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| filled with wind (the luff of the sail is
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| | where mechanical advantage greater than
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| usually where this first becomes
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| | that obtainable by block and tackle was
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| evident).
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| | needed (such as raising the anchor on
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| M is for... Mainsheet - Sail control line
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| | small ships).
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| that allows the most obvious effect on
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| | Y is for... Yardarm - The very end of a
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| mainsail trim. Primarily used to control
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| | yard. Often mistaken for a "yard", which
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| the angle of the boom, and thereby the
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| | refers to the entire spar. As in to hang
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| mainsail, this control can also increase
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| | "from the yardarm" and the sun being
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| or decrease downward tension on the boom
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| | "over the yardarm" (late enough to have a
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| while sailing upwind, significantly
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| | drink).
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| affecting sail shape.
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| | How many did you already know?!
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