|
| Average | Apportionment between shipowners and freighters
of loss caused by intentional damage to a ship or her
cargo in order to save the ship (e.g. cutting away
masts or jettisoning cargo). |
| bend | The transverse section of a ship; or the outermost
timbers of a ship's side. |
| cannon-perier | Medium shotted, short range gun of up to 8 inches
calibre, and firing about a 24 pound shot. |
| ceiling | Inside planking of a ship laid across the floor and
carried up the sides of the hold to the level of the
beams. |
| chase-ports | Gunports at the bow or stern of a ship. |
| culverin | Light shotted, long range gun, of around 5 inches
calibre, and firing about a 17 pound shot. |
| demi-cannon | Large calibre (6 inches) gun of medium range and
length, firing a shot of over 30 pounds. |
| demi-culverin | Light shotted, long range gun, of about 4 inches
calibre, and firing about a 9 pound shot. |
| doll | Dolium, or ton. |
| drake | Never very accurately described when it was in
general use, but it seems to have been a term used
to describe both guns lighter and shorter than those
standard to their calibre, and those which were
taper bored. |
| entry | Attestation of a ship's papers before customs. |
| inning | Reclaiming marsh or flooded land. |
| knee | A timber of naturally angular shape used to
strengthen and support a ship's timbers at points of
intersection. |
| last | A last of herrings was 12 barrels; of red fish and
pilchards, 10,000–12,000 fish. |
| lastage and
ballastage | Both words can mean the material used for ballast
(i.e. sand, gravel, etc.), and the toll levied to supply
it. |
| minion | Light shotted, long range gun, of about 3 inches
calibre, and firing up to about a 5 pound shot. |
| murderer | Breech, loading anti-personnel gun. |
| Newfoundland fish | Cod. |
| orlop | Strictly speaking, the lowest deck, but the term was
used to describe all except the weather deck. |
| pipe-stave | Board used for making casks. |
| port-piece | Short range gun, firing a shot of up to 10 to 12
pounds. |
| round | A beam which rounds well having a sufficient curve
to give a proper camber to the deck. |
| saker | Light shotted, long range gun, of about 3 inches
calibre, and firing about a 5 pound shot. |
| scarf/scarfing | The joint by which two pieces of timber are joined
into a continuous piece. |
| sharp | A term used to describe a ship having a narrow or
wedge shaped bottom. |
| tons and tonnage | Tons gave the cargo capacity of a ship expressed in
tuns of wine which could be carried in the hold; the
addition of one third for tonnage gave the rough
equivalent of modern gross tonnage (i.e. total cubic
capacity). |
| waft/waftage | Convoy. |