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{ 377 } Glossary Abaft. In the direction of the stern, used in relation to another feature on the ship. Adze. Woodworking tool with its blade attached perpendicular to the axis of the handle, used by shipwrights to shape and smooth timbers. Aft. Toward the back or stern of a ship. Amidships. The point on a vessel halfway between the stem and stern. Anchor. A heavy weight, typically made of wrought iron in the shape of an inverted T, that is connected to a vessel by a cable or a chain and holds it in place by hooking into the sea bottom. Features of an anchor include the following: Arms. The pair of angled extensions at lower end of the anchor shank. Crown. The part of the anchor where the arms and shank meet. Fluke. The pointed or chisel-­ shaped extension at the end of an anchor arm. Nut. Small protrusion on the shank of an anchor designed to fit into mortises in a wooden stock to keep the stock from twisting on the shank. Palm. The broad, flat, triangular face of an anchor’s fluke. Ring. The circular feature at the head of the anchor for attaching a cable or chain. Shank. The shaft of an anchor. Stock. The wood or metal crosspiece fitted near the top of an anchor shank, designed to pivot the anchor on the sea bottom so that one fluke catches on the bottom. Apron. A curved internal timber, attached to the lower end of the stem and the forward end of the keel. Athwartships. Across the longitudinal axis of a ship. Axe. Woodworking tool with its blade attached in line with the handle, used by shipwrights for the preliminary cutting and squaring of timbers. Ballast. Heavy material such as iron, stone, or sand placed in a vessel’s hold to lower the center of gravity and increase stability. Beam. 1) A transverse timber that supports a deck and holds the sides of a ship together; 2) the width of a ship; see Breadth. Beam Ends. A ship lying over on one side is said to be “on its beam ends.” Belaying Pin. A pin to which ropes are made fast. Berth Deck. The deck situated immediately below the main deck of a vessel that serves as living quarters for the crew. Bevel. See Chamfer. Bilge. The curved portion of a hull beneath the waterline. Bitts. Upright posts for belaying ropes or anchor cables. Block. A device for increasing mechanical purchase on a line, used on shipboard for heavy lifting or pulling tasks; they are variously shaped to meet different requirements but consist of a shell, a pin, and one or more wheels called sheaves. Bobstay. Element in a ship’s standing rigging that extends between the cutwater or stem and the outboard end of the bowsprit; the bobstay counters the upward pull of the foremast stays. Body Lines. See Station Lines. Bolt. Cylindrical metal fasteners used to fasten a ship’s timbers or the chainplates of the standing rigging or for securing tackle, cables, and standing rigging; a variety of types exist; see Clench Bolt, Drift Bolt, Eyebolt, Forelock Bolt, and Ring Bolt. Boom. Spars used to extend sails, such as the spanker boom that extends the foot of a fore-­ and-­ aft sail, the stuns’l boom that extends studdingsails from the outboard ends of yards, or the jibboom that extends the headsails forward of the bowsprit. Boom Irons. Metal fittings at the ends of yards that secure stuns’l booms and allow them to be easily extended or retracted. Bow. The forward end of a ship. Bowsprit. A spar that angles forward of the bow and serves to extend the head sails and to secure the stays of the foremast. Bowsprit Cap. See Mast Cap. Boxing Scarf. A complex scarf with an interlocking mortise and tenon, used to join the keel to the stem or keel pieces to one another. Brails. Lines that extend to the edges of a sail, used to draw the sail up when not in use. Breadth. The width of a ship; molded breadth is the width at the outside faces of the frames; extreme breadth is the width to the outside of the planking. Breast Hook. A horizontally oriented knee fitted inside the bow to fasten the stem, apron, and forwardmost frames together and reinforce the entire assembly. Breechings. Heavy ropes or cables that extend from the bulwarks on either side of a gunport around the back of a...

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