SEWANT. A north-country name for the plaice.
SEWARD, OR SEA-WARD. An early name for the _custos maris_, or he who
guards the sea-coast.
SEWED. A ship resting upon the ground, where the water has fallen, so as
to afford no hope of floating until lightened, or the return tide floats
her, is said to be sewed, by as much as the difference between the
surface of the water, and the ship's floating-mark. If not left quite
dry, she sews to such a point; if the water leaves her a couple of feet,
she is sewed two feet.
SEWIN. A white kind of salmon taken on the coast of Wales. Sometimes
this word is used for the dish called _sowens_.
SEXAGESIMAL DIVISIONS. The circumference of the circle is divided into
360 degrees, each degree into 60 minutes, and each minute into 60
seconds. The Americans afterwards used 60 thirds, but European
astronomers prefer decimals.
SEXTANT. A mathematical instrument for taking altitudes of, and
measuring the angular distances between, the heavenly bodies. It is
constructed on a principle similar to Hadley's quadrant; but the arc
contains a sixth part of a circle, and measures angles up to 120 deg.
SHACKLE [from the Anglo-Saxon _sceacul_]. A span with two eyes and a
bolt, attached to open links in a chain-cable, at every 15 fathoms; they
are fitted with a movable bolt, so that the chain can there be separated
or coupled, as circumstances require. Also, an iron loop-hooked bolt
moving on a pin, used for fastening the lower-deck port-bars.
SHACKLE-BREECHING. Two shackles are turned into the breeching, by which
it is instantly disconnected from the port-ringbolts. Also, the lug of
the cascable is cut open to admit of the bight of the breeching falling
into it, thus obviating the loss of time by unreeving.
SHACKLE-CROW. A bar of iron slightly bent at one end like the common
crow, but with a shackle instead of a claw at the bent end. It is used
for drawing bolts or deck-nails. (_See also_ SPAN-SHACKLE.)
SHACKLE-NET. The northern term for flue-net.
SHACKLES. Semicircular clumps of iron sliding upon a round bar, in which
the legs of prisoners are occasionally confined to the deck. _Manacles_
when applied to the wrists. (_See_ BILBOES.)
SHAD. The _Clupea alosa_, a well-known fish, of very disputed culinary
merit, owing perhaps to its own dietetic habits.
SHADES. Coloured glasses for quadrants, sextants, and circles. (_See_
DARK GLASSES, or SCREENS.)
SHAFT OF A MINE. The narrow perpendicular pit by which the gallery is
entered, and from which the branches of the mine diverge.
SHAG. A small species of cormorant, _Phalacrocorax graculus_.
SHAG-BUSH. An old term for a harquebus, or hand-gun.
SHAKE, TO. To cast off fastenings, as--_To shake out a reef._ To let out
a reef, and enlarge the sail.--_To shake off a bonnet_ of a fore-and-aft
sail.--_To shake a cask._ To take it to pieces, and pack up the parts,
then termed "shakes." Thus the term expressing little value, "No great
shakes."
SHAKE IN THE WIND, TO. To bring a vessel's head so near the wind, when
close-hauled, as to shiver the sails.
SHAKES. A name given by shipwrights to the cracks or rents in any piece
of timber, occasioned by the sun or weather. The same as _rends_ or
_shans_ (which see).
SHAKING A CLOTH IN THE WIND. In galley parlance, expresses the being
slightly intoxicated.
SHAKINGS. Refuse of cordage, canvas, &c., used for making oakum, paper,
&c.
SHALLOP, SHALLOOP, OR SLOOP. A small light fishing vessel, with only a
small main-mast and fore-mast for lug-sails. They are commonly good
sailers, and are therefore often used as tenders to men-of-war. Also, a
large heavy undecked boat, with one mast, fore-and-aft main-sail, and
jib-foresail. The gunboats on the French coasts were frequently termed
chaloupes, and carried one heavy gun, with a crew of 40 men. Also, a
small boat rowed by one or two men.
SHALLOWS. A continuation of shoal water.
SHALLOW-WAISTED. Flush-decked vessels are thus termed, in
contradistinction to the deep-waisted.
SHAN. A defect in spars, most commonly from bad collared knots; an
injurious compression of fibres in timber: the turning out of the
cortical layers when the plank has been sawed obliquely to the central
axis of the tree.
SHANK. An arrangement of deep-water fishing lines. Also, a handle or
shaft. Also the bar or shaft of an anchor, constituting its main piece,
at one end of which the stock is fixed, and at the other the arms.
SHANK-PAINTER. The stopper which confines the shank of the anchor to the
ship's side, and prevents the flukes from flying off the bill-board.
Where the bill-board is not used, it bears the weight of the fluke end
of the anchor.
SHANTY. A small hut on or near a beach.
SHAPE. The lines and form of a vessel.--_To shape a course._ To assign
the route to be steered in order to prosecute a voyage.
SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE. The golden rule of all messes at sea.
SHARK. A name applied to many species of large cartilaginous fish of the
family _Squalidae_. Their ferocity and voracity are proverbial. Also,
applied to crimps, sharpers, and low attorneys.
SHARP. Prompt and attentive.--_Be sharp!_ Make haste.--_Look sharp!_
Lose no time. Also, an old term for a sword.
SHARP BOTTOM. Synonymous with a sharp floor; used in contradistinction
to a flat floor: the epithet denotes vessels intended for quick sailing.
SHARP LOOK-OUT BEFORE! The hail for the forecastle look-out men to be
extremely vigilant.
SHARP UP. Trimmed as near as possible to the wind, with the yards braced
up nearly fore and aft.
SHAVE. A close run; a narrow escape from a collision.
SHEAF. A bundle of arrows, as formerly supplied to our royal ships.
SHEAL. A northern term for a fisherman's hut, whence several of them
together became _sheals_ or _shields_.
SHEAR. An iron spear, of three or more points, for catching eels.
SHEAR-HOOKS. A kind of sickle formerly applied to the yard-arms, for
cutting the rigging of a vessel running on board.
SHEARS. _See_ SHEERS.
SHEAR-WATER. A sea-fowl, _Puffinus anglorum_.
SHEATHING. Thin boards formerly placed between the ship's body and the
sheets of copper, to protect the planks from the pernicious effects of
the worm. Tar and hair, or brown paper dipped in tar and oil, is laid
between the sheathing and the bottom. In 1613 a junk of 800 or 1000 tons
was seen in Japan all sheeted with iron; and yet it was not attempted in
Europe till more than a hundred years afterwards. But by 1783 ships of
every class were coppered.
SHEATHING-NAILS. These are used to fasten wood-sheathing, and prevent
the filling-nails from tearing it too much. Those used for
copper-sheathing are of mixed metal, cast in moulds about one inch and a
quarter long. The heads are flat on the upper side, and counter-sunk
below, with the upper side polished to prevent the adhesion of weeds.
SHEAVE. The wheel on which the rope works in a block; it is generally
formed of lignum vitae, sometimes of brass, and frequently of both; the
interior part, or that which sustains the friction against the pin,
being of brass, let into the exterior, which is of lignum vitae, and is
then termed a sheave with a brass coak, _bouche_, or bush. The name also
applies to a cylindrical wheel made of hard wood, movable round a stout
pin as its axis; it is let through the side and chess-trees for leading
the tacks and sheets. Also, the number of tiers in coiling cables and
hawsers.
SHEAVE-HOLE. A channel cut in masts, yards, or timber, in which to fix a
sheave, and answering the place of a block. It is also the groove cut in
a block for the ropes to reeve through.
SHEBEEN. A low public-house, yet a sort of sailor trap.
SHED. A pent-house or cover for the ship's artificers to work under.
SHEDDE. An archaic term for the slope of a hill.