STAND SQUARE, TO. To stand or be at right angles relatively to some
object.
STANGS. Poles put across a river. Also, eel-spears.
STANK. An old statute term for _staunch_ (which see).
STAPLE. _Merchants of the staple_ formerly meant those who exported the
staple wares of the country.
STAPLE-KNEES, OR STAPLE-LODGING KNEES. The same as _deck standard-knees_
(which see).
STAR, DOUBLE. _See_ DOUBLE-STAR.
STAR, TEMPORARY. _See_ TEMPORARY STARS.
STAR, VARIABLE. _See_ VARIABLE STARS.
STARBOARD. The opposite of _larboard_ or _port_; the distinguishing term
for the right side of a ship when looking forward [from the Anglo-Saxon
_steora-bord_].
STARBOARD THE HELM! So place the helm that the rudder is brought on the
port side of the stern-post. (_See_ HARD-A-STARBOARD.)
STARBOLINS. The old familiar term for the men of the starboard watch, as
larbolin was for the larboard or port watch.
STAR-FISHES. _See_ SEA-STAR.
STAR-FORTS. Those traced in the form of a star, with alternate salient
and re-entering angles. They are not in much favour, being expensive in
construction, of small interior space, and having much dead space in
their ditches.
STAR-GLINT. A meteorite.
STAR-PAGODA. A gold coin of the East Indies. In Madras its value is
7_s._ 6_d._
STARS, FIXED. Those innumerable bodies bespangling the heavens from pole
to pole, distinguishable from the planets by their apparent fixity; it
is, however, certain that many of them move through space at a rate
vastly greater than that of the earth in her orbit, though, from their
enormous distance, we can with difficulty perceive it.
START. A long handle or tail; whence, by analogy, "start point." But
sometimes applied by navigators to any point from which a departure is
taken. Also, the expected place of a struck whale's rising, after having
plunged or sounded.--_To start_, applied to liquids, is to empty; but if
to any weight, as the anchor, &c., implies to move.--_To start bread._
To turn it out of bags or casks, and stow it in bulk.--_To start a
butt-end._ When a plank has loosened or sprung at the butt-end, by the
ship's labouring, or other cause.--_To start a tack or sheet._ To slack
it off, as in tacking or man[oe]uvring, "raise tacks and sheets."
STARTING. An irregular and arbitrary mode of punishment with canes or
ropes' ends, long since illegal in the British navy.
STARTING-BOLT, OR DRIFT-BOLT. A bolt used to drive out another; it is
usually a trifle smaller.
STASH IT THERE! An old order to cease or be quiet.
STATE-ROOM. A sleeping cabin, or small berth, detached from the main
cabin of merchantmen or saloon of passenger vessels.
STATION. The allotted places of the duties of each person on board. In
most merchantmen the cry of "Every man to his station, and the cook to
the fore-sheet," is calling the hands and the idlers.
STATIONARIAE. Those vessels of a Roman fleet ordered to remain at anchor.
STATIONARY POINTS. Those points in a planet's orbit in which, as viewed
from the earth, it appears to have no motion amongst the stars.
STATION-BILL. A list containing the appointed posts of the crew when
performing any evolution but action.
STATIONER. One who has had experience, or who has been some time on a
particular station.
STATIONING A SHIP'S COMPANY. Arranging the crew for the ready execution
of the evolutionary duties of a ship.
STATION-POINTER. A circular instrument furnished with one standard
radius, and two movable. By laying off two observed angles right and
left from a central object, and laying the instrument over the objects
on a chart, the position of the observer is instantly fixed.
STATIONS FOR STAYS! Repair to your posts to tack ship.
STAUNCH. A flood-gate crossing a river to keep up a head of water, and,
by producing a rush in dry weather, floating the lighters over the
adjacent shallows.
STAVE, TO. To break a hole in any vessel. Also, to drive in the head of
a cask, as of spirits, to prevent the crew from misusing it in case of
wreck.--_To stave off._ To boom off; to push anything off with a pole.
STAVES. Wood prepared for the component parts of a cask. In 1781, staves
were ruled not to be a naval store, unless it were shown that the French
at Brest were in some peculiar want of casks. Also, the wood of lances,
formerly an object of great care, insomuch that Shakspeare makes Richard
III. say:--
"Look that my staves be sound, and not too heavy."
STAY. A large strong rope extending from the upper end of each mast
towards the stem of the ship, as the shrouds are extended on each side.
The object of both is to prevent the masts from springing, when the ship
is pitching deep. Thus stays are fore and aft; those which are led down
to the vessel's side are _backstays_.--_The fore-stay_ is that which
reaches from the foremast-head towards the bowsprit end.--_The
main-stay_ is that which extends to the ship's stem.--_The mizen-stay_
is that which is stretched to a collar on the main-mast, immediately
above the quarter-deck.--_The fore-topmast stay_ is that which comes to
the end of the bowsprit, a little beyond the fore-stay, on which the
fore-topmast staysail runs on hanks.--_The main-topmast stay_ is
attached to the hounds of the fore-mast, or comes on deck.--_The
mizen-topmast stay_ is that which comes to the hounds of the main-mast.
The top-gallant, royal, or any other masts, have each a stay, named
after their respective masts.--_Spring-stay_ is a kind of substitute
nearly parallel to the principal stay, and intended to help the
principal stay to support its mast.--_Stay of a steamer._ An iron bar
between the two knees which secure the paddle-beams. (_See_
FUNNEL-STAYS.)--_To stay._ To tack, to bring the ship's head up to the
wind for going about; hence to _miss stays_, is to fail in the attempt
to go about.--_In stays_, or _hove in stays_, is the situation of a
vessel when she is staying, or in the act of going about; a vessel in
bad trim, or lubberly handled, is sure to be _slack in stays_, and
_refuses stays_, when she has to wear.