quantity of sail, without hazard of oversetting. See the articles
BALLAST and TRIM.
STINK-POT, _pot à feu_, an earthen jar, or shell, charged with powder,
grenadoes, and other materials of an offensive and suffocating smell. It
is frequently used by privateers, in the western ocean, in the attack of
an enemy, whom he designs to board; for which purpose it is furnished
with a lighted fuse, at the opening or touch-hole. See BOARDING.
STIRRUPS. See the article HORSE.
STOCKS, a frame erected on the shore of a river, or harbour, whereon to
build shipping. It generally consists of a number of wooden blocks,
ranged parallel to each other, at convenient distances, and with a
gradual declivity towards the water. See LANCHING.
STOPPERS, _bosses_, certain short pieces of rope, which are usually
_knotted_ at one, or both ends, according to the purpose for which they
are calculated. They are either used to suspend any weighty body, or to
retain a cable, _shroud_, &c. in a fixed position.
Thus, the anchors, when first hoisted up from the ground, are hung to
the cat-head, by a stopper attached to the latter, which passing through
the anchor-ring, is afterwards fastened to the timber-head, _n_, fig.
10. plate IV. and the same rope serves to fasten it on the _bow_ at sea;
or to suspend it by the ring when it is to be sunk from the ship to the
bottom.
The stoppers of the cables have a large knot, and a _laniard_, at one
end, and are fastened to a ring-bolt in the deck, by the other. They are
attached to the cable, by the laniard, which is fastened securely round
both by several turns passed behind the knot, or about the neck of the
stopper; by which means the cable is restrained from running out of the
ship, when she rides at anchor. See also BITS and RING-ROPE.
The stoppers of the shrouds have a knot and a laniard at each end. They
are only used when the shrouds are cut asunder in battle, or disabled by
tempestuous weather; at which time they are _lashed_, in the same manner
as those of the cables, to the separated parts of the shroud, which are
thereby reunited, so as to be fit for immediate service. This, however,
is only a temporary expedient, applied when there is not time or
opportunity to refit them, by a more complete operation.
STORE-KEEPER, _garde-magasin_, an officer in the royal dock-yards,
invested with the charge of the principal naval stores; as the sails,
anchors, cordage, &c.
STORE-ROOM, _soute_, an apartment, or place of reserve, of which there
are several in a ship, to contain the provisions, or stores of a ship,
together with those of her officers, during a sea-voyage.
STOWAGE, _arrimage_, the general disposition of the several materials
contained in a ship’s hold, with regard to their figure, magnitude, or
solidity.
In the stowage of different articles, as ballast, casks, cases, bales,
and boxes, there are several general rules to be observed, according to
the circumstances or qualities of those materials. The casks, which
contain any liquid, are, according to the sea phrase, to be _bung-up_
and _bilge-free_, i. e. closely wedged up, in an horizontal position,
and resting on their quarters: so that the bilges, where they are
thickest, being entirely free all round, cannot rub against each other,
by the motion of the vessel. Dry goods, or such as may be damaged by the
water, are to be carefully inclosed in casks, bales, cases, or wrappers;
and wedged off from the bottom and sides of the ship, as well as from
the bows, masts, and pump-well. Due attention must likewise be had to
their disposition, with regard to each other, and to the trim and centre
of gravity of the ship; so that the heaviest may always be nearest the
keel, and the lightest gradually above them. See BALLAST, TRIM, and
ROLLING.
STRAIT, _etroite_, a narrow channel, or arm of the sea, contained
between two opposite shores; as the straits of Gibraltar; the straits of
Sunda; the straits of Dover, &c.
STRAKES, or STREAKS, the uniform ranges of planks on the bottom and
sides of a ship; or the continuation of planks joined to the end of each
other, and reaching from the _stem_, which limits the vessel forward, to
the _stern-post_, and fashion-_pieces_, which terminate her length
abaft. The lowest of these, which is called the _garboard-streak_, is
let into the keel below, and into the stem and stern-post. See those
articles.
STRAND, _touron_, one of the twists, or divisions, of which a rope is
composed. See the articles ROPE and CABLE.
STRAND also implies the sea-beach: hence a ship is said to be stranded
when she has run a-ground on the sea-shore.
STRETCHER, _banquet_, a sort of staff fixed athwart the bottom of a
boat, for the rower to place his feet against, in order to communicate a
greater effort to his oar.
STRETCHING, _in navigation_, is generally understood to imply the
progression of a ship under a great surface of sail, when
_close-hauled_. The difference between this phrase and _standing_, is
apparently in the quantity of sail, which, in the latter, may be very
moderate; but in stretching, generally signifies excess: as, we saw the
enemy at day-break stretching to the southward, under a crowd of sail,
&c.
_To_ STRIKE, _in navigation_, to run ashore, or to beat upon the ground
in passing over a bank or shallow.
_To_ STRIKE also implies to lower or let down any thing; as an ensign,
or topsail, in saluting; or, as the yards and topmasts in tempestuous
weather. It is, however, more particularly used to express the lowering
of the colours, in token of surrender, to a victorious enemy.
STRING _in ship-building_, the highest range of planks in a ship’s
ceiling; or that which lies between the _gunnel_, and the upper edge of
the upper deck-ports, as expressed by T in the MIDSHIP-FRAME, plate VII.
_To_ STRIP _the masts_, _defuner_, is to unrig a ship, or deprive the
masts of their machinery and furniture; an exercise which is otherwise
called dismantling.
STROKE, a single sweep of the oars in rowing. Hence they say, Row a long
stroke! _longue rime!_ which is intended to push the vessel forward more
steddily. See the article OAR; as also the French term NAGER, and the
phrases following it.
[Illustration:
_PLATE XI._
_Geometrical Elevation of the STERN of a 1^{st} 2^d RATE._
]
STROKESMAN, the person who rows the hindmost oar in a boat, and gives
the stroke, which the rest are to follow; so that all the oars may
operate together.
STROP, _etrope_, a piece of rope _spliced_ into a circular wreath, and
used to surround the body of a block; so that the latter may be hung to
any particular station about the _masts_, _yards_, or _rigging_. Thus,
fig. 37. and 38. in plate II. represent two block-strops of different
sorts. See BLOCK and EYE.
STROPS are also used occasionally to fasten upon any large rope, for the
purpose of hooking a _tackle_ to the eye, or double part of the strop;
in order to extend, or pull with redoubled effort, upon the said rope;
as in _setting-up_ the rigging, where one hook of the tackle is fixed in
a strop applied to the particular _shroud_, and the other to its
laniard. See the article LANIARD.
STUDDING-SAILS, _bonettes en etui_, certain light sails extended, in
moderate and steddy breezes, beyond the skirts of the principal sails,
where they appear as wings upon the yard-arms.
The word may be traced from several derivations; as from _scud_,
_stead_, or _steddy_. The small sails used by _sloops_, schooners, and
tartanes, when scudding, are nearly of the same size and figure with the
lower studding-sails; and the accidental application of the former, to
the usual design of the latter, throws a probability on the derivation
from _scud_; especially as being used in the small vessels of our
ancestors, who were unacquainted with topmasts; and, of course, had no
conception of topmast-studding-sails. An ingenious friend of the author,
seems, with greater propriety, to derive it from steddy; because, when
the wind is extremely feeble, the fluctuation of the sea, although
almost imperceptible, is communicated to the ship, and thence to the
principal sails; which, being shaken and slapped against the masts,
will, by their weight, prevent, or at least considerably diminish, the
operation of the wind. The studding-sails, on the contrary, being of a
much lighter and thinner texture, more readily feel the effort of the
breeze, and continue inflated, so as to push the ship forward, and give
her head-way. By this circumstance, she becomes susceptible of the power
of the helm, and is accordingly retained in a steddy course; and hence
those sails may originally have been called _steddying_-sails,
afterwards corrupted into studding-sails. The last conjecture, which
seems equally favourable, is drawn from the Saxon word _sted_, to help
or assist; in which sense, those sails may be considered as auxiliar,
being set occasionally to help the others, or assist the ship’s course;
and thence called steading, or stedding-sails. But the expression of
_steering sails_, however adopted by many officers, is a most
contemptible conceit, without either authority or reason to support it.
The others are implicitly submitted to the reader’s decision.
The topmast studding-sails, or those which are set on the out side of
the topsails, are spread below by a boom, which, sliding out from the
extremities of the main and fore-yards, as explained in the article
SADDLE, pushes out their lower corners: and their upper edges, which are
attached to a light pole, are hoisted up to the topsail-yard-arms. See
also BOOM-IRON, in the article IRON-WORK.
The lower studding-sails, which are spread beyond the skirts or _leech_
of the main-sail and fore-sail, are fixed nearly in the same manner;
only that the boom, which extends their bottoms, is generally hooked to
the _chains_ by means of a _goose-neck_; or else swings off along with
the sail, to which it is suspended; being kept steddy behind by a rope
called the _guy_.
STUFF, _courrée_, any composition, or melted mass, used to smear or daub
the masts, sides, or bottom of a ship. That which is chiefly used for
the lower masts is simply turpentine, rosin, or varnish of pine: for the
topmasts, tallow or butter: for the sides, turpentine, varnish of pine,
tar and oil, or tar mixed with oil and red oker: and for the bottom, a
mixture of tallow, sulphur, and rosin, or tar: whale-oil and broken
glass; or any part of these ingredients: and this application is called
giving a new coat of stuff to the masts, sides, &c.
SUPERCARGO, an officer charged with the accounts of the cargo, and all
other commercial affairs in a merchant-ship.
SUPPLY, a fresh recruit of provisions or stores sent to a ship or fleet.
SURF, the swell of the sea which breaks upon the shore, or any rock
lying near the surface of the sea.
SURGE, the same with a wave; which see.
SURVEY, an examination made by several naval officers into the state or
condition of the provisions, or stores, belonging to a ship, or fleet of
men of war.
SURVEYORS _of the navy_, two officers, who sit at the navy-board, being
invested with the charge of building and repairing his Majesty’s ships,
at the different dock-yards of the kingdom: for which purpose they are
trained to the theory and practice of ship-building. It is also their
office to know the state of the navy; to audit the accounts of all
boatswains and carpenters serving therein; and to enquire into the
condition of all naval stores, at home or abroad, in order to supply
whatsoever may be deficient.
SWAB, _fauber_, (_swabb_, Swed.) a sort of mop formed of a large bunch
of old rope-yarns, and used to clean the decks and cabins of a ship:
hence the person, who uses it, is called the swabber.
SWEEPING, _draguer_, the act of dragging the bight, or loose part of a
small rope, along the surface of the ground, in a harbour, or road, in
order to hook and recover some anchor, wreck, or other material, sunk at
the bottom. It is performed by fastening the two ends of this rope to
the sides of two boats which are abreast of each other, at some
distance. To the middle of the rope are suspended two cannon-shot, or
something which weighs heavy, in order to sink it to the ground; so
that, as the boats advance, by rowing ahead, the rope drags along the
bottom, to hook any anchor, &c. for which they are searching.
SWELL, _enflement_, generally denotes an heavy and continued agitation
of the waves, according to a particular direction: as there is a great
swell setting into the bay. It is, however, more particularly applied to
the fluctuating motion of the sea, which remains after the expiration of
a storm: as also, to that which breaks on the sea-shore; or upon rocks,
or shallows.
SWIFTER, a rope used to confine the bars of the capstern in their
sockets, whilst the men are heaving it about; for which purpose it is
passed through holes in the extremities of the bars, so as to strain
them firmly together like the spokes of a wheel; which is accordingly
called swifting. See the article CAPSTERN.
SWIFTER is also a strong rope, sometimes used to encircle a boat
longitudinally, as well as to strengthen and defend her sides, as to
enable her the better to resist the impression of other boats which may
run against her occasionally. It is usually fixed about a foot under the
boat´s upper edge, or gunnel.
SWIFTERS are likewise two _shrouds_ fixed on the starboard and larboard
side of the lower masts, above all the other shrouds, as an additional
security to the masts. The hoisters are never confined, like the other
shrouds, by _Cat-harpings_. See that article.
_To_ SWING, to turn round the anchors, or _moorings_, at the change of
the wind, or tide: it is usually expressed of a ship, either when she is
moored by the head, or _riding_ at a single anchor.
T.
TABLING, _bander_, a sort of broad hem formed on the skirts and bottoms
of a ship’s sails, to strengthen them in that part which is attached to
the bolt-rope.
TACK, _couet_, a rope used to confine the foremost lower-corners of the
_courses_ and _stay-sails_ in a fixed position, when the wind crosses
the ship’s course obliquely. The same name is also given to the rope
employed to pull out the lower corner of a _studding-sail_ or _driver_
to the extremity of its boom.
The main-sail and fore-sail of a ship are furnished with a tack on each
side, which is formed of a thick rope tapering to the end, and having a
knot wrought upon the largest end, by which it is firmly retained in the
clue of the sail. By this means one tack is always fastened to windward,
at the same time that the _sheet_ extends the sail to leeward. See
CHESTREE.
TACK is also applied, by analogy, to that part of any sail to which the
tack is usually fastened.
A ship is said to be on the starboard or larboard tack, when she is
_close-hauled_, with the wind upon the starboard or larboard side; and
in this sense the distance which she sails in that position is
considered as the length of the tack; although this is more frequently
called a BOARD. See that article.
_To_ TACK, _virer vent devant_, to change the course from one board to
another, or turn the ship about from the starboard to the larboard tack,
in a contrary wind. Thus the ship A, fig. 2. plate XI. being
close-hauled on the larboard tack, and turning her prow suddenly to
windward, receives the impression of the wind on her head-sails _a_, by
which she falls off upon the line of the starboard tack _a_. Tacking is
also used, in a more enlarged sense, to imply that manœuvre, in
navigation, by which a ship makes an oblique progression to the
windward, in a zigzag direction. This, however, is more usually called
beating or turning to windward. See BEATING and TURNING.
Thus, suppose a ship A, fig. 2. plate XI. bound to a port B lying to
windward, with the wind northerly, as expressed by the arrow. The sails
_a_, _b_, _c_, being braced obliquely with the keel, the wind also falls
upon their surfaces in an oblique direction, by which the ship is pushed
to leeward, as explained in the article LEE-WAY. Hence, although she
apparently sails W. N. W. upon the larboard tack, as expressed in the
dotted line A _d_, and E. N. E. upon the other _d f_, yet if the lee-way
is only one point, (and indeed it is seldom less in the smoothest
water), the course will accordingly be W. _by_ N. upon one tack, and E.
_by_ N. upon the other, as represented by the lines A _e_, and _e g_.
If the port A were directly to windward of the ship, it is evident that
both tacks ought to be of equal length; or, in other words, that she
ought to run the same distance upon each tack: but as the place of her
destination lies obliquely to windward, she must run a greater distance
upon one tack than the other; because the extremities of both _boards_
should be equally distant from the line of her true course B A; so the
larboard tack A _e_, crossing the course more obliquely than the other
_e g_, will necessarily be much longer.
As the true course, or the direct distance from B to A, is only 12
leagues, it is evident, that with a favourable wind she could reach it
in a few hours. On the contrary, her distance is considerably increased
by the length of her boards, in a contrary wind; which, by its obliquity
with her sails, operates also to retard her velocity. Thus her first
board A _e_, on a W. _by_ N. course, is equal to 5.7 leagues. The second
tack _e g_ is 9.2 leagues E. _by_ N.: the third tack, parallel to A _e_,
is 11.5: the fourth, parallel to _e g_, is 9.2: and the fifth, parallel
to the first, 11.7 leagues. Finally, the sixth board is 4.8 leagues,
parallel to the second, which brings her to the port B. By this scheme
it appears that she has run more than four times the extent of the line
A B, her primitive distance; and this in the most favourable
circumstances of a contrary wind, viz. when the sea is smooth, and when
she may carry her full topsails. For if the wind blows stronger, to
render it necessary to _reef_ the topsails, she will soon make two
points of _lee-way_, and accordingly run east on one board, and west on
the other. In this situation she will neither approach, nor recede from
the place of her destination: but if the wind increases, the sea will
also be enlarged; a circumstance that still farther augments the
lee-way. Hence the vessel will gradually fall off from the port, in
proportion to the augmentation of the wind and sea, which occasions a
proportional increase of lee-way.
In order to explain the theory of tacking a ship, it may be necessary to
premise a known axiom in natural philosophy, That every body will
persevere in a state of rest, or of moving uniformly in a right line,
unless it be compelled to change its state by forces impressed; and that
the change of motion is proportional to the moving force impressed, and
is made according to the right line in which that force is exerted.
By this principle it is easy to conceive how a ship is compelled to turn
into any direction, by the force of the wind acting upon her sails, in
horizontal lines. For the sails may be so arranged as to receive the
current of air, either directly, or more or less obliquely: hence the
motion communicated to the sails must of necessity conspire with that of
the wind upon their surfaces. To make the ship tack, or turn round with
her head to the windward, it is therefore necessary, after she has
received the first impression from the _helm_, that the head-sails
should be so disposed as to diminish the effort of the wind, in the
first instant of her motion, and that the whole force of the wind should
be exerted on the _after_-sails, which operating on the ship’s stern,
carries it round like a weather-cock. But since the action of the
after-sails, to turn the ship, will unavoidably cease when her head
points to the windward, it then becomes necessary to use the head-sails,
to prevent her from _falling-off_, and returning to her former
situation. These are accordingly laid _aback_ on the lee-side, to push
the vessel’s fore-part towards the opposite side, till she has fallen
into the line of her course thereon, and fixed her sails to conform with
that situation.
It has been observed above, that the first effort to turn the ship in
tacking is communicated by the helm, which is then put to the lee-side.
This circumstance being announced by the pilot, or commanding-officer,
who then calls out, _Helm’s a-lee!_ the head-sails are immediately made
to shiver in the wind, by casting loose their _sheets_, or _bowlines_.
The pilot then calls, _Up tacks and sheets!_ which is executed by
loosening all the ropes which confine the corners of the lower sails, in
order that they may be more readily shifted to the other side. When the
ship has turned her head directly to windward, as in _d_, fig. 2. plate
XI. the pilot gives the order to turn about the sails on the main and
mizen masts, by the exclamation, _Haul main-sail, haul!_ the bowlines
and braces are then instantly cast off on one side, and as expeditiously
drawn in on the other side, so as to wheel the yards about their masts:
the lower corner of the main-sail is, by means of its tack, pulled down
to its station at the chestree; and all the after-sails are, at the same
time, adjusted to stand upon the other board. Finally, when the ship has
fallen off five or six points, as _h_, fig. 2. plate XI. the pilot
cries, _Haul of all!_ or, _Let go, and haul!_ the sails on the fore-mast
are wheeled about by their braces: and as the ship has then a tendency
to fall off, she is checked by the effort of the helm, which for that
purpose is put _hard a-lee_. The fore-tack, or the lower corner of the
fore-sail, being fixed in its place, the bowlines are hauled; and the
other sails, which have been neglected in the hurry of tacking, are
properly arranged to the wind, which exercise is called trimming the
sails. See LEE-WAY and SAILING.
TACKLE, _palan_, pronounced _taicle_, a machine formed by the
communication of a rope with an assemblage of blocks, and known in
mechanics by the name of pulley.
Tackles are used in a ship to raise, remove, or secure weighty bodies;
to support the masts; or to extend the sails and rigging. They are
either moveable, as communicating with a _runner_; or fixed, as being
hooked in an immoveable station; and they are more or less complicated,
in proportion to the effects which they are intended to produce.
If _a b d e_, fig. 3. plate XI be a single block, upon which are
suspended the weights _f g_, then since the nearest distance of the
ropes _f g_, from the center of motion _c_, are _a c_ equal to _d c_,
the block will be reduced to the lever or balance _a d_ with respect to
its power: Since _a c_ is then equal to _d c_, it is apparent that _f g_
will always be in equilibrium. As no advantage therefore can be
acquired, in raising a weight by an immoveable single block, it is only
rendered useful by changing the direction of the moving power. This
circumstance is extremely convenient to the labourers, and often
absolutely necessary; particularly in raising bodies to a higher
station; as from the hold to the upper decks, or from the deck to the
masts or yards, &c. which would otherwise be difficult or impracticable
to perform. See also the articles BLOCK and WHIP.
When a single block is moveable along with the body to which it is
attached, fig. 4. plate XI. as the blocks of the _brace-pendants_,
_reef-tackle pendants_, _jiggers_, &c. the momentum of the power is
doubled; because it moves twice as fast as the weight, or body to which
it is attached. For in the same time that any part of the rope _f_,
moves upward from _f_ to _g_, equal in length to the two equal ropes _d_
and _c_, the block, and consequently the weight annexed, will be drawn
through the space _e h_, whose length is equal to one of the ropes only.