BACK—(1) To go backwards. (2) Act of the wind in
changing direction counterclockwise.
BACKSTAY—Piece of standing rigging leading aft.
BAIL—(1) To rid a boat of water by dipping it out. (2)
A rigid member supporting two end points, as the
bail (handle) of a bucket or the support for an
accommodation ladder.
BALLAST—Weight (solid or liquid) loaded into a
ship to increase stability.
BAR—A long, narrow shoal across a harbor entrance.
BA R G E — ( 1 ) A b l u n t - e n d e d , f l a t - b o t t o m e d ,
waterborne craft, usually nonself-propelled, used
to haul supplies or garbage. (2) A type of
motorboat assigned for the personal use of a flag
officer.
BATTEN—(1) A long strip of steel wedged against
the edges of tarpaulins on a hatch to make the hatch
watertight. (2) Removable wood or steel members
used in ship’s holds to keep cargo from shifting.
BATTEN DOWN—The act of applying battens to a
hatch. Extended to mean the closing of any
watertight fixture.
BATTLE LANTERN—A battery-powered lantern
for emergency use.
BEAM—(1) The extreme breadth (width) of a vessel.
(2) A transverse frame supporting a deck.
BEAR—The act of locating a particular point, or
bearing, as “The lighthouse bears 45.”
BEAR A HAND—(1) Provide assistance, as “Bear a
hand with rigging this stage.” (2) Expedite, as
“Bear a hand with readiness for sea reports.”
BEARING—The direction of an object from an
observer, measured in degrees clockwise from a
reference point. See MAGNETIC BEARING,
RELATIVE BEARING, and TRUE BEARING.
BECKET—(1) An eye for securing one end of a line to
a block. (2) A rope eye on a cargo net. (3)
Shortened form of becket bend.
BECKET BEND—A knot used to tie two lines
together.
BELAY—(1) To secure a line to a fixed point. (2)
Order to disregard a previous order or to stop an
action, as “Belay the last order,” or “Belay the
small talk.”
B E L OW — D o w n w a r d , b e n e a t h , o r b e y o n d
something, as to lay below; below the flight deck;
below the horizon.
BEND—To join two lines together; the type of knot so
used.
BERTH—(1) A bunk. (2) A duty assignment. (3)
Mooring space assigned to a ship.
BIGHT—The middle part of a line or a loop in a line.
BILGE—(1) Bottom of the hull near the keel. (2) To
fail an examination. (3) Bilge water is foul water,
so to apply the term to something implies that it is
worthless.
BILLET—Place or duty to which one is assigned.
BINNACLE—Stand containing a magnetic compass.
BINNACLE LIST—List of persons excused from
duty because of illness.
BITT—Cylindrical upright fixture to which mooring
or towing lines are secured aboard ship.
BITTER END—The free end of a line.
BLOCK—A frame containing a pulley, called a
sheave, around which a line (known as a fall) is
attached.
BLOCK AND TACKLE—See PURCHASE.
BOARD—(1) The act of going aboard a vessel. (2) A
group of persons meeting for a specific purpose, as
an investigation board.
BOAT—A small craft capable of being carried aboard
a ship.
BOAT BOOM—A spar rigged out from the side of an
anchored or moored ship to which boats are tied
when not in use.
BOAT FALLS—Tackle used to hoist and lower a boat
in davits.
BOATHOOK—A staff having a hook at one end.
Used for fending a boat off, hooking a line, and so
forth.
BOATSWAIN’S CHAIR—A seat attached to a
gantline for hoisting a person aloft.
B OAT S WA I N ’ S L O C K E R —A compartment,
usually forward, where line and other equipment
used by the deck force are stowed.
BOLLARD—A strong, cylindrical upright fixture on
a pier to which a ship’s mooring lines are secured.
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