TURN TO—Start working.
UP ALL LATE BUNKS—An order to personnel
entitled to sleep after reveille to get up.
UPPER DECK—The first deck above the main deck.
VEER—(1) To allow a line, wire, or chain to run out by
its own weight. (2) To swerve. (3) Act of the wind
in changing direction clockwise.
VOID—An empty tank.
WAIST—The amidships section of the main deck.
WAKE—Trail left by a vessel, or other object, moving
through the water.
WARDROOM—Officers’ messing compartment.
WATCH—(1) One of the periods (usually 4 hours)
into which a day is divided. (2) A particular duty,
as lifebuoy watch. (3) The act of a buoy or other
marker in indicating the position of a sunken
object.
WATERTIGHT INTEGRITY—The degree of
quality of watertightness.
WAY—(1) Horizontal motion of a floating body. (2)
Launching track in a shipbuilding yard.
WEATHER DECK—Any deck exposed to the
elements.
WET DOCK—A basin formed by the construction of
barriers with gates in a harbor of great tidal ranges
to prevent ships from being stranded during low
tides. Ships enter the basin at high tide, the gates
are closed, and the water is retained in the basin
when the tide ebbs.
WHARF—Similar to a quay, but constructed in the
fashion of a pier.
WHIPPING—Binding on the end of a line or wire to
prevent unraveling.
WILDCAT—That portion of a windlass that engages
the links of the anchor chain so that the anchor can
be heaved in.
WINDWARD—Toward the direction from which the
wind is blowing.
YARD—Spar set athwartships across the upper part of
a mast.
YARDARM—The port or starboard half of the
horizontal crosspiece of the mast that is either the
port or starboard yardarm.
YAW—The act of a vessel when its heading is thrown
wide of its course by a force from astern, such as a
heavy following sea.
AI-13
