Shipbuilding Terms and Phrases
The following pages are a glossary of shipbuilding terms from United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation publication The Building of a Wooden Ship by Charles G. Davis (1918), a long out-of-print book. These definitions will be very handy when reading the works of such authors as Davis, Howard I. Chapelle, V.R. Grimwood, and others I will reference in this blog. In some cases, I have added further clarification to a definition in the form of editor’s notes. These are in italic, contained in parentheses, and attribute the modern author of the clarification.

G

GAFF: a spar used along the head of a fore-and-aft sail.

GALLEY: the cook-house or compartment used for preparing and cooking food for the crew and passengers.

GANG: a set of standing rigging is called a “gang rigging.”

GANGWAY: a passageway: a ladder or other means of boarding a vessel.

GANTLINE (GIRTLINE): a single line rove through a temporary single block. A small line sent down from aloft to hoist up tools or material needed.

GARBOARD-STRAKE: the strake of heavy outside planking next to the keel.

GARNET: a purchase tackle or line on the mainstay, used in handling cargo.

GASKETS: short pieces of tape or canvas rope, used for securing a sail: see Stops.

GEAR: a term applied to tackle, ropes or blocks, etc., used for hoisting sails, cargo, etc.

GIMBALS: a mechanical device for supporting a compass, so that the surface is always level. In its simplest form it consists of two concentric rings, the outside having pivots or trunnions, by which it is supported at right angles to the pivots or trunnions of the inside ring which it carries. This device keeps the face of the compass level regardless of whether the vessel is pitching or rolling.

GIN POLE: the mast for a light portable hoisting rig, usually fitted with three or four guys and hoisting tackle.

GIRDER TIMBERS: fore-and-aft timbers running continuously from end to end of the vessel directly under the deck-beams, also continuous timber running along the deck each side of the hatch.

GIRTLINE: see Gantline.

GOOSENECK: a kind of hook; an iron swivel, forming the fastening between the boom and the mast, consisting of a pintle and eyebolt.

GOOSENECK BAND: an iron or steel band used to secure a gooeeneck to a boom.

GRATING DECK: the deck in a magazine used to keep the powder or other ammunition out of the water or free from moisture; generally placed a foot or more above the magazine floor or deck.

GRAVING-PIECE: a piece of wood fitted into a defective place; a dutchman; a filler.

GRIDIRON: a term sometimes applied to the timber cribwork used for various purposes in and around a shipyard, as for instance, the support of the launching-ways where it is impossible to drive piles.

GRIPE: the corner-piece, generally made from a natural timber crook, which joins the stem and the front end of the keel at the forefoot.

GROMMET (GRUMMET): a ring of rope used for various purposes, made from a single strand of rope, laid three times around its own center part. This makes a continuous ring of rope of any desired size. A metallic eyelet used on sails and flags.

GROSS TONNAGE: is the tonnage measurement of the hull and superstructure with certain allowances and exemptions, as set forth in the regulations and as governed by the laws of the United States. Certain measurements are taken to determine the volume of the different parts of a ship, and with the allowances and exemptions deducted the remaining figure is in cubic feet, which, divided by 100, gives the gross tonnage measurement.

Two other gross tonnage measurements are required on vessels sailing under the flag of the United States: One is the Panama Canal measurement, which is performed in practically the same way, except that the deductions and exemptions are different. This measurement is regulated by the statutes of the United States. The other measurement is the Suez Canal measurement, and is performed in practically the same way except that the deductions and exemptions are slightly different. The method of taking this measurement and the exemptions and deductions are regulated by the Suez Canal Measurement Rules.

GROUND-TACKLE: a term applied to the anchor, cables and hawsers.

GROUNDWAYS: timbers in the ground, under the hull on each side of the keel, and which form the tracks or guides upon which the vessel slides when launched.

GRUMMET: see Grommet.

GUDGEON: the fitting on which the rudder swings. The gudgeons fit around the pintles. The pintles and gudgeons combined make a hinge on which the rudder hangs and swings.

GUN-DECK: a covered deck carrying the principal batteries of a vessel of war; in modern cruisers the deck next below the main deck, on which guns are mounted.

GUNNING A SEAM: to force soft tallow and red lead or other similar material into an opening or crack, to stop a leak.

GUN-TACKLE PURCHASE: a purchase tackle which is made up of two single blocks and the required length of rope.

GUNWALE (GUNNEL): the upper strakes of planking in the bulwarks; boot; the finish or top planking of the sides.

GUY: a rope used to steady and prevent from swinging a frame, mast or other erect object.

H

HALF-BREADTH PLAN: a construction plan of the hull, showing plank sheer line, rail line and all water lines as curves. The ending of all lines in the sheer plan are squared down to their respective planes in the half-breadth plan.

HALF-JFRAMES: the forward or aft frames or ribs of a vessel which do not cross the keel but are bolted to the side of the keel and dead-wood.

HALF-HITCH: a rope knot used by sailors and riggers.

HALF-TIMBERS: the short lower timbers in the cant frames, and which are similar to the lower futtocks in the square body.

HALYARDS (HALLIARDS): the ropes or tackle used for hoisting or lowering sails, booms and other top gear of a vessel. They carry names indicating their location or use, as deck halyards, throat halyards, ensign halyards, peak halyards, etc.

HAND OR HANDS: a term applied to one or more members of the crew, as “All hands lay aft.”

HANG: the downward curve in a vessel’s planking.

HANGING BLOCKS: tackle-blocks which are used at the masthead for the halyards or headsails; such as jibs, stay-sails, etc.

HANGING KNEES: the knees which are fastened to the sides of a vessel, one arm of which hangs vertically or nearly vertically.

HARNESS: a term describing the rigging of a vessel.

HARPINS: the curved wooden ribbands or timbers, trimmed and beveled to the shape of the fore-and-aft body of the vessel. Used for holding the fore-and-aft cant frames in position until the ship is ceiled and the waterways, shelves and planks are fastened. This term is sometimes used in describing the bow of a vessel, as lean or full harpin, meaning the bow is sharp or blunt.

HATCH: an opening in the deck through which cargo, coal, etc, is loaded; also an opening in the deck for gangway, ladders, etc.

HATCH BATTENS: the strips of wood or iron used to batten down the hatches or secure the tarpaulin tight over the hatch covers.

HATCH COVERS: the removable planks or covers used to cover or close the hatch or hatchway.

HATCHWAY: same as hatch.

HAULINGLINE (GANTLINE): a thin or small line lowered or sent down from aloft to haul up material desired.

HAWSE: to drive or calk into a seam with a heavy mallet.

HAWSE-HOLE: a hole in the bow of a vessel through which the anchor chain or cable passes.

HAWSE-PIPE: the tube or hole connecting the forecastle deck with the side of the vessel at the hawse-hole. Through this tube or pipe the anchor chain or cable passes overboard.

HAWSER: a large rope, laid with a left-hand twist, generally made in nine strands. When made of three small ropes made up in one, it is generally called “cable laid” rope or hawser. When made up of four small ropes made up in one, it is called “shroud laid” rope or hawser.

HAWSING-IRON: a calking chisel used to hawse a seam being calked.

HAWSING-MALLET: a calking mallet or beetle.

HEAD: the forward or upper end of anything, more particularly on shipboard applied to all work fitted forward on the stem, as the figurehead, lee rail, the top of a frame; sometimes referred to as the bow of a vessel.

HEAD-GRINGLE: throat-cringle; an iron ring which is spliced into the bolt rope at the junction of the leach and head of a fore-and-aft sail.

HEADLEDGES (HEADLEDGER): the athwartship piece which frames the hatchway and ladder ways.

HEADRAILS: the rails at the head of a vessel which extend back from the figurehead to the cat-head and bow; these are not only ornamental but useful, as they stiffen the figurehead.

HEAD-ROOM: the clear height in any place, as for instance from the top of the deck to the underneath side of the deck beam above.

HEADSAILS (HEAD JIBS): all sails forward on the foremast. These are generally triangular sails and are carried on the forestays.

HEAD-SHEETS: the sheets or tackle controlling the headsails.

HEAD-YARDS: all yards attached to or carried by the foremast.

HEART: the block of hardwood shaped like a heart with strap or grommet around its big diameter and having a small hole through its least diameter for light lines to be reeved through, similar to a deadeye; the center strand of a four strand rope.

HEAVE-IN: a term signifying the pulling in of a rope.

HEEL: the lower end of a tree, timber, mast, or the inner end of a boom; after end of a ship’s keel; the outside angle of a knee; a term applied to a vessel when she is not in an upright position but inclines to port or starboard, due to the pressure of the wind or uneven loading of the cargo or stores.

HEEL-KNEE: the timber, iron or steel knee that unites the stem-post or rudder-post with the keel.

HEEL-PLATES: iron or steel plates riveted to the sides of the keel, stem-post and rudder-post.

HELM (TILLER): the lever by which the rudder is directed. This device has been replaced in modem steam vessels with a rudder quadrant; a term indicating the direction to which the helm or tiller is to be put, which is opposite that of the rudder. When the rudder is turned to port, the vessel is said to carry a starboard helm, or vice versa.

HITCH: the term applied to a single rope knot or method of fastening a rope line to a spar or other object.

HOGGING (BROKEN-BACKED): the vessel is said to hog when the amidship part of her keel and bottom have been strained so as to curve or arch upward. This term is opposed to sagging, which is applied in a similar manner, meaning a strain or curvature in the opposite direction, or downward.

HOIST: the length of the luff of a fore-and-aft saiL The distance from the jaws of the boom to the jaws of the gaff when a sail is hoisted. The vertical dimensions of flag measured along the halyards or pole. The distance two tackle-blocks of a purchase tackle are apart. The effective distance that an object can be hoisted, lifted or pulled up with a rope.

HOISTING FALL: a hoisting rope; a rope which is attached to piece of cargo, sail, boom, spar or any other thing by which it is raised or hoisted up from the deck, water, wharf or dock.

HOLD: that part of the vessel which is below the decks, between the bulkheads and is reserved for the stowage of stores, water, ballast and cargo.

HOLD-BEAM: a beam in the hold sometimes used as a support for the ‘tween decks; they are similar to deck-beams, but are generally made without crown or camber.

HOOK AND BUTT: a term applied to the mode of fastening timbers together lengthwise by scarfing or laying the ends over each other.

HORN: to line or square up; a frame is horned or squared with the line of the keel by equal measurements from a central point of the keel to similar points on each side of the frame.

HORNS: a term applied to the jaws of a boom.

HORN TIMBERS: large timbers that extend aft on each side of the stern-post and rudder-posts. These timbers form the main support for the overhanging portions of the stem.

HORSESHOES: large straps of iron or copper shaped like horseshoes and let in the stem and gripe on opposite sides. Bolts pass through the timber and horseshoes, thus securely fasten the gripe to the stem.

HOUNDING: the lower part of the mast below the hounds.

HOUNDS: the projection or cheeks which are fayed to the sides of the masthead and which serve as supports to the trestletrees.

HOUSE: a term applied when lowering a topmast, to house the mast; the superstructure above the upper deck of a vessel which contains the cabins, etc.

HOUSING: the housing is that part of a lower mast below the deck.