The sea-mans dictionary, or, An exposition and demonstration of all the parts and things belonging to a shippe together with an explanation of all the termes and phrases used in the practique of navigation / composed by Henry Manwaring ...

G (Book G)

GAge.

We are to Gage our Cask, that we may see how great it is, or how much is leaked out; which we doe, by putting downe a stick at the Boong, and that, by the wetnesse, will shew how much liquour is in it: Also, when we would know how much water a ship drawes when she is a-floate, we stick a naile into a pike or pole, and so put it downe by the Rudder, till this naile catch hold under the Rudder, and this we call gageing a ship: Note that we cannot exactly by this, tell how much water she drawes, for we must allow for the Rake of the ship aft-ward on: for the Lole doth not go downe in a Perpendicular Line, and so many foote as she drawes, is called the ships gage, when one ship is to-weather of another, she hath, as they terme it, the weather-gage, but they never use to say, the Lee-gage.

Gale.

When the wind doth not blow too hard, but reasonably, so that a ship may beare her top-sailes, a-tripp, we call it (according to the strength of it) either an easie, or loome-gale, which is, when it is little wind: a fresh, stiffe strong gale when it is much wind: Some∣times at sea, two ships being not farre asunder; if it be faire, smooth, gentle weather, and but little wind, one ship will have more wind then the other, and sometimes the one be flat, be calmed, the other have a little breath of wind, then they say, the ship which hath the wind, doth gale away from the other.

The Garboord.

Is the first plancke, that is brought on the outside of the ship, next to the Keele.

Gar-boordstrake.

Is the first strake, or (as you may say) the first seame next to the Keele: Here is the most dangerous place in all the ship to spring a leake; for it is almost impossible to come to it within-boord.

The Garnett.

Is a tackle, wherewith we hoyce in all Cask and goods, if they be not too heavy, as great Ordnance, &c. It hath a pen∣dant comes from the head of the maine-mast, with a block which is strongly seased to the maine-stay, just over the Hatch-way where we use to take in our goods and howld. In this block, they doe reele the runner, which hath a hooke at one end, within which we hitch the slings, and at the other, a double block, in which we reeve the fall of the runner, and so by that we hale, and hoyse in the goods; when it is not u∣sed, it is made fast along by the stay, at the bottom of the stay.

A Girding,

Vide Trusses.

Girt.

When the Cabell is so taught, that upon the turning of the tyde, the ship cannot goe over it with her sterne-post; then she will lye a-crosse the tyde, and then we say, she is Girt; which will instantly be under, if the cabell be veered out slack.

Goaring.

A saile, is cut goaring, when it comes sloaping by de∣grees, and is broader at the clew then at the eareing; all top-sailes, and top-gallant sailes are so.

Goose-wing.

When we are going before a wind, or quarter winds, with a faire fresh gale, we many times (to make more haste) unparrell the Missen-yard, and so launch-out the yard and saile over the quarter, on the Lee-side, and so fitting Guyes at the farther end, to keep the yard steddy with a Boome: we Boome out the Sheate of the missen-sayle, this doth helpe to give the ship some way, which otherwise the missen-saile willnot, especially before a wind; this saile so fitted, is called a Goose-wing.

Grapnells.

Are in the nature of an Anchor, being used for Gallyes, or Boates to ride by, only they differ in forme: for Grapnells have foure flookes, and never a stock, for it needs none, being that which way soever it fall, two of the flookes doe ever hold by the ground: In Men of War, we use them that are light to fling into a ship, to catch hold on some of the Grateings, Railes, Gun-wales, or the like, and so having a

chaine made fast unto it; we lash fast the ships together. There are also small Crapnels, with three hookes, but not broad like flookes, with which we use to sweepe for Hawsers or small Cabels.

Gratings.

Are small ledges laid over one crosse another like a Portcullisse or a prison gate, those which are called the gratings, are betwixt the maine and fore-masts which doe serve for a close fight, and also for the succour of men, either in hot, or foule weather, with a Tarpawling upon them: There are also in many places of the ship gratings made for aire and light, but chiefely over the Ordnance, for the vent of the smoake of the powder, which comes out of the touch-hole in fight.

To Grave.

Graveing a ship, is bringing her to lie drye a∣ground, and then to burne off the old filth and stuffe, with reed, broome, or the like, and so to lay on new; Some use only tallow, but that will quickly grow foule, others tallow and soape (which will also quick∣ly grow foule,) The most common and best, is with traine-oyle, Rosen and Brimstone boyled together, for this will last longest cleane: The laying on of the stuffe, is called Paying the ship.

A Gripe.

The Gripe of the Ship, is the compasse and sharpnesse of the Stem under-water, especially toward the lower part: The use whereof, is to make a Ship keep a good wind; And therefore sometimes when a ship will not keep a wind well, they put on an other false Stem to the true Stem to make her Gripe more,

To Gripe.

We say a Ship doth Gripe, when she is apt (contrary to the Helme,) to run her head or nose to the wind more then she should: There are commonly two causes of this, the one, when a Ship may be too deepe a-head, that her head is not apt, by reason of the weight which presses her downe, to fall away from the wind; the other may be the staying of the Mast; for if she be a short Ship, and draw much water, if her Masts be stayed too much aftward-on, it will cause her head still to run into the wind: The Flemmings being generally long floatie Ships, doe stay all their Masts aftward-on very much, else their Ships would never keep a wind, for it is apparent to sense, that all failes from the Maine-mast aftward-on the farther aft they stand, the more they keep the Ship to the wind: as the head-sailes, the more foreward on they stand, the more power they have to flat the Ship a∣bout from the wind.

Grommets.

Are little rings, which are made fast to the upper-side of the yard, with staples, which are driven into the yard; which have no other use but to tie and make fast the Casketts into them.

Ground and grounding.

When a Ship is brought of purpose to be trimmed on the ground, or otherwise, that is called grounding the ship: There are three manner of laying a ship a-ground, that is, either laying her head upwards towards the bancke and her sterne towards the off∣wards, and is turned, laying her Pitch-long-to, this is used to Ships that are crank with the ground; for this way, they take the best advan∣tage for the Ship to beare her selfe: The second is, to lay her all alongst the shore, and to heele her to the shore-ward; this is used to ships which have reasonable good floats, and will beare themselves sufficient∣ly well: The third, is laying her alongst the shore, heeling her to the offward; this we use to Ships which have great broad Floarers (as Flemmings, which have standing strakes;) the reason is, for that other∣wise we should hardly come to her Keele: Some sea-fareing-men, are very superstitious of going to sea at certaine dayes, and commonly those hold it good to begin the voyage on Sundaies; and therefore to seeme to have begun the voyage that day (though they be not ready to goe) they will weigh, or as the terme is, tripp the Anchor, and goe a little way, and so come to the Anchor againe, this they call breaking ground.

Ground-timbers.

Are those timbers which are fast laid over the Keele, and so bolted through the Keelson into the Keele, and are those which make the floare of the Ship, and are therefore called ground-tim∣bers, because the Ship doth rest upon these when she lyes a-ground.

Gudgins.

Are those Irons which are made fast to the Sterne-post, into which the Pintells of the Rudders are hanged.

To Gull.

When the Pin of a Block, doth eate or weare into the Sheever, it is called Gulling: Also when a Yard doth rubb against the Mast, we say, it will Gull the Mast; and therefore, to avoide that, we put a Plat made of Synnet, to the middle of the yard, to keep it from gulling the Mast.

The Gun-wale.

That peece of timber, which reaches on either side the Ship, from the halfe-Deck, to the fore-Castell (being the upper∣most bend as it were, which finishes the upper walls of the Hull there; and wherein they put the Stanshions which support the wast-trees) is

called the Gun-wale, whether there be any guns there or not: Also the lower part of any Port where any Ordnance doth lie, is called the Gun-wale.

A Guye.

Is any roape, which is used to keepe a peece of Ordnance, or any thing else, the Boate or the like, which is hoysed into the Ship from swinging into the Ship too fast, when it is over the gun-wale, to be hoysed-in, then by this roape we doe ease it in greatly; and it is commonly made fast to the Stanshions of the wast-trees, and that is called a Guy, which word I think comes from Guide, for this doth guide it in. Also there is a roape, which is fastened to the fore-mast at one end, and is reeved through a single block, which is seased to the Pendant of the winding-tackle, and so reeved againe through an other, which is seased to the fore-mast, somewhat lower then the first part, and this is to hale foreward the Pendant of the winding Tackle, and this roape is called Guye.