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To waft, is to guard any ship, or fleete at sea, as we call men of War (which attend Merchans to conduct them safe along) wafters: Also wafts are used for signes to have the boate come a-boord (which is Coate, Gowne or the like, hung-up in the shrowdes) also it is a common signe of some extremitie, when a ship doth hang a waft upon the maine-stay, either that it hath sprung a-leake, or is in some distresse.
The Wake of a ship, is the smooth-water, which the ship doth make a-sterne-her, shewing the way that the ship hath gone in the sea; by this we give a judgement what way the ship doth make; for if the wake be right a-sterne, then we know she makes her way good, as she lookes, but if the wake be a point, two or more to Lee-ward, then the ship goes to Lee-ward of her course; when a ship doth stay a-weather her wake, that is, when she doth not fall to Lee-ward at her staying but doth it quickly, and then when she is tacked the wake is to Lee-ward, it is a signe she feeles her helme well, and is a nimble ship: In chaseing they say, we have got her wake, that is, we are got as far into the wind as she, and so goe right after her as she goes.
Vide Bend.
That is, when a ship is built right up, after she comes to her bearing, this is unsightly, and (as they terme it) not ship sha∣pen: but it makes a ship within-boord much the roomer, and not the lesse wholsome ship in the sea, if her bearing be well laid-out.
A ship is said to be walt, when she hath not ballast enough, to keep her stiffe to beare a saile.
Is any roape which is used to warpe a ship, which is most commonly a hawser.
Is to have a hawser, or any other roape (sufficient to hale-up the ship) and an Anchor bent to it; and so to lay that out over the bar, over which we are to goe, and so by that, to hale the ship fore∣wards: It is used when we want a wind to carry us out, or into a Har∣bour, and this is called warping.
That is used at sea, when we cannot come a∣ground, or careene-her: we make her heeled-over with her Ordnance and men, upon the yard-armes to aside, and so wash that side, and scrape it, (so much as is out of the water, which is commonly some 5, or 6, strakes) this is done in calmes, or in a smooth roade.
That is close by the Shore.
Is that part of the ship, which is between the maine-mast and the fore-castell.
Are the boords which are set up in the waste of a ship, betwixt the gun-wale and the wast-trees; but they are most used for boates, to be set up alongst the sides to keepe the sea from breaking into them.
By a generall terme, all the clothes which are round about the cake-work of the hull of the ship, are called wast-clothes, and are the same that we call the fights of the ship.
At the sea, the ships company is divided into two parts, the one called the Star-boord-watch, the other the Lar-boord-watch: The Master, is the chiefe of the Star-boord, and his right-hand mate of the Lar-boord: these are in their turnes to watch, trim sailes, pump, and doe all duties for foure howres, and then the other watch is to releeve them: Foure houres they call a whole watch: In Harbour, and Rhodes, they watch but quarter watch, that is, when one quarter of the company doe watch together.
That is, when a ship is even just of the ground that she floates, then she is water-borne.
Is that line, which the Ship-wrights doe pretend should be the depth that the ship should swin in, when she is laden both a-head and a-sterne; for you must know, a ship never drawes so much a-head, as she doth a-sterne, for if she should, she would never steere well.
Is a kind of moreing, that is to lay the Anchors not crosse the tide, nor right up and downe the tide, but (as you would say) betwixt both, that is quartering.
That small peece, or ledge of timber, which lies fore and aft on the ships deck, close by the sides (which is to keep the water from running-down there) is called the water-way.
Is making a signe for a ship, or boate, to come towards them, or else to goe from them; as the signe is made, either towards or from-wards the ship.
The Rake and Run of a ship, is called her way fore∣ward-on, or aftward-on: Also when she sailes a-pace, they will say, the ship hath good way, fresh way, or the like; Likewise, in casting the dead-reckning, they allow her Lee-ward-way, (that is so much as she drives to Lee-ward, from that she seemes to goe.)
That is, to goe to wind-ward of a place or ship; some∣times we are embayed, so that we cannot weather-a-head-land to get cleere, and then we must doe our best to turne in and out, till we can have a faire wind, or claw it off.
That is the Bowe next weather, and so of all parts
of the ship, or any thing that is to the wind-ward-most-side, we say, it is the weather-part, or a-weather.
Is when a ship is a hull, to lay her head the other way, without looseing any saile; which is only done, by bearing up the helme: It is an excellent condition in a ship; for most ships will not weather-coile: The use of it is, that when we desire to drive with her head, the other way a-hull, then we need not open any saile, wherewith before the ship can come to veere, she will run a great way to Lee-ward, when once she is before the wind and sea, under saile.
We use to make fast the mast in the partners with wed∣ges; and also to put a wedge into the heeles of the top-masts to beare-up the top-mast upon the tressell-trees.
Are like brackets, set to the body of the cap-staine, close under the bars, downe to the deck; and are they which give the sweepe to the cap-staine; these are made so in parts, that the cabell may not be so apt to surge as it would, if it did run upon a whole round body.
Is that staffe, which the Steeres-man doth hold in his hand, whereby he governs the helme, and doth port it over from one side to an other; it hath a ring at one end which is put over the end of the helme, and so comes through the rowle up into the steeridge: In great ships they are not used, for by reason of the waight of the rudder and the water which lies upon it in foule-weather, they are not able to governe the helme with a whipp, because conveniently there can stand but one man at the whipp.
The plancks which are joyned and fastned alongst the ship-sides into the stem, are called the whoodings.
To winde a ship, is to bring her head about, either with the boate, or with some oares out at her hawse or sterne-portes (if she be a small ship••) The ship winds-up, that is when she comes to ride by her Anchor: when they are under saile, they use to aske, how winds the ship, that is, upon what point of the Compasse doth she lie with her head.
The winding-tackle is thus fitted: A great double block with three sheevers in it, which is fast seased to the end of a small cabell, which is brought about the head of the mast, and so serves for a pendant: this hath a Guye brought to it from the fore-mast, into the block there is reeved a hawser, which is also reeved through an other
double-block, having a strap at the end of it, which strap being put through the eye of the slings is locked into it, with a fidd, and so hoyse the goods: The fall is reeved into the snatch-block, and so brought to the cap-stame, whereby they heave in the goods.
Is a peece of timber (having some 6, or 8, squares) and is placed from one side of the ship to the other, close abast the stem, aloft where the cabels come in: These are never used in our great ships; but the Flemmings doe use them in good ships: the reason is, for that they goe very slightly manned, and the windlasse doth purchase much more then a cap-staine, and with no danger to the men: for the wind∣lasse they heave about with hand-speekes put into holes made at either end, and though they cannot heave foreward, or one should faile, the wind-lasse will paule it selfe: But at the cap-staine if any faile, they may be throwne from the cap-staine, and their braines beaten out a∣gainst the ship sides, if they waigh in a sea-gate, but the cap-staine doth purchase faster by much; and therefore we (having men enough to man it) doe use that: they have a windlasse also in the head of the boate, to waigh the Anchor by the buoy-roape.
Any thing that holds wind aloft, which may pre∣judice the ship-faileing or riding, is said to be wind-taught (as too much rigging high roapes, and the like;) Also when we ride in any great stresse, we bring our yards alongst ships, strike downe our top-masts and the like: because they hold wind taught, that is, they hold wind stiffely, (for taught is as much as stiffe in the sense of sea language) as set taught the shrowdes, that is, set them stiffe.
That is, when two timbers are let into each other, so close, that the wood of the one, doth joyne close to the o∣ther.
Is an Iron on the end of a staffe, wherewith they draw out the shot of a Peece, if there be any occasion.
Is the laying of a small-roape, or line alongst, betwixt the strands of a cabell of hawser; The use whereof, is to help to streng∣then the cabell, or roape to which it is used; the Flemmings use this to new roapes, others to old roapes, that are almost decayed.
Is to bind Roapes about any Mast, yard, or the like, to keepe on a fish, or somewhat to strengthen it: Some∣times when the whoodings give way by the over-charging of the bolt-sprit,
they are faine to Would to the Bowes: which they doe, by pas∣sing a Cabell through both sides, and so bringing it in againe, and with hand speckes to twist it together as strong as may be: we never fish any Mast, or yard, but we Would it also: And that is called the Woul∣ding of the Mast or Yards. Also those Roapes, which come from the beake-head, over the bolt-spritt, and Lashes it fast downe from rising off the pillow, are called the Wouldings of the bolt-spritt.