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 ...

D (Book D)

The DAvitt.

Is a peece of timber, having a notch at one end, where∣on they hang a block by a strap: and this is only used for to hang that block on, which is called the fish block, by which they hale up the flooke of the Anchor, to the ships bowe or loofe. It is shifted to either side as they have occasion, and is not made fast to the ship, but laid by till it be used, it is put out betwixt the catt and the loofe: Launch out, or launch in the Davitt, that is, put it out or in: Also the boate hath a Davitt, which is set out over the head of the boate with a sheever, into which they bring the bouy roape to weigh the Anchor, and it stands in the Carlings that are in the boates bow.

Dead men-eyes.

Are a kind of blocks, wherein there are many holes, but no sheevers, wherein the Lanniers goe that make fast the shrowdes to the chaines; The maine stayes in some ships, are set taught by lanniers in Dead-men-eyes, but most great ships use double-blocks; the Crowe-feete doe reeve through dead-men-eyes.

Dead-water.

The water which is the Eddie water at the sterne of the ship, is called dead-water, and therefore we say, a ship holds much dead-water, that it hath a great Eddie followes her at the sterne or rud∣der, and this may be called dead, because it doth not passe away with that life, and quicknes as the other doth.

Deck.

The Deck is that floare of planck, whereon we place our Ordnance, it lies upon the beames; they are called by the name of first, second or third deck, beginning at the lowest: also there is the halfe deck, that is, the deck which is from the Maine-mast to the stem, and quarter-deck, which is from the steeridge aloft to the Masters cabbin:

There is also the spar-deck, which is the upper-most, betwixt the two Masts, and is made very slight, with a meting, or slight boords, towards the sides of the ship, and a grateing in the middest; also these decks are called by the name of Orlops, as they use to say, the first or second Or∣lop; a flush Deck, or as they use to say, a Deck flush, fore and aft, that is, when from stem to stem, it lies upon a right line without any fall: Note that the best contriving of a man of war, is to have the decks flush, and to have all her ports on that deck on an equall height, so as that every Peece may serve any port, the reasons are, for that the decks be∣nig flush, men may passe fore and art with much more ease, for the de∣livering powder and shot, or releeving one another; but chiefely for that if a Peece or two be dismounted by shot in any place where there is a fall, another cannot be brought to supply his place, besides the dis∣commoditie that by disjoyning the equall bearing part of the ship, the ship is much weakned, and also it looses much stowage in the sterne-sheates, yet there may be some use of these falls to a Merchant man for his defence, who may fit a close fight out of every fall, and though he loose one part of the deck, yet he may still keep more to be gained from him: The Deck cambers, that is, when it doth not lie flat, but compassing; To sinck a deck, or to let fall a deck, is to remove it and place it lower: To raise a deck, is to put it higher above water; the making of a deck is termed, the laying of a deck.

Deep-see-Lead.

Is the Lead which is hung at the deep-see line, to sinck it downe; the waigh: whereof is commonly 14. pounds; this hath some hard white tallow laid upon the lower end of it, which brings up the ground, and so by the differences of the ground, we know where and upon what coast we are: But in Ozie ground, we use a white wool∣len cloth upon the lead, with a little tallow, without which cloth, the Ozie would not stick unto the tallow.

Deep-see-Line.

Is a small line, with which we sound in deep wa∣ters to find ground, and so according to the depth and ground in many knowne places; as in the comming into our channell, and many other places (when we can see no land, yet we know where we are.

To Disembogue.

Is as much as to say, to come out of the mouth of any Gulph; which being large within, may have some straight, or nar∣row comming out being used thus; When they come out of the West-Indies, betwixt Cube and Cape, Florida, which is the straight where∣out

out the current doth set, they say, they Disembogued out of the gulph; but it is not used, for the going out of a Harbour, or the like.

To Dispert.

Disperting, is the finding out of the difference of the Dia∣metres of the Mettles, betwixt the breetch and the mouth of any peece of Ordnance, by which we know what allowance to give to the mouth of the Peece (being ever lesse then the breetch) that thereby we may make a just shot; there are divers wayes, but the plainest is the surest and best, which is, by putting in of a strawe, or small stick at the touch-hole, at the lower side of the concave or sillender of the Peece, and then apply it in the same manner to the mouth, and it will exactly shew the diffe∣rence of the thicknesse of the Mettle, at the breetch and mouth of the Peece.

Dock.

There are two kinds of Docks, a drie dock, which is made with flood-gates, to keep out the Tide, in which we build ships, and re∣paire them, wherein they sit without danger and harme: the other is a wet Dock, which is any creeck or place where we may cast in: a ship out of the Tides-way in the Oze, and there, when a ship hath made her selfe (as it were) a place to lie in, we say, the ship hath docked her selfe.

A Drabler, Vide Bonnett.

For this is in all respects the same to the Bonnett, that the Bonnett is to the Cowrse; This is only used, when the Cowrse and Bonnett are to showle for to cloath the Mast, some small ships which are Coasters, and therefore are, for most convenience, to have short cowrses, doe use two Drablers.

Draggs.

Any things that hang over the ship in sea, as Shirts, Gownes and the like, as also the Boate in that respect, all which doe hin∣der the ships way under saile, are called Draggs.

Draught.

By Draught in water, is meant so many foot as the ship goes in water: A ship drawes much water, that is, goes deep in water: A ship of small draught, that is, drawes but little water. Note that ships of great draught are commonly wholsome ships in the sea; and ships of little draught, commonly goe best, but rowle most, the first is best for a long voyage, the last for a discoverie.

To Dregg.

Or Dregging, is to take a little Crapnell, which being hung over the Boats-sterne, we let downe to dregge upon the ground, to find a Cabell which hath been let slip, unto whole Anchor there was no buoy, for this passing along the ground as the Boate doth row, will catch hold of it if it meet with it.

A Drift-saile.

Is a saile used under water, being veered out right a-head, having sheates to it; the use whereof, is to keep a ships head right upon the sea in a storme; also it is good, where a ship drives in fast with a current, to hinder her driving in so fast; but it is most com∣monly used by Fisher-men in the North seas.

Drive.

We say a ship Drives, when we let fall the Anchor, and it will not hold the ship fast, but that she falls away with the tide or wind; for which we have no help, but to veere more cabell, for you must note, that the more Cabell is out, the faster and surer the ship will ride, or else to let-fall more Anchors: Also, when a ship is a-hall or a-trie, we say, she drives to Lee-ward, or drives in with the shore, and the like, according to the way she makes.

Duck-up.

This terme is used with the Clew-garnet and Clew∣lines of the maine-saile, fore-saile and sprit-saile, whenas the maine-saile or fore-saile doth hinder his sight fore-ward, that steerers, or any the like occasion: And to the sprit-saile, most commonly when we make a shot with a Chase peece, for the clew of the sprit-saile, will hinder the sight, and being not ducked up will be shot away, so then we say, Duck-up the Clew-lines.