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ADD-ON
- A supplementary
charge added
to the cruise fare, usually applied to airfare and/or postcruise land
tours.
ABACK
The situation of the sails, when their surfaces are pressed aft against the mast by the force of the wind.
ABAFT
- The hinder part of a ship, or towards the stern. It also signifies
farther aft or nearer to the stern; as, the barricade stands ABAFT the
main-mast; that is, nearer to the stern.
- What you can take only in the most luxurious cabins
ABEAM
- A large length of metal, supporting something like a deck or a wall
ABOARD
- Same as abeam (see), but made of wood
AFT
- 1. Near, toward, or in the rear
(stern) of the ship
- 2. Anyplace behind the bow
AIR/SEA
- A package consisting of the
two forms of travel,
i.e., airfare to and from the port
of embarkation, transfers to/from the port, as well as the cruise
itself.
AMIDSHIPS
- In or toward the middle of
the ship; the
longitudinal center portion of the ship.
ANCHOR
- Anything that sits on the
bottom and holds
the boat where you want it.
ANCHORAGE
- An approved area where boats
can anchor
out of the channel. It usually has some protection from the weather.
ASTERN
- Beyond the ship's stern
ATHWARTSHIP
- 1. From side to side
- 2. A cross between foot fungus and growths on hands; caused by handling or walking on very active toads
AYE AYE
- Expression of surprise, usually followed by "cheewawa"
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BASIS TWO
- A cabin
accommodating at
least two persons; also referred to as double
occupancy.
BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE
- The maximum amount
of baggage allowed
per person, the excess of which may incur an extra charge.
BATTEN DOWN
- To secure all open hatches
or equipment
for sea worthiness while the
ship is under way.
BEAM
- The width of the boat at its
widest point.
BEARING
- What goes on around the pool
BELOW
- Downstairs.
BERTH
- 1. Dock, pier, or quay (key)
- 2. The bed in
the passenger cabins
- 3. What you hope does not go on around the pool
- 4. A parking spot for the ship. (You have to look very carefully to see the lines painted on the water.)
BILGE
- A hollow area under the floor
(sole) of the
cabin. Water collects here and is
removed overboard by the bilge pump
- BOARDING GATE
- A break in the lifelines
wide enough
for people to step on board.
- BOW
- 1. Front or forward portion of the
ship. As
the old saying goes, "the pointy end."
- 2. to bend over in honor; also pointy end of ship, usually passes through the water before the rest of the ship
- BRIDGE
- Navigational and command
control center of
the ship. On the boat, the bridge
is where it's steered from. or where the Captain rants and rails (see) when he gets stern
- BULKHEAD
- Upright partition (wall)
dividing the ship
into cabins or compartments or a very large restroom
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- CABIN
- 1. A "room" on the
boat
- 2. Closet-like space costing $300 per day, used for sleeping and
not much else
- CAPTAIN
- The boss. Do what he/she says;
ask questions
later. He/she is responsible for
the safety of the ship and crew.
- CATEGORY
- The price level of a cabin,
based on location
on the ship, dimensions, and
amenities.
CELL PHONE
- Very handy for coastal
sailing. Much cheaper
and less complicated than using the marine operator for calls.
- COMPANIONWAY
- The steps (or ladder)
within the vessel.
- COURSE
- 1. Direction in which the ship is
headed, usually
expressed in compass degrees.
- 2. What the Navigator is studying in his spare time at night
school, hoping to figure out what an astrolabe or a sextant is
- CREW
- Everybody on board but the
captain and passengers.
- CROW’S NEST
- Partially enclosed
platform at the top
of the mast used as a lookout.
DAVIT
- Killed Goliath, never went to sea
DEBARKATION Leaving the
ship.
DECK
- 1. Level or “floor” of ship.
- 2. 52 cards, used in casinos
DECK PLAN An overhead diagram deck by
deck illustrating
cabin and public room
locations in relation to each other.
DISEMB ARK
- 1. Depart from the ship.
- 2. Get off the Ark; a good example of just how old most nautical lingo is
DOCK
- 1. Berth, pier or quay.
- 2. member of ship's crew caring for passenger's health
DRAFT
- 1. The depth of the keel in feet,
measured from
the waterline.
- 2. Type of beer served in ship's bar
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EMB ARKATION
- 1. Entering, or
boarding the ship.
- 2. get on the Ark
EVEN KEEL
- The ship in a true vertical
position with
respect to its vertical axis.
FATHOM
- Measurement of
distance equal
to 6 feet.
FITTING
- General term applied to gear
that is not part
of the boat's structure, but is
attached to hull, deck, rigging, etc. (cleats, fair leads, etc.)
FIRST SEATING
- The earlier of two meal
times in the
ship’s main dining room.
FORE
- The forward mast or the front
(bow) of the ship.
- FORWARD
- Toward the fore or bow of the
ship
FUNNEL
- 1. The smokestack or “chimney” of
the ship.
- 2. The only place on the ship where you should see smoke, other than the bar; see stack.
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GALLEY
- The ship’s
kitchen.
- GANGWAY
- 1. The opening through the ship’s
bulwarks (side)
and the ramp by which
passengers embark and disembark.
- 2. ramp where groups (gangs) of salespeople await the ship's
passengers
- GRABRAIL
- Section of wood, plastic or
metal railing
used as a handhold.
GROSS REGISTERED TON (GRT)
- A
measurement of 100 cubic
feet of enclosed
revenue-earning space within a ship.
- HAWSER
- Passenger from Indiana
- HEAD
- 1. Toilet
- 2. something like a scuttlebutt or scupper, but with running water
- HELM
- 1. Commonly the ship’s steering
wheel, but more
correctly the entire steering
apparatus consisting of the wheel, the rudder, and their connecting
cables or hydraulic
systems.
- 2. Southern Senator
HOLD
- Interior spaces below the
passenger decks for
storage of cargo
- HOUSE FLAG
- The flag denoting the
company to which
the ship belongs.
- HULL
- 1. The frame and body (shell) of the
ship exclusive
of masts, superstructure, or
rigging.
- 2. outside portion of a nut
KEEL
- 1. Boat centerline fore and aft running along the bottom
- 2. barnacle collector; don't worry, you can't see it, so don't
expect to be invited to admire the ship's collection
KNOT
- Unit of speed at sea. (Knot
is one nautical
mile per hour and 1.15 mph.)
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LATTITUDE
- <>What the Captain will NOT give his crew when he is stern or ranting and<> railing
LEAGUE
- A measure of
distance approximating
3.45 nautical miles.
LEEWARD
- 1. In the direction of that side
of the ship
opposite from which the wind
blows.
- 2. In the direction of Atwater, Petty, Greenwood, or Harvey
Oswald
- LIFE JACKET
- Personal floatation device
to support
a person in the water. May be
equipped with a whistle, light, shark repellent, etc.
LINES VS. ROPES
- Line is any rope used
aboard a boat.
Rope is cordage made of
natural or synthetic fibers. Rope is usually termed a line as soon
as it has been put to
specific use on a boat.
MANIFEST
- A list or
invoice of a ship’s
passengers, crew, and cargo.
MASTER
- Another term for the Captain; don't pronounce it Massa', or he may get stern
- MIDSHIPS
- see Amidships
NAUTICAL MILE
- 6,080.2
feet (not a real mile; too far to swim to shore)
ON DECK
- Term used when
going topside.
OPEN SEATING
- Seating in the main
dining room is not
assigned.
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PADDLEWHEEL
- A wheel
with boards around
its circumference; commonly, the source
of propulsion for riverboats.
PFD
- Personal flotation device
- PITCH
- 1. The rocking back and forth (bow
to stern) motion
of a ship that may be felt in
heavy seas when the ship is under way.
- 2. What the ship's bow (see) does in rough weather; what the
passengers do, on the other hand, includes the word "throw"
- PORT
- 1. The left side of the ship when
facing toward
the bow.
- 2. favorite nautical wine; also means "left" (both words have four
letters, a mnemonic device useful to many); also city with ship berths
(see), designed to create a giant sucking sound in the vicinity of your
wallet
- PORT CHARGE
- Port taxes, collected by
the line and
paid to a local government
authority; it may include other miscellaneous charges, such as gasoline
surcharge and fees.
PORTHOLE
- The entry to a harbor; OK, it really means a small window
- that costs an extra $100 per day, but how funny is that?
PORT TAX
- A charge levied by the local
government authority
to be paid by the
passenger.
PROW
- The bow or the stem (front) of
the ship.
- PURSER
- A senior management position on
board ship
who is generally a financial or
administrative officer.
QUAY
- A dock, berth or
pier (arguing about the proper
pronunciation can pass hours (kway? kay? key? kwie? who knows?)
RAIL
- 1. Top of the sides
of a boat, the
gunwale; lifeline (guardrail) that is rigged around
the sides through stanchions to prevent falling overboard.
- 2. What the Captain does when he gets stern (see); same as
ranting
- REGISTRY
- The country under whose flag
the ship is
registered and to whose laws the
ship and its owners must comply, in addition to the laws of the
countries
at which the ship
calls.
- RIGGING
- The ropes, chains and cables
that support
the ship’s masts, spars, kingposts,
cranes, etc.
ROLL
- 1. The alternate sway of a ship from
side to side.
- 2. Small bread served in the Dining Room designed to keep you from ordering seconds
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SALOON
- Main
cabin.
SECOND SEATING
- The later of two meal
times in the
ship’s dining room.
SPACE RATIO
- A measurement of cubic
space per passenger.
Gross registered ton
divided by the number of passengers.
STABILIZER
- A gyroscopically operated
finlike device
extending from both sides of the
ship below the waterline to provide stability for the ship and reduce
its roll.
STACK
- 1. The funnel from which the ship’s
gasses of combustion
are freed to the
atmosphere.
- 2. Refers to pancakes, funnels (see), or girls around the pool
STARBOARD
- 1. The right side of the ship
when facing toward
the bow
- 2. The pointy end of the ship when facing toward the sky
STATEROOM
- Your cabin.
STEM
- The extreme bow or prow of the
ship.
STERN
- 1. The extreme rear of the ship.
- 2. The Captain, when the crew acts like the crew of the Love
Boat; also the roundy (or, on modern cruise ships, squarish) end of
the ship. Usually passes through the water after the rest of ship.
- STEWARD
- Personnel on board ship.
SUPERSTRUCTURE
- The structure of the
ship above the
main deck or water line.
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TENDER
- 1. A small vessel,
sometimes the
ship’s lifeboat, used to move passengers to and from the shore when the
ship is at anchor.
- 2. how your skin will feel after the first day on a Caribbean
cruise; also small boat to take passengers ashore, making them wonder
why their port (see) taxes are not being used to construct a dock
(see) with cruise ship berths
TRANSFERS
- Conveyances between the ship
and other locations,
such as airports, hotels or departure points for shore excursions.
UPGRADE
- Getting a better
cabin than
the one you paid for.
UPPER BERTH
- A single bed recessed
into the wall or
ceiling during the day.
- WAKE
- 1. The
track of agitated
water left behind a ship in motion.
- 2. What you won't want to do at 6 a.m., if you attended the midnight buffet
WATERLINE
- The line at the side of the
ship’s hull
that corresponds to the surface of the water.
WEIGH
- To raise (the anchor) [complicated operation involving very large scales, necessary before every ship's departure]
WINDWARD
- Toward the wind or to the
direction from
which the wind blows.
YARDARM
- Important ship feature, determining if it's time for a rum
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