Fateful Voyage
Glossary & Nautical Dictionary
J
- jack
- W: 1. A small flag at the
bow of a ship. 2. A naval ensign flag flown from the
main mast,
mizzen mast, or the aft-most major
mast of (especially) British sailing warships; Union Jack.
- F: a sort of flag or
colours, displayed from a mast erected on the outer end of a ship's
bowsprit.
In the British navy the jack is nothing more than a small union flag, composed of the intersection of the red
and white crosses; but in merchant ships this union is bordered with a red field.
- jackstaff
- W: A short
spar, at the
bows of a ship, that serves as a flagpole to fly a flag (a jack)
- jalap
- a cathartic, used to accelerate defecation
- jeer
- D: any of various combinations of
tackles for raising or lowering heavy
yards.
- B: The ropes by which the lower yards are suspended.
- F: (pl.) an assemblage of tackles, by which the lower yards of a ship are hoisted up along the
mast to their usual station, or lowered from thence as occasion requires; the former
of which operations is called
swaying, and the latter,
striking.
- jetty
- TFD: A structure, such as a pier, that projects into a body of water to influence the
current or tide or to protect a harbor or shoreline from storms or erosion.
- jib
- W: A triangular
staysail set forward of the
foremast.
- B: The foremost
sail of a ship, set upon a
boom which runs out upon the
bowsprit.
- F: the foremost sail of a ship, being a large staysail extended from the outer end of the bowsprit,
prolonged by the jib boom, towards the fore
topmast
head. The jib is a sail of great command with any side
wind, but especially when the ship is
close-hauled, or has the wind upon her
beam; and its effort in
casting
the ship, or turning her head
to leeward is very powerful, and of great utility, particularly when the ship
is working through a narrow channel.
- jib boom
- W: A
spar attached to the outboard end of a
bowsprit or flying jib boom with an additional
stay to increase sail area.
- F: a
boom run out from the extremity of the bowsprit, parallel to its length, and serving to extend
the bottom of the jib, and the stay of the fore
topgallant mast. This boom, which is nothing more than a
continuation of the bowsprit forward, to which it may be considered as a
topmast, is usually attached to the
bowsprit by means of two large
boom irons, or by one boom iron, and a
cap on the outer end of the bowsprit;
or, similarly, by the cap without, and a strong lashing within, instead of a boom iron; which is generally
the method of securing it in small merchant ships. It may therefore be drawn in upon the bowsprit as occasion
requires, which is usually practised when the ship enters a harbour, where it might very soon be broke, or
carried away, by the vessels which are
moored therein, or passing by under sail.
- jib-headed
- w: Having, as a sail, its
head shaped like that of a jib, namely, pyramidal or like an inverted V.
All
headsails and
gaff
topsails are jib-headed, with the exception of the English style of square-headed
gaff topsail.
- jibe
- See gybe
- jill, gill
- TFD: A unit of volume or capacity in the U.S. Customary System, used in liquid measure,
equal to 1/4 of a pint or four ounces (118 milliliters).
- journal
- F: in navigation, a sort of diary, or daily register of the ship's course, winds, and weather; together
with a general account of whatever is material to be remarked in the period of a sea voyage. In all sea journals,
the day, or what is called the 24 hours, terminates at noon, because the errors of the dead reckoning are at
that period generally corrected by a solar observation. The daily compact usually contains the state of the
weather, the
variation, increase, or diminution of the wind and the suitable shifting, reducing, or enlarging
the quantity of sail extended; as also the most material incidents of the voyage, and the condition of the ship
and her crew; together with the discovery of other ships or fleets, land, shoals, breakers, foundings, &c.
The form of keeping journals is very different in merchant ships; but one method appears to be invariably pursued
in the navy, which nevertheless is certainly capable of improvement, because no form can be properly called
perfect, that leave as great a space for one day's work, the matter of which may be contained in very few lines,
as for another that abounds with important incidents, so as to occupy ten times the space. If therefore there
be any such thing as propriety of method on this occasion, it seems to imply, that the space containing should
conform to the matter contained, which will necessarily be greater or less, according to circumstances.
- junk
- Old
cables and
cordage. Our use of junk for trash came from this earlier meaning.
- F: a name given to any remnants or pieces of old cable, which is usually cut into small portions for
the purpose of making
points,
mats,
gaskets,
sennit, &c.
working up junk
- jury-rig
- W: To make an improvised
rigging or assembly from whatever is available.
- jurymast
- W: A temporary
mast constructed when a vessel has been
dismasted, usually in heavy weather.
- F: a temporary or occasional mast, erected in a ship to supply the place of one which has been
carried away by tempest, battle, or the
labouring of ship in a turbulent sea.
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