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A (Alfa) "I have a diver down; keep well clear at slow speed." With three numerals, azimuth or bearing. A. The highest class under which vessels are registered at Lloyd's. It is sub-divided into A1 and A2. AA. Always Afloat.A contract term requiring that the vessel not rest on the ground. In some ports the ship is aground when approaching or at berth. AAIC. Accounting Authority Identification Code. AAR. Against All Risks (insurance clause). A.B. The initialletters of the words able-bodied. A full or first class seaman, commonly called an able seaman, is classed A.B. Aback. Spoken of the sails when laid flat against a mast, either by a sudden change of wind, or, in some instances, they may be laid aback for some special purpose. (See Back.) Abaft. Behind or towards the stern of a vessel. Thus, "abaft the funnel," so frequently seen on board pleasure steam boats, will mean "behind the funnel." Abandon ship! An imperative to leave the vessel immediately, usually in the face of some imminent danger. Abeam. On the side of a vessel, amidships. Thus "wind abeam," or "wind on the beam," will mean wind at right angles to the vessel. (SeeWind.) .  ABI. U.S. Customs’ “Automated Broker Interface,” by which brokers file importers’ entries electronically. Aboard, or on board. On, or in, a vessel. About. A turning round. Abos. An old sailing ship expression of the days of masts and *yards. To lay the headyards abox in a square-rigged sailing vessel was to lay them *square to the foremast in order to *heave-to. This brought the ship more under command if it was subsequentIy required to *wear or to *stay the vessel. But to *brace abox is to brace the headyards flat *aback to the wind, not square to the mast, in order to ensure that the wind acts on the sails so that the bows of the ship *cast the required way. About. To go about. To turn a vessel round, in sailing, on to another tack or direction.Across the wind in relation to the *bow of a sailing vessel. Thus, when a ship *tacks across the wind to bring it from one side of the ship to the other, she is said to go about. 'Ready about', the order given in a sailing ship to tack across the wind, the actual moment of the *helm being put down being signified by the order "About ship". In yachts and smaller craft, this order is usually "Lee-oh", indicating that the helm is being put down to leeward. Above board. Above deck. Hence the expression in everyday use, meaning "honest," "fair," or "in the light of day." Abox. An old term used in wearing a ship. It means to lay the ship aback, and thus to box her off. Abreast. On the beam. At right angles to the vessel's fore and aft line. Absentee pennant. Special pennant flown to indicate absence of commanding officer, admiral, his chief of staff, or officer whose flag is flying (division, squadron, or flotilla commander). Absolute bearing. The bearing of an object in relation to north. Either true bearing, using the geographical or true north, or magnetic bearing, using magnetic north. See also "bearing" and "relative bearing". Absorption. One carrier assumes the charges of another without any increase in charges to the shipper. .  The hijackers had been surprised by a crew member and acted prematurely. Holding the passengers and crew hostage, they directed the vessel to sail to Tartus, Syria, and demanded the release of 50 Palestinians then in Israeli prisons. After being refused permission to dock at Tartus, the hijackers killed disabled Jewish-American passenger Leon Klinghoffer and then threw his body overboard. The ship headed back towards Port Said, and after two days of negotiations, the hijackers agreed to abandon the liner in exchange for safe conduct and were flown towards Tunisia aboard an Egyptian commercial airliner. In 1994, the Achille Lauro caught fire and sank in the Indian Ocean off Somalia. Accessorial Charges. Charges that are applied to the base tariff rate or base contract rate, e.g., bunkers, container, currency, destination/delivery. Accommodation. An older term for a *cabin when fitted for the use of passengers. It is also the word used when referring to steps in a ship, and thus a flight of steps leading from deck to deck in a ship for convenience of access and egress is properly known as an accommodation ladder. Accul (old term). Spoken of a deep bight or bay which ends as a cul de sac. Acker. An eddy or rising tide. (See Eagre and Bore.) Ackmen. An old name for freshwater thieves. Acock-bill. Spoken of a ship's anchor, when hanging out with the flukes extended in a position ready for dropping: of a yard when one yardarm is topped up and the other bowsed down; once a sign of mourning. Acorn. An ornament at the head of a mast fashioned in the shape of an acorn. Admiral's Cup, a perpetual challenge award established in 1957 by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, London, for biennial international team racing. The 'admiral' in the title was Sir Myles Wyatt, who in 1957 was 'admiral' of the Royal Ocean Racing Club. Acquiescence. When a bill of lading is accepted or signed by a shipper or shipper’s agent without protest, the shipper is said to acquiesce to the terms, giving a silent form of consent. ACS or ACE. U.S. Customs’ master computer system, “Automated Commercial Systems.” Now being replaced by the Automated Commercial Environment system. Act of God. Also: Act of Grace. An act beyond human control, such as lightning, flood or earthquake. ADF. Automatic Direction Finder. Admiral. Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral (equivalent to full general) and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet (or fleet admiral). Where relevant, admiral has a NATO code of OF-9, and is a 4 star rank. .  Admiralty. (Adm.)Refers to marine matters such as an Admiralty Court. Admiralty anchor. See Anchor. Adrift. Anything which floats unfastened, as a boat or a spar, which may have broken away, or a ship which has parted from her anchor. Anything loose or untied, and thus, of a person, absent or late. Ad Valorem. A term from Latin meaning, “according to value.” Import duty applied as a percentage of the cargo’s dutiable value. Advance. To move cargo up line to a vessel leaving sooner than the one booked.See also Roll. Advanced Charge. Transportation charge advanced by one carrier to another to be collected by the later carrier from the consignor or consignee. Advanced Notice of Arrival (ANOA). Any vessel entering United States waters from a foreign port is required to give a 96–hour ANOV. Any vessel of 300 gross registered tonnage and greater is required to give the ANOA to the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Vessel Movement Center. Any vessel under 300 gross registered tons is required to give the ANOA to the appropriate Captain of the Port. Advantage. Term used to descrihe the method of *reeving a *tackle in order to gain the maximum increase in power. The power increase in a tackle is equal, if friction is disregarded, to the numher of parts of the *fall at the moving block, and a tackle is rove to advantage when the hauling part of the fall leads from the moving block. Where a tackle is rigged so that the hauling part leads from the standing block, the power gained is less and the tackle is said to he rove to disadvantage. See also Purchase. Adventure. Shipment of goods on shipper’s own account. A bill of adventure is a document signed by the master of the ship that carries goods at owner’s risk. Also, a term used in some insurance policies to mean a voyage or a shipment. Adventure. The Adventure was a sloop maritime fur trade ship built by the crew of Captain Robert Gray on his second voyage to the Northwest Coast of North America. The keel was laid on October 3, 1791 on Meares Island. Over the winter the ship slowly began to take shape. Then on February 23, 1792, the ship was launched, but not without first getting stuck half-way down the ramp. Thus the first American built vessel on the Pacific was launched. Advice of Shipment. A notice sent to a local or foreign buyer advising that shipment has gone forward and containing details of packing, routing, etc. A copy of the invoice is often enclosed and, if desired, a copy of the bill of lading. Advising Bank. A bank operating in the seller’s country that handles letters of credit on behalf of a foreign bank. Aerodynamics. A branch of the science of pneumatics which deals with air and other gases in motion and with their mechanical effects. In its maritime connection aerodynamics can he used to explain how a wind produces forward motion in a sailing vessel even though it blows from hefore the vessel's beam. When a wind strikes a surface, its force can he resolved into two components, one acting at right angles to the surface and the other along the surface. If this surface is the sail of a boat, the component blowing along the sail can be disregarded, as it is providing no force on the sail, but the component at right angles to the sail does exert a force. That component can now similarly be resolved into two more components, not in relation to the angle of the sail but to the fore and aft line of the boat. The larger of these two components exerts a force which tries to blow the boat directly to *leeward, and the smaller of them, blowing along the fore and aft line, is all that is left of the wind to drive the boat forward. It is at this point that the *keel of the boat, or the *centreboard in the case of *dinghies, comes into play. It provides a lateral grip on the water which offers considerable resistance to the larger component and very little resistance to the smaller, so that the boat moves forward and makes only a small amount of leeway. There is another element which gives forward movement to a sailing boat when the wind acts on her sail. In the resolution of forces described above, the sail has been considered as a flat surface on which the wind strikes at an angle. In fact a sail has a parabolic curve fore and aft, of which the steepest part of the curve is at the *luff. When an airstream meets a curve at an acute angle it creates a partial vacuum as it flows over the steepest part of the curve, and in a sailing boat this partial vacuum acts to pull her forward and reinforce the small component of the wind that is driving her forward. The greater the speed of the airflow over the steepest part of the curve, the more effective the partial vacuum, and so modem sail design increases the speed of the airflow by creating a slot, or 'funnel', along the luff of the mainsail by setting a headsail forward of the mainsail. In cases where the *clew of the headsail overlaps the luff of the mainsail the wind is funnelled with even greater speed over the steepest part of the curve and so increases even more the partial vacuum. When a sailing vessel is *close-hauled, with the wind blowing over the bow, she can thus move forward against the direction of the wind, first because of the small component of the wind which gives her forward motion, secondly because of the partial vacuum caused by the wind flowing over the curve at her luff which pulls her forward, and thirdly because of her keel which provides effective lateral resistance to the larger component of the wind and prevents her being blown down to leeward at right angles to her desired course. Affreightment, Contract of - . An agreement by an ocean carrier to provide cargo space on a vessel at a specified time and for a specified price to accommodate an exporter or importer. Afloat. Floating on the water. Off the ground. The condition of a vessel when she is wholly supported by the water and clear of the ground. Aframax Tanker. A vessel of 70,000 to 119,000 DWT capacity. The largest tanker size in the AFRA (average freight rate assessment) tanker rate system. Aft. Behind: towards the after or stern part of a vessel, or it may he behind the vessel itself: thus a boat may be said to be towed aft. Afternoon watch. The 1200-1600 watch. After-part. The hinder part. Thus a steersman may, according to the position of the wheel, stand amidships, or in the af ter part of the vessel. So also the af ter cabin will be the cabin nearest the stern. (See also Abaft.) Agency Tariff. A tariff published by an agent on behalf of several carriers. Agent (Agt.). A person authorized to transact business for and in the name of another person or company.Types of agents are:(1) brokers,(2) commission merchants,(3) resident buyers,(4) sales agents,(5) manufacturer’s representatives. Aggregate Shipment. Numerous shipments from different shippers to one consignee that are consolidated and treated as a single consignment. Agreed valuation. The value of a shipment agreed upon in order to secure a specific freight rate. Agreed Weight. The weight prescribed by agreement between carrier and shipper for goods shipped in certain packages or in a certain number. Aground. Resting on the ground, of ten spoken of a vessel which has accidentally run aground, or as it is sometimes said, taken the ground. (See Ground.) Ahead. In front of. Before. Wind ahead. Wind directly against the course of a vessel. Ahull. "The situation of a ship when all her sails are furled, and her helm lashed on the lee-side; she then lies nearly with her side to the wind and sea, her head somewhat turned towards the direction of the wind." (Falconer's Dictionary.) (See also under Trying.) Ahoy. An interjection, which, preceded by a vessel's name, is the customary way to hail a vessel. A.I.D. Agency for International Development. Aid to Navigation (ATON). Any device external to a vessel or aircraft specifically intended to assist navigators in determining their position or safe course, or to warn them of dangers or obstructions to navigation. Air Waybill. The forwarding agreement or carrying agreement between shipper and air carrier and is issued only in nonnegotiable form. AIS. Automated Identification System. It is a system used by ships and Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) principally for the identification and the locating of vessels. AIS provides a means for ships to electronically exchange ship data including: identification, position, course, and speed, with other nearby ships and VTS stations. Aldis. A powerful electric signalling lamp. Alee. The situation of the helm when pushed close down to the lee-side of the ship, in order to put the ship about, or to lay her head to the windward. All hands. All hands ahoy ("tout le monde en haut:" Fr.) (at sea). The call by which all hands are ordered on deck whether it be, as in a ship, to execute some necessary change, or, as with fishermen, to haul a net. All In. The total price to move cargo from origin to destination, inclusive of all charges. All in the wind. An expression used to describe the position of a vessel when head to wind (i.e., pointing directly against the wind), with all her sails flapping. (See also "in irons," under Iron, "in stays," etc., under Tack.) The term is also sometimes used in everyday conversation, meaning "all in a flurry." All night in. Having no night watches. Allision. The striking by a moving vessel against a stationary object. Allotment. That part of a seaman's wages which he wishes to be paid each month to a relative or savings bank. All standing. To be brought up all standing is to come to a sudden and unexpected stop. All told. Every person counted. The term has usual references to a ship's crew, when it will include the idlers, etc., but not passengers. Thus a ship may have a crew of 20, but be 23 all told - that is including cook, carpenter, and steward. Aloft (Loffter, Dan.). Up in the tops: overhead. In the upper rigging, or on the yards, etc. Lay aloft. The order to go aloft, as "lay aloft and furl the royals." Alongside. By the side of. Alongside. A phrase referring to the side of a ship. Goods delivered “alongside” are to be placed on the dock or barge within reach of the transport ship’s tackle so that they can be loaded. Aloof (old term). To keep aloof, i.e., to keep the luff-i.e., up to the wind. (See Luff.) Alow. Low down. Below, or below deck. Amain. Suddenly: forcibly. To let go amain, to let go suddenly. Amateur. In sporting language one who takes up an occupation for pleasure-not for money. In rowing the meaning is somewhat restricted. (See also under Corinthian.) At Henley, 1879, the following definition of an amateur was adopted. "No person shall be considered an amateur oarsman or sculler: -1. Who has ever competed in any open competition for a stake, money, or entrance fee; 2. Who has ever competed with or against a professional for any prize; 3. Who has ever taught, pursued, or assisted in the practice of athletic exercises of any kind as a means of gaining a livelihood; 4. Who has been employed in or about boats for money or wages; 5. Who is, or has been by trade or employment for wages, a mechanic, artisan, or labourer." America's Cup. Yacht race trophy, known at the time as the 'hundred guinea cup', round the Isle of Wight, first presented by the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1851 and won by the schooner America. Held by the U.S.A. until 1983, when the Australian yacht Australia II beat the United States' Liberty. The America's Cup is a match race between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club who is the current holder of the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club which is challenging for the cup. The America's Cup is the oldest active trophy in international sport. American Bureau of Shipping. U.S. classification society which certifies seagoing vessels for compliance to standardized rules regarding construction and maintenance. .  The hull is painted black with two white stripes in reference to the two gun decks of the original ships the design is based on, but she carries only two 6pdr saluting guns in pivot mountings on the deck, forward of the mainmast. The deck planks are of teak wood and must be replaced every three years. Bow and stern are decorated with intricate ornaments; she has a life-size figurehead of Amerigo Vespucci. The stern gallery is accessible only through the Captain's salon. The standard crew of the Amerigo Vespucci is 16 officers, 70 non-commissioned officers and 190 sailors. In summer, when she embarks the midshipmen of the Naval Academy (Accademia Navale), the crew totals some 450 persons.  Amidships. Generally speaking, the middle portion of a vessel. The point of intersection of two lines, one drawn from stem to stern, the other across the beam (or widestrart),' will be the actual midships. AMS. The U.S. Customs’ “Automated Manifest System.” .  AMVER. Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue. AMVER, sponsored by the United States Coast Guard, is a unique, computer-based, free, and voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea. With AMVER, rescue coordinators can identify participating ships in the area of distress and divert the best-suited ship or ships to respond. Participating in AMVER does not put ships under any additional obligation to assist in search and rescue efforts, beyond that which is required under international law. .  For this reason a stout stock is to be recommended. It has been said that the sectional area at the smallest part of an anchor should be three times that of the cable. To drop, let go, or cast anchor, are terms equivalent to coming to an anchor. To weigh anchor is to get the anchor up preparatory to getting under sail. This is done by first heaving short-i.e., hauling upon the cable until the vessel is nearly over her anchor, which brings the anchor apeak - that is standing on its crown. When the anchor is once lifted from the ground it is said to be aweigh, weighed or atrip: when it reaches the surface of the water it is awash. The ship being now free is said to be under weigh (not under way, for way means momentum), and the vessel may be under weigh without having way: she is, in point of fact, under weigh from the moment her anchor is weighed. (See also under Way and Weigh.) Catting the anchor is getting it up to the cathead. When it has been stowed on the bill-board it is said to be fished, and the tackle by which this is done is called the fish-tackle. Anchor apeak denotes that the cable has been drawn in so short as to bring the ship directly over it. Anchor acock-bill is a term used to signify that the anchor hangs, merely by its cable, over the vessel's side, with the stock or flukes extended, just above the water. This, in the London river and in many other havens, is prohibited by law. If the anchor holds the ground well it is said to bite. Should it drag it is said to come home. But at the same time to fetch home or bring home the anchor is to draw the ship doser up to it, for the purpose, perhaps, of weighing it. When the cable becomes twisted round the shank or stock, or entangled with it in any way, it is called fouling. To shoe the anchor "is to cover the flukes with a broad triangular piece of thick plank, whose area is greater than that of the flukes, in order to give the anchor a stronger hold in soft ground." To back an anchor, "to carry out a small anchor, as the stream or kedge, ahead of the large one by which the ship usually rides, in order to support it, and prevent it from loosening, or coming home, in bad ground. In this situation the latter is confined by the former, in the same manner that the ship is restrained by the latter." (Falconer's Dictionary.) A weight is sometimes used as a substitute for the smaller anchor. Large vessels carry several anchors, of ten one on each bow, called, in consequence, bower anchors. Other large ones are known as sheet, stream, stern, waist and spare anchors, and besides these they have small ones called kedges (or kedge anchors), killicks or mudhooks. The sheet-anchor, the largest and most powerful carried by a ship, is popularly supposed to be used only in emergency or as a last resource; and hence the use of the term in this sense in general conversation. Kedges are smaller anchors carried by a ship and used by her for various purposes, such as when swinging her, or when moving from one station to another only a short distance away: they are also valuable in case of the vessel taking the ground. The first type of anchor illustrated is known as the Admiralty Pattern or Fisherman's Anchor and has been in use for some 2000 years, but when of a size and weight necessary to hold large ships it amongst scientific men it is awkward to handle and stow, and so has been superceded by the Stockless Anchor which can be hove right up and secured in the hawse-pipe. The arms of a stockless anchor hinge on the shank and have Tripping palms which cause the flukes to bite into the ground when a pull is exerted on the anchor. The Danforth Anchor has a light stock at the crown extending beyond the flukes to ensure that both flukes lie flat and bite into the ground. The Plough, Ploughshare or CQR anchor is the type now usually carried by small craft. The flukes, shaped like ploughshares, turn on the shank and dig into the ground when the vessel pulls upon her anchor. (See Becueing.) The mushroom anchor - so named on account of its shape is employed on mud or other soft bottoms, where it obtains a hold far more secure than any other form. The objects in all these anchors (beyond the system of gripping) are to lessen the risks of fouling, and to present no fluke above ground against which, in shallow places, a vessel might strike. The usual method of .working the anchor cable in small craft is to take two or three turns with it round the windlass (i.e., just sufficient to get a certain bite), and then to pass the rest of the chain through an aperture in the deck, made for the purpose, and thus down to the chain locker. Anchorage.The ground in which the anchor is cast. Thus one may find good anchorage or bad, the good being that in which the vessel will ride safely, the bad that in which the anchor will be likely to drag. Yet it is not always the nature of the soil which constitutes good anchorage; currents or the run of the tide always have much to do with it. Land-locked bays, therefore, and positions well out of the tide, will form the best anchorage. The term anchorage is also occasionally used to denote those dues which are paid by vessels for the privilege of casting anchor in certain harbours. See also Bruca anchor, CQR anchor, Danforth anchor. Anchor's aweigh. Said of an anchor when just clear of the bottom. Anchor ball. Round black shape hoisted in the forepart of a vessel to show that it is anchored. Anchor Buoy. A small buoy whose rope is attached to the crown of an anchor to show the position of the anchor on the bottom. Anchor chain or anchor cable. Chain connecting the ship to the anchor. Anchor detail. Group of men who handle ground tackle when the ship is anchoring or getting underway. Anchor home. The term for when the anchor is secured for sea. Typically rests just outside the hawse pipe on the outer side of the hull, at the bow of a vessel. Anchor light. White light displayed by a ship at anchor. Two such lights are displayed by a ship over 150 feet (46 m) in length. Anchor rode. The anchor line, rope or cable connecting the anchor chain to the vessel. Also Rode. Anchor watch. The crewmen assigned to take care of the ship while anchored or moored, charged with such duties as making sure that the anchor is holding and the vessel is not drifting. Most marine GPS units have an Anchor Watch alarm capability. .  .  Andrew. Traditional lower-deck slang term for the Royal Navy. Anemometer. An instrument for measuring the force or velocity of the wind. The anemometer most generally used is one devised by Dr. Robinson, and made by Casella, who also elaborated and modified Robinson's instrument and produced one of great accuracy. Aneroid.An instrument answering to the mercury barometer, but acting by the pressure of the atmosphere upon thin metallic plates. Its general form resembles that of a watch. The aneroid is frequently used at sea to obtain meteorological readings, although is hardly considered sufficiently sensitive. Yachtsmen are seldom without an aneroid. Ann McKim. Anti–Dumping Duty. A tariff imposed to discourage sale of foreign goods, subsidized to sell at low prices detrimental to local manufacturers. Antifouling. Paint applied to the underwater part of a vessel's hull to kill marine organisations which would otherwise attach themselves there. Anti-rolling tanks. A pair of fluid-filled, usually water, tanks mounted on opposite sides of a ship below the waterline. Fluid would be pumped between them in an attempt to dampen the amount of roll. Antiscorbutics. Medicine or food, such as lime-juice, fresh vegetables and fruit, taken as a prevention against scurvy. AP. Answering Pennant. Apeak. Spoken of the position of an anchor when a vessel is have-short above it. (See Anchor.) Apostles, the two large *bollards, fixed to the main deck near the bows in the larger square-rigged sailing vessels, around which hawsers or anchor cables were -belayed. Apparent Good Order. When freight appears to be free of damage so far as a general survey can determine. Apparent wind. The direction of the wind as it appears to those on board a sailing vessel. It differs from the true wind in speed and direction by an amount which can be worked out by a vector diagram: the vessel's speed through the water being represented by one leg of a triangle of which the true wind and the apparent wind form the other two sides. The difference between the apparent and true wind is most pronounced when the true wind blows from directly *abeam, and is reduced as the vessel sails closer to, or further off, the true wind. It disappears completely with the wind from dead astern. It is to the apparent wind, not the true wind, that a sailing vessel trims her sails. Apparently drowned. For directions for restoring. (See Drowned.) Appraisement. Determination of the dutiable value of imported merchandise by a Customs official who follows procedures outlined in their country’s tariff, such as the U.S. Tariff Act of 1930. Appraiser’s Stores.The warehouse or public stores to which samples of imported goods are taken to be inspected, analyzed, weighed, etc. by examiners or appraisers. Apron, stemson, or stomach-piece. 1. (In shipbuilding.) A backing or strengthening timber behind the stem-post of a vessel. 2. (In hydraulic engineering.) The enclosure of timber, brick, or stone at the down side of a lock is sometimes called the apron wall. ARC. Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. Arc of Visibility. The portion of the horizon over which a lighted aid to navigation is visible from seaward. Archboard. The plank along the stern where the name of the ship is commonly painted. Arching. Another name for hogging. Ardent. A vessel is described as ardent when, her tendency being to run up into the wind, she carries a good weather helm. Armament. A ship's weapons. Arming. The tallow or soap placed in the base of a sounding lead. lts object is so that the nature of the ground over which the ship is passing can be ascertained from the particles which adhere. Arrival Notice. A notification by carrier of ship’s arrival to the consignee, the “Notify Party,” and – when applicable – the “Also Notify Party.” These parties in interest are listed in blocks 3, 4 and 10, respectively, of the Bill of Lading. Articles of War. Regulations governing the military and naval forces of UK and USA; read to every ship's company on commissioning and at specified intervals during the commission. Artificial horizon. An aid to taking an astronomical sight with a *sextant when the sea horizon is obscured through haze, fog, or darkness. See also Navigation. ASC X12. American Standards Committee X12 responsible for developing EDI standards for the United States. ASDIC. A type of sonar used by the Allies for detecting submarines during the Second World War. Ashore. On terra firma. A vessel aground is sometimes spoken of as "ashore." (See Ground.) Aspect ratio. The ratio between the length of the *luff and the *foot of a yacht's mainsail. Whereas in the early days of the so-called Bermudian or Marconi mainsails the aspect ratio used to be as low as 2:1, in modern class racing yachts the luff-to-foot length ratio is generally between 3.5:1 and 4:1. Such a high aspect ratio means a tall and narrow sail which is like a glider's wing set up on end. It is highly efficient in sailing very close to the wind as there is negligible twist in the surface of the sail from foot to head, whereas the older broader mainsails suffered from a pronounced sag to *leeward. To make up for the loss of driving power of these small modern mainsails, very large headsails, often of more than twice the area of the mainsail, must be carried under certain conditions. Assignment. A term commonly used in connection with a bill of lading. It involves the transfer of rights, title and interest in order to assign goods by endorsing the bill of lading. Astay. In line with a stay, or with the fore stay. Astern. Behind. In the af ter part of a vessel; behind the vessel; in her wake. Go astern. Go sternwards: or, with a steam boat, an order to work her backwards. ASW. Anti-submarine warfare. Asylum Harbour. A harbour used to provide shelter from a storm. ATDNSHINC. Any time Day or Night Sundays & Holidays Included. A chartering term referring to when a vessel will work. At the dip. A flag or signal not hoisted to its full height. The Answering Pennant at the dip signifies: "Your signal is seen, but is not understood." .  Athwart, athwartships. Across. Hence the rowers' seats in an open boat are called "thwarts" because they lie athwart, or across the boat. To drop athwart anything. To come across it; to find it. Athwart hawse. Within the length of a vessel's cable. (The term is explained under Hawse.) Athwartships. A direction across the width of a vessel. ATIS. Automatic Transmittor Identification System. Atrip. -1. Spoken of an anchor when it is just off the ground or aweigh. (See Anchor.) 2. (Of sails.) When the sails are ready for trimming. ATT. Admiralty Tide Tables. Auld mug. » America's Cup. .  (2.)A display of atmospheric lights visible in high latitudes, Aurora Borealis in northern latitudes and Aurora Australis in southern. They are caused by electrical discharges in the atmosphere, and when the displays are particularly bright, and movement of the light rapid, are almost invariably accompanied by severe electrical storms. Austral. Southern. Avast. The order to stop or pause in any exercise; as "avast heaving." Awash. Being under or washed over by water, as the lee gunwale of a yacht or decked sailing boat may be when she lies much over. Anchor awash. When, in weighing the anchor, it reaches the surface ofthe water, it is said to be awash. Away. Gone: having let anything go: free. Carried away. Broken away; as to carry away a topmast - i.e., to suffer the loss of the topmast. Aweather. Towards the weather side-i.e., the side upon which the wind blows. Helm aweather. The helm put up. (See Helm.) Aweigh. Spoken of an anchor when it has been lifted from the ground. Awheft. Said of a flag when stopped so as to represent a wheft. Awning. A canvas covering acting as a roof or tent, for protection from the sun. AWWL. Always within Institute Warranties Limits (Insurance purpose). Axial fire. Fire oriented towards the ends of the ship; the opposite of broadside fire. Aye (adv., perhaps from ajo, Lat. (defective verb), to say yes). Yes, and is always used in lieu thereof at sea, with a repetition, "Aye, aye, sir," meaning "I understand; and will execute the order." Azimuth. The bearing of a celestial object. Navigational term used to indicate the *bearing of a celestial body. Its navigational definition is the measure of the arc of the *horizon that lies between the elevated pole (north in northern hemisphere, south in southern) and the point where the celestial *great circle passing through the celestial body cuts the horizon. It can be measured by a ship's compass or, more usually, obtained from tables in the * Nautical Almanac. It is a vital factor in fixing a ship's position by astronomical navigation since it is along the azimuth of the celestial body that the *intercept obtained from an observation is laid oft'on a chart to obtain a position line. Azimuths are also frequently used as a means of checking the *deviation of a magnetic compass, the difference between the compass' azimuth and the true azimuth as obtained from the Nautical Almanac giving the compass deviation for the course on which the ship is sailing. See also Navigation. Azimuth compass. An instrument employed for ascertaining position of the sun with respect to magnetic north. The azimuth of an object is its bearing from the observer measured as an angle clockwise from true north. Azimuth circle. Instrument used to take bearings of celestial objects. |
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