McKay, Lauchlan: The Practical Ship-Builder, 1839.

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EXPLANATION OF TERMS

Abaft, aft, after.: That part of the ship from amidships to the stern.
Adz.: A tool for dubbing.
Afloat.: When the vessel is swimming on the water.
Afore.: Same as forward.
After perpendicular.: A line drawn square from the intersection of the cross-seam with the rabbet to the base of the sheer, half-breadth, &c.
Anchors, (bower, sheet and stream.): Instruments for holding the vessel.
Anchor-stock fashion.: A method of planking, by letting the convex of one plank into the concave of another.
Apron.: A timber fayed to the after side of the stem to support the sharps and fasten the floor-hoods.
Arch-board.: The plank on the stern below the cabin windows, on which the ship's name is painted.
Atwart, athwartships.: Any thing extending across the vessel.
Auger.: An instrument to bore holes with.
Axe.: A tool for hewing timber.

Barge.: A boat used on board of government vessels, generally for the use of the captain or commander-in-chief.
Bars.: Levers of wood used to work the capstan.
Bark,: A vessel rigged like a ship, except that she carried only fore and aft sails on the mizzenmast.
Backstay channels.: Abaft the principal ones, to support the top-masts.
Battens.: Strips used in the mould loft.
Bearding.: A diminution of any piece of timber from a given line to the rudder, stern-post, stem, cutwater, gripe, &c.
Bearding lines.: Showing the length of the frames, cants, &c.; also the seats of transoms.
Beams.: Cross pieces of timber holding the ship's sides together and supporting the decks.
Bearings.: The lines of floatation, usually applied to the extreme breadth.
Belly.: The inside of a hollow part of a compass timber.
Bends.: A term applied to wales.
Bends.: The form of a ship's side from the keel to the plank-sheer.
Bevel or bevelling rule, bevelling boards.: Implements for taking the bevels.
Bevelling.: Any alteration from a square. A standing bevel is without a square, and an under bevel is within.
Boat.: Comprised under several different descriptions, distinct from ship's boats.
Bitts.: Pieces for supporting the bowsprit amidships, for fastening the cable to on board of a vessel of war, and leading the top-sail sheets through, &c. Windlass Bitts are pieces for supporting the windlass and securing the cables to on board of merchant vessels.
Binnacle.: The box that contains the compass.
Black streaks.: The streaks above the wales on vessels that have no waist or ports. There are frequently three.
Blocks.: The lower transom pieces of timber lodged on the ground, on which the keel is built or the way laid.
Bolts.: Iron and copper fastenings. Ring-bolts, eye-bolts, &c., made with rings or eyes, driven into the deck or sides to secure hemp cables to, guns, &c., &c.
Bows.: The round part of the ship forward on both sides.
Boxing.: Projection left on the cants. A mortise is cut in the deadwood, and the boxing occupies it as a tenon. braces, pintles, gudgeons. The support for the braces.
Breadth line.: An accurate line in the sheer plan, bisecting the frames at their widest place.
Breaking joints.: The placing of one butt a sufficient distance forward of the after one under it to give it strength.
Break of the deck.: When not flush.
Breech.: The angle formed on a line or floor-timber, &c., the inside of which is called the throats.
Brig.: A square-rigged vessel with two masts.
Brigantine.: Rigged like a schooner aft and brig forward.
Brow.: An inclined plane made of plank forward of the bows of the ship, to convey timber and plank onboard.
Bilge.: That part of the vessel which bears in the ground when the vessel is lying aground.
Bulk-heads.: All partitions.
Bulwark.: The planking on the outside of the stanchions.
Bumpkins.: Pieces fitted against the stem, extending outwards through the head.
Butt.: The opening between the ends of two plank when worked, or the end of plank themselves; also the longest end of all timber.
Buttock.: That part abaft bounded by the wing transoms and upper waterlines.
Base line.: The upper edge of the rabbet of the keel.
Half-breadth lines.: All the waterlines in the half-breadth plan.
Main-breadth line.: A line around the ship at the broadest part or greatest height.
Buttock lines.: Curves lengthways in the sheer plan, representing the vessel as if cut in sections.
Cabin, cabins.: The different apartments allotted for officers.
Cant.: Any thing that does not stand square, as the cant timbers.
Cant plan.: The plan in which the cants are drawn, as figure 13; which do not stand square with the middle line of the ship.
Callipers.: Instruments for measuring the diameter of timber.
Cant.: The act of turning any thing from one side to the other.
Capstan.: A machine by which heavy purchases are accomplished.
Carlines.: Square pieces of timber low fore and aft and secured to the beams.
Carlines.: Thwartship pieces rounding like the beams and let in the knees, and for and aft carlines betwixt the beams.
Cat-heads.: Pieces of timber on each side of the bow for the anchor to be suspended from.
Corvette.: A flush-decked vessel with one tier of guns. A sloop of war.
Caulking.: The filling of the seams between the planks with oakum.
Chains.: Links or plates of iron from the dead-eyes to the ship's side; also to hold the ship at anchor.
Channels.: Pieces fitted to the ship's side to spread the rigging and secure the dead-eyes.
Champer.: The taking off a sharp edge from a piece of timber or plank.
Cheeks.: Knees fitted to the ship's bow to support the cutwater and head.
Chocks.: Pieces to supply a deficiency, &c.
Clamps.: Thick plank worked inside, on which the edge of the beams rest.
Ceiling.: The inside plank.
Clean.: Sharpness of a ship's body.
Cleets.: Wood or iron stoppers used for belaying leading ropes, &c.
Clinker-built.: When planks are lapped one over the other.
Clinch.: To secure bolts by a collar or ring, and forming a head.
Collar.: The neck of any thing, as bolts, and a piece fitted around the rudder to support the head, or at the masts for the belaying pins or booms.
Collier.: A vessel employed to carry coals.
Copper.: To sheath a ship's bottom with sheets of copper.
Coppering line.: The height of the copper around the ship.
Companion.: The entrance, or berthing way to the cabin.
Combings.: The sides of the hatches, resting on the beams or fore and aft carlines.
Counter.: That part of the stern from the cross-seam to the archboard.
Counter timbers.: Timbers from the main transom to the tafferel, to which the uprights of the stern and counter are fastened.
Cradle.: The bilge ways which convey the ship into the water.
Crank.: Opposed to stability.
Crank.: Iron or wooden handles, by which the windlass, winch, grindstone, &c. are turned.
Cross-cut.: All cuts with the saw across logs, planks, timbers, &c.
Cross-seam.: The lower edge of the counter.
Cross spalls.: Temporary beams to support ship when in frame.
Cutter.: A sharp-built vessel with one mast; also applied to schooners of the revenue service, man-of-war's boats, &c.
Cutwater.: Same as gripe.
Cutting down line.: A line in the sheer plan representing the upper side of the floor-timbers, also the height of the deadwood forward and aft.
Dagger knees: supply the place of hanging knees, their side arms being brought up, with a slant or cant, to the under side of the lodging knee.
Dead-eyes.: Round bocks of wood fixed in the channels by the chains, with three holes in them, through which the lanyards are rove.
Dead-flat.: Marked ⊕; a name given to the frame possessing the greatest capacity.
Dead-wood.: Timbers placed fore and aft on the keel, on which the ship's floor-timbers rest, continued as high as the cutting down line in both bodies, to secure the heels of the cants.
Davits.: Straight or compass timber, placed on the stern or quarter, for hoisting and suspending the boats.
Derric.: A crane. Also applied to a spar with a tackle secured to the head for hoisting up timber, &c.
Dowelling.: The method of putting timber together with circular pieces of timber let in betwixt them.
Drafts.: The lower dimensions of vessels drawn on a small scale.
Draught of water.: The depth of water that a vessel draws, designated light water, load water, draught, &c.
Drift.: The difference between the size of the auger and the size of the bolt is termed the drift of the bolt, which confines it in the wood.
Druxy.: Timber in decay.
Dub, dubbing.: The making fair the surface.
Diagonals.: Lines in the body, sheer and half-breadth plans, to prove the frames of the vessel and cut the joints of the timber and show the course of the ribbands on the battens and sides, &c.; also angling braces.
Dead rise.: The height of the end of the floor-timbers above the base line.
Entrance.: The form of the fore body.
Even keel.: When the vessel draws the same water forward as aft.
Flaring.: Opposed to tumbling home; as flaring a bow, counter, &c.
False keel.: An additional piece, formed so as to preserve the main keel, called shoe.
Falling home.: When the top sides are within a perpendicular.
Falling out.: The contrarywise.
False post.: A post at the after part of the main post.
Fashion piece.: Timbers secured to the ends of the transoms.
Felucca.: A foreign galley.
Fife rail.: A rail around the masts for belaying the rigging to.
Fay.: Joining one piece close to another.
Figure head.: The carved ornament under the bowsprit.
Filling timber.: Intermediate timbers of the frames not bolted together.
Fish pieces.: Pieces of wood bound opposite to each other, to secures a mast when sprung; all pieces fayed on the forward side of a large mast to prevent the lower yard from chafing on the hoops when lowering or swaying them aloft.
Float.: To swim.
Flats.: All timbers amidships crossing the keel, similar to deadflat. The lowermost timbers of a frame, upon which the whole superstructure is built.
Floor-timbers.: Synonymous with flats.
Flush.: Any thing fair in equal lines.
Flush deck.: When the deck ranges fair, without any break fore and aft, from bow to stern.
Forecastle.: A short deck forward, in large vessels; but in more it is under the deck, and is a cabin for seamen.
Frames.: The bends of the timbers constituting the shape of the ship.
Furs.: Pieces to supply the deficiency of timber the moulding way.
Futtocks.: The separate pieces which compose the frame.
Galley.: Synonymous with camboose.
Galley.: A Turkish vessel.
Gangway.: The passage-way between the boats in a vessel of war. The space left open in the main or monkey rail of a merchant vessel for a passage or convenience for hoisting when taking in or discharging cargo.
Garboard streaks.: The first streak on each side of the keel.
Gratings.: The covering of the sky-lights and hatches on board of vessels of war.
Gripe.: Synonymous with cutwater.
Gunwale.: The plank that covers the end of the timbers; the same as plank-sheer.
Gun-room.: In a seventy-four, the cabin abaft on the gun deck.
Ground ways.: The large planks which support the cradle for launching.
Gudgeons.: The braces with ryrd [?] for the pintles of the rudder to work in.
Half timbers.: In common terms the timbers butting the third futtock and extended to the plank-sheer; but properly the timbers in the cant body answering to the lower futtock in the square body.
Handspike.: Lever for working the windlass.
Harpins.: The pieces which hold the cant body together until the ship is planked.
Hatches.: The covering of the hatchways.
Hatch carlines.: Cross-pieces to which the plank is fastened.
Hatchway.: The opening in the decks.
Hause holes.: Through which the cables run.
Hause-pipes.: The tubes for leading the chains through.
Hause-pieces.: Timbers which compose the bows of the ship.
Head rails.: Ornamented rail, extending from the back of the figure to the cat-head.
Head ledges.: Athwartship pieces which form a part of the hatch combings.
Heel.: The lower end of a piece of timber. The after end of the keel.
Helm.: The whole apparatus that steers the ship.
Height of waterline.: Distance between, in common terms.
Hogging.: Hogged when the sheer of the ship rises amidships and is destroyed.
Horn timber.: A name given to a knee fayed to the main transom to fashion the quarter.
Hoods, hoodends.: All the foremost and aftermost plank of the bottom, both inside and without.
Hooden ends.: The ends of the plank which fit in the rabbet of the stem and stern.
Inner post.: A piece fayed to the forward side of the stern-post, to receive the hoodends and the transoms.
Joints.: Where any two pieces are placed together; expressive of the diagonal lines in the body plan, which limit the length of the timber or joint.
Keel.: The base of the superstructure.
Keelson.: The long range of timbers in direction of the keel, placed over the floors for additional strength.
Keelson's sister.: The same placed near the keelson in steamers, to support the engine.
Kavels.: Supplying the place of timber heads.
Knees.: Crooked timbers, securing the beams to the ship's side.
Ketch.: A small vessel with four masts, similar to a galliot.
Knight-heads.: Timbers on each side of the stem extending up for securing the bowsprit.
Knuckle timbers.: Whose heads stand more perpendicular than the heels. Same as counter timbers.
Laying down, laying off.: Describing of the lines of a vessel in the mould loft.
Launching planks.: Same as ground ways.
Launching.: The conveying of the ship from the stocks to the water.
Lacing.: A knee or plank fayed and bolted on the top of the cutwater and forward part of the stem, to which the bowsprit is secured by the gammoning.
Ladders.: Steps for conveyance from one deck to another.
Lean.: As clean. Sharp.
Level.: Horizontal lines.
Levelled out.: Any line continued out from a given height or spot in a horizontal direction.
Ledges.: Thwartship hatch combings.
Limber boards.: Short pieces of plank covering the limber passage on each side of the keelson for the water to pass freely to the pumps.
Limber streak.: Forming the above.
Lines.: The various frames of a vessel in the mould loft.
Lining.: The act of marking the form of any timber of plank.
Loaded waterline.: The line of water when the vessel is at her greatest depth.
Luff.: The round part of the bow of the vessel.
Main breadth.: The widest part of the ship on any particular frame.
Main keel.: The principal one.
Maul.: A ship-carpenter's hammer, with one face and pointed at the other.
Main post.: Stern-post.
Masts.: On which the sails are set.
Mast steps.: The parts that secure the heels.
Main wale.: The government measurement selects the upper wale for a main, but in the naval service the lower wale is mentioned as the main wale.
Mat comings.: Placed at the side of the mast for supporting the wedges or coating, &c.
Midships.: The middle part.
Midship bends.: The greatest are of a ship.
Moulds.: The figures of the respective timbers, on and from the lines in the mould loft.
Moulded.: The size of the timber the way the mould is laid.
Mould loft.: The building in which the vessel is laid down.
Moulding.: Transferring the form of the mould to the timber by marking round the mould with chalk or a racing knife.
Monkey rail.: The upper rail, or next above the main rail.
Mouldings.: A name given to the fluted streaks above the waist.
Modelling.: The act of constructing the form of the vessel.
Navel hoods.: Thick pieces fayed in the wake of the hauseholes, and projecting outside of the waist, to support the hausepipes in leading the chain over the cheek knee.
Orlop.: The lowest deck.
Overhang.: Great projection; rake of stern outward.
Outboard.: Outside.
Pay.: The act of pitching the seams.
Partners.: The mast in the deck; also the support of the wedges.
Palls.: The iron and wooden brackets suspended to the pall bitts, and dropping into the scores of the windlass while the hand-spikes are fleeted. Also used horizontally for the capstan.
Paddles.: The wheels of a steamer suspended externally to a shaft to propel her as oars.
Pilasters.: Fluted columns for cabins and between the cabin windows externally.
Pillars.: Perpendicular pieces of wood or iron between the decks to suspend them.
Pins.: Fitted in racks for belaying ropes.
Plank.: Timber used for covering the frame of a vessel.
Plank-sheer.: Thick plank let down over the stanchions to cover the ends of the timbers.
Planking.: The act of covering the external part of the bottom with planks.
Poop.: The highest deck.
Poppets.: Perpendicular pieces of timber between the bottom and bilge-ways at the run and entrance of the ship.
Ports.: The square holes in the ship's side; termed gun, air, ballast, rudder, lumber ports, &c.
Preventer plates.: Securing the chains to the side.
Post.: The stern post.
Preventer bolts.: Driven through the lower ends of the plates.
Pumps.: Machine fitted in the well and reaching to or above the deck to clear the ship of water.
Quarter.: The upper part of the top sides above the starboard and larboard.
Quarter deck.: Extending from the mainmast aft.
Quarter piece.: A piece for fashioning the stern; commonly called fashion-piece.
Quarter galleries.: The projection of the quarter windows ornamented.
Rabbet.: An angular incision to receive the end and sides of plank.
Rack.: The same as belaying rails.
Rake.: Forming an obtuse angle fore and aft.
Race.: The act of marking timber.
Rails.: Long plank scarfed together and tenoned on the heads of the stanchions for the safety of men, cargo, &c.
Range length.: As range deck.
Razee.: A vessel reduced; one deck taken off.
Ribs.: The frame timbers.
Riband lines.: Half-breadth line in the half-breadth plan, at the height of the diagonals.
Riband pieces.: Nailed on the frames to keep them in their places until planked.
Riders.: An additional keelson forward and aft.
Room and space.: Distance from the moulding edges of one frame to the moulding edges of another.
Row locks.: The pins between which oars are confined in a boat's gunwale.
Rudder.: That by which a vessel is steered.
Run.: The act of drawing a line of a ship or mould loft. Also the form of a ship's body abaft the frame amidships.
Saddles.: A piece fitted round the masts of sloops, schooners, &c. to support the boom.
Scantling.: The dimensions given for the timber and plank.
Scarf.: The end of one piece of timber lapped over another, forming an even surface.
Scuppers.: Holes in the ship's side for the purpose of conveying the water off the decks.
Schooner.: A vessel with two masts and fore and aft sails.
Scuttles.: Square holes in the deck smaller than a hatchway.
Seams.: The opening between the edges of planks.
Seating.: That part of a floor or transom that rests upon the place it was bolted.
Sections.: Lines bisecting the body in a fore and aft direction.
Setts off.: The different dots, &c. in laying off for the several lines to pass through.
Setting up.: Taking the height from a given point and setting it off from a corresponding base, as setting up the sections and diagonals in the sheer.
Setting up.: When a plank, &c., is split.
Sheathing.: The boards nailed on a vessel's bottom, substituting copper.
Shear.: The hanging of the ship's side in a fore and aft direction.
Shear streak.: Usually the upper wale in the merchant service.
Shears.: Spars lashed together for hoisting.
Shift.: When one butt of a piece of timber over-launches the end or butt of another, without either being reduced in length, for the purpose of strength, as planks of the bottom, timbers of the frames, &c.
Ships of the line.: Mounting sixty-four guns and upwards.
Ship.: A three-masted vessel.
Shouls.: Pieces of plank under the shores.
Shores.: Pieces of timber supporting the ship.
Shores (dog.): Diagonal pieces formerly used to confine the ship on the stocks until the blocks were removed.
Sirmarks.: Lines on the ship's body from which the bevelling is taken.
Sills.: The upper and lower part of the forming of the ports.
Skylight.: Hatchway in the deck to admit light into the cabin.
Smack.: A sharp vessel for bringing live fish to market. Also a Scotch trading vessel with one mast.
Sloop.: A vessel with one mast.
Snying.: When the edge of a plank rounds upwards, as the plank on the buttock and around the bow, when the middle is above a straight line.
Sloop of war.: A minor-class vessel, sometimes frigate-built, and carrying one tier of guns.
Spar deck.: The upper deck of a single banked frigate.
Spars.: Round timber for masts, yards, &c.
Spikes.: Iron nails by which the decks, ribands, &c. are fastened.
Spindle.: The perpendicular bar on which the capstan revolves; also the windlass on horizontal ones.
Spalls.: Beam pieces to support stages.
Spirketting.: Plank above the deck, and on the frames, around the bow.
Splitting out.: The act of removing the blocks, &c.
Spokes.: The handles of the wheel.
Square body.: The midship section.
Standards.: Perpendicular spars placed round the ship for supporting staging.
Stanchions.: Timbers running up to the rail. Also pillars for the decks.
Starboard and larboard.: The former the right and the latter the left hand side of the ship when facing forward.
Stealer.: The forward or after plank of the bottom that does not hooden into the stern-post.
Stemson.: A piece of timber fastened to the keelson and apron.
Stem.: The fore-piece that unites the bows.
Steeve.: The inclination of the bowsprit.
Steering wheel.: That by which the vessel's rudder is worked.
Steamer.: Steam vessel.
Steps.: For the masts, &c.
Stern frame.: That which is composed of transom, stern-post, fashion-piece, &c.
String.: Narrow pieces or streaks above the waist, between the mouldings.
Stocks.: The ship's blocks.
Stuff.: Timber or boards of different dimensions.
Sweeps.: The former of the frame in the loft. Also long oars.
Tabling.: The letting of one timber into another to keep them from hollowing apart endways, similar to hooking.
Tafferel.: The upper part of the stern.
Thick stuff.: Pieces of thick plank for ceiling and strengthening the bilge intermediately.
Throats.: The middle inside of a floor or knee timber.
Twarts (boat's.): Cross seats.
Timber.: General name given to pieces composing the frame.
Top timbers.: Those on the top sides butting the second futtock.
Top sides.: All above the wales.
Tops.: A platform built on the cross- trees for holding rigging.
Tonnage.: The measurement of a ship.
Tiller.: A lever to turn the rudder.
Trail board.: The carved work between the head knees.
Transom.: Crooked and straight timber which comprises the stern frame. Same as buttocks.
Treenails.: Wooden bolts to hold the planks to the timber.
Trim.: The fitting of any timber or plank to its form. Also the sitting of a vessel in the water.
Tuck.: The upper part of the buttock.
Tumbling home.: Same as falling home; side swells, &c.
Unship.: Taking any thing out of its place.
Upper work.: Comprising that part of the ship above water.
Wake.: A name given to the confused water after a ship when sailing.
Waist.: That part of the plank between the upper wale and the first black streak or string.
Wales.: The thick plank or parallel and equal widths worked on the widest part of the ship for and aft.
Wall sided.: When a ship's side is plumb and continues the width very low down; as figure 3.
Ward room.: An apartment for the commissioned officers in a ship of war.
Wedging up.: Gaining security. Raising.
Waterway.: Thick plank fayed to the timbers and beams, and forming the first streak of the deck.
Well.: The enclosure round the pumps.
Wherry.: A skiff with a flat bottom.
Winch.: Cylindrical machine fixed to the fife-rail posts, used for hoisting out cargo.
Wing transom.: The upper transom in the stern frame.
Windlass.: A horizontal machine for heaving up the anchor.
Winding.: Any thing that winds.
Withinboard.: Inside.
Wrought.: Any thing worked; as working plank, putting them on the bottom, &c.
Yawl.: A small boat.
Yoke.: A circular or angular board fitted to the head of a boat's rudder to steer by, instead of a tiller.

McKay, Lauchlan: The Practical Ship-Builder: Containing the Best Mechanical and Philosophical Principles for the Construction Different Classes of Vessels, and the Practical Adaption of their Several Parts, with Rules Carefully Detailed.
Collins Keese & Co, New York, 1839.

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius

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