Naming the parts

[DanTribe]

I've always understood the term "topsides" to mean the bit between waterline & gunwhale, as in "painting the topsides"
I recently heard the CG asking someone to describe his hull colour, then his topside colour, the CG66 form also asks for this distinction.
A contributor on here [I think] recently gave advice on removing footprints from his topsides.
Have I been getting it wrong? Are topsides really what I call the deck?
Dan

 

[TheBoatman]

I've always thought that the "top sides" was everything above the gunwhale/toerail.
As for the CG it would make sense that they should ask for the colour because they may well be looking from above and the colour might not be the same as the "hull"

Peter.

 

[Ships_Cat]

You are correct, CG chappie (or chapess) is wrong.

John

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Good, I had this on Mobo a couple of months back. Many contradicted my use of 'topsides' and I began to doubt myself on it.

 

[jerryat]

I agree. Topsides from waterline to gunwhale, deck/coachroof above.

Cheers jerry

 

[Pisces]

As I understood it the CG when wanting the hull colour the CG want the colour of the below waterline part - it may not be below the water line by the time they get to you!

 

[jerryat]

Hi Pisces!!

Blimey, are you serious?!! Hope not, but shouldn't they have asked for the anti-fouling colour then? But then you'd have to update your CG66 every time you changed it.

Ah well, praps someone from the CG will let us all know just they they DO mean.

Cheers Jerry

 

[Sgeir]

I have recently been asked to renew our CG66, and I agree that it is confusing. This is is what the CG66 form asks for:
<ul type="square"> Hull Colour (Upper)
Hull colour (Lower)
Topsides [/list]
My own guess is that "Hull Colour (Upper)" means the deck, "Hull colour (Lower)" means the anti-fouling, and "Topsides" means between the waterline and the toe-rail.

But, to be honest, I think that the CG66 is pretty meaningless without explanation. The colour of the anti-fouling may be important for identification in catastrophic situations.

 

[ghost]

ahem..
hull colour upper = below toe rail to waterline,
hull colour lower = below boot stripe,
topsides = coaming etc,
I wouldnt get too pedantic re topsides, if they are looking for ''light blue topsides'' ie: you're coaming and your deck and roof are white, they may fly on by, safer to list the largest mass of colour.
Yep they need the below waterline colour for capsized identification, also helps them to know what sort of gear is flailing about underwater ie: ketch / cat rigged / cutter.

 

[Cornishman]

Re: Two nations divided by a common language

Another case of American versus English

...and the CG have got it wrong. I recall being involved in trying to get the CG to amend the CG66 form when it first came out, but by then it was too late as thousands of the darned things had already been printed.

Topsides
English: sides of a vessel which are above the waterline when the vessel is not heeled (those parts below the waterline are properly called the bottom!).
American: on deck as opposed to being below.

 

[Sgeir]

You may be correct, but that is not a description of topsides with which I am familiar.

Might I draw m'Luds attention the results of a topsides definition Google search?

The sides of a vessel between the waterline and the deck; sometimes referring to onto or above the deck.
www.blacklakeny.com/boatingglossary.html

That part of the side of the ship which is above the upper deck.
collections.ic.gc.ca/vessels/terms.htm

Perhaps we're all correct and maybe the definitions are not precise. Which is why the CG66 form should be clarified.

 

[Sgeir]

Re: Two nations divided by a common language

I agree - you beat me to it.

 

[Ships_Cat]

Re: Two nations divided by a common language

I am sure that you will find the US peeps also refer to "the topsides" as being the bit between the waterline and gunwhale too, just like the rest of us.

Think what may be confusing the matter is that if "something is topside" eg "topside equipment" or "one is topside" then that is to be on or above the deck - dunno if that usage is used in UK but certainly is in USA and most (all?) other places.

Personally don't know any place that calls the deck, deckhouse or superstructure of a boat or ship "the topsides" as correct usage.

John

 

[Cornishman]

Re: Two nations divided by a common language

You may well be right, but I think I will now go and slice a piece of topside and make a nice beef sandwich!

 

[Mirelle]

It is China Coast Pidgin

"You belong topside, plenty chop!" = "get on deck!"

"Topsides" are the part of the hull between the upper deck rail and the boot topping. The antifouling goes from the keel to the boot topping (keep in mind that a tanker or bulk carrier may have a very wide boot top)

 

[Cornishman]

Re: It is China Coast Pidgin

Your Chinese Pidgin is probably correct and fits in well with part of the definition of Topside which is used to teach MN cadets as published in The Efficient Deckhand by Capt CH Wright, a former principal of the National Sea Training School (Liverpool), but your second description does not.
I quote:
"Topside - Paint used on a ship's side above the loaded waterline.
On deck."
That's what we used to teach at Plymouth.

 

[peterb]

\"Sail and Power\"

I have a 1967 copy of "Sail and Power", a manual of seamanship for the US Naval Academy at Annapolis. On the second page of Chapter 1 is an annotated drawing of a keelboat, clearly showing the 'topsides' as the area between the waterline and the toe rail.

Maybe the two countries weren't so far apart in 1967.

 

[Cornishman]

Re: \"Sail and Power\"

I think you are right. I have recently had an e-mail conversation with a senior citizen of New York about the difference in meaning of the word "dirt" which nowadays means soil in the US, but only about 40 years ago had the same meaning as the one we are familiar with (in NY anyway).