Nautical Language.

True nautical language? Points? Cables?

These are obsolete terms by any measure and I dont use them on a boat any more than I would use "leagues" or "larboard".

We use nautical terms where they are appropriate eg "anchor" rather than "that funny bent metal jobbie at the front".

No need to play act the "real sailor" bit by rolling into the pub with a nautical gait .
"Avast there me hearties" the Boatman cries " A pint of grog for me and the lad"

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it.
 
Took my brother-in-law (he's a teacher) out for the first time last year. We were leaving the pontoon and he was on the stern line which was set to slip. As I started to motor away I said to him "ok, let it go" so he promptly dropped the line he was holding into the water, fortunately it didn't seek out the prop.

And yes, I do understand it was my fault and not his...........

Tony C.

<hr width=100% size=1>Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.......
 
As SWMBO can't manage 'left' or 'right' let alone port and starboard and still can't get the hang of which way the boat will go when she moves the tiller it's down to 'push the stick away from you' or 'pull it a bit towards you'. But I love her dearly. Honest!

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Despite my earlier post showing my great misuse of landlubbery terms for nautical ones of long standing tradition, I have to concede that I do tend to like the use of "cable" for myself.

I find it easier to think in tenths of a mile, the chart has tenths down the latty tude side and "3 cables" is not such a jumble of words for a tangle minded cat to hold in his head as "3 tenths of a mile" is.

"Points" I wouldn't know about them (honestly couldn't even define them /forums/images/icons/blush.gif) but sometimes I feel like "boxing" the compass - if only I could find its ears in order to do so.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.
 
On a slightly nautical language theme, here's a pic I found of a ship's cat..........

fck22a.jpg


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One of my worse moments was when we first started sailing as a family. I use the proper words for various bits of the boat (clew, halliard) wife and children fall on their backs laughing. Wassup, sez I. You're just being pompous, sez they. Nothing like your family to put you in your place, even when it's not deserved!

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on one hand it may be easier to say 'floor' rather than 'sole', 'kitchen' rather than 'galley' when what you're talking about has a direct shoreside equivalent.

on the other, a lot of above deck gear is very difficult to describe without jargon-

'rope that pulls in the tube at the bottom of the big sail' v 'main sheet'
'right if you're facing the front or left if you're facing the other way' v 'starboard'

the real grief comes when the same word is used to mean something quite different afloat: sheet, floor, ceiling, go about for example.

non-boaty types are entitled to be p***d off with those who use unnecessary jargon for the sake of showing off. libby purves cited a pseudo old salt who would say 'douse that glim' for 'turn out the light'. such people deserve to be laughed at.



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Is anyone else old enough to remember the Navy Lark on the wireless.Leslie Phillips helm orders were something like "Left hand done a bit Chief" reply " left hand down a bit , aye sir"

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I am a "cat of one tail" and that is quite enough /forums/images/icons/smile.gif.

I actually think that there should be a nice nautical term for ships cats. Something along the lines of meaning "oh most repected one" would do very nicely.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.
 
I hate to admit this but dear o'll boaty is more likely to heard saying things like pull on that bit of string with the blue fleck in it, turn left/right, lets try going backwards/forwards, we're gonna try anchoring someone go get the "pick" out and as for saying "avast" that's just to dangerous a word to use amongst a mixed crew as utterering the words "avast behind" can earn you a black eye leading to the use of a black eye patch.

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