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Abaft
and Fore
Abaft is he back half
of the ship and fore is forward half , to go fore is to go
toward the bow, the front. To go abaft (or aft) it go toward
the stern or backward.
also: known as:
Silver Oars.
In the colonies of America, pirates fell under the jurisdiction
of the Admiralty Courts of the Americas. Around 1701, these
courts introduced a steriling silver oar as a sign of their
authority. The oars were about two feet long. One one side,
an Anchor, the symbol of the admiralty was etched. On the
obverse was the Royal Crest of the English Throne.
Alcohol was both a
GodSend and Devil's Torment on board Naval and Pirate vessels.
Thanks to Captain Billy Bones in the book Treasure
Island, the alcoholic beverage most associated with
pirates is rum. Of course, rum has a long association with
the British and American navies because both navies had liquor
rations and that liquor was usually rum. Rum is a distilled
alcoholic beverage made from fermented molasses. At one time
it was all the rage in the Colonies as well as Caribbean because
of its inexpensive means of production.
Because water had
a tendency to go bad onboard ships, due to bacterial growth,
rum or other spirits was sometimes added to kill the taste.
A dram (a small amount) of rum was often added to a sailor's
water ration to kill the taste of the rancid water. This was
called grog. This also explained coffee and Tea. Of
course this was not just something that happened aboard ship.
It also happened anywhere water tasted bad.
Rum would often be
the downfall of many pirate crews. Unlike military and merchant
ships where some kind of authority measured out the rum being
consumed, a democratically run pirate ship, with its weakened
code of discipline, sometimes led to a complete disregard
for sobriety. There are several accounts of pirate ships easily
being boarded because the ship was too drunk to fight One
of the best known examples was the capture of Anne Bonney,
Mary Reed, and Calico Jack Rackham. Even Bartholomew Roberts,
the tea totaling pirate was unable to stop his crew from drinking.
Besides rum, ale was
sometimes available on ship but ale, like water would turn
bad after a period of time. Of course the bad tasting water
could still be drank. The bad ale could not.
Port wine was often
available to officers as a substitute for or in addition to
a rum ration. Port first became popular among the English
when they went to war with France, and could obtain French
wines. Unlike normal wine port it is fortified by
adding grape brandy during the fermentation process. This
makes it more stable during temperature changes and allows
it to last longer during sea travel.
It should be noted
that Royal Navy Rum was a high quality rum and remained so
until it was no longer issued as a ration in the British Navy.
On a side note, whereas
the Royal Navy had rum the Her Majesty's Army had gin. Legend
has it, the Army in India had a problem with malaria and the
cure for the disease, quinine tasted really bad. To get the
soldiers to take their medicine, it was mixed with the liquor
ration. Thus gin & tonic was born.
It should also be
noted that within the U.S. Navy, while it lasted (until 1854),
the liquor ration was just as often bourbon or other whiskeys
as it was rum. The amount of alcohol was determined by Congress
and then left in the hand of the ship's captain.
You've seen them in
all the movies. They are wood pins about a fiit or so long
used to lash lines downs. If there is ever a mutiny aboard
ship, it seems these belaying pins becoem the weapon of choice
for the unarmed rabble. The look something like a billy club.
Berth
A place where a ship
or boat is docked. Or room given to allow a ship or boat to
pass by.
A brace is two or
more of some type of firearm or artillery. For instance Blackbeard
was known to carry of brace of pistols (numbering six). Or
there were eleven cannons aboard with braces of four starboard
and port, another brace of two aft, and one cannon in the
bow. Typically, a brace is thought of as numbering just two,
but I guess pirates couldn't add very well and commonly called
any grouping of similar firearms or artillery a "brace".
Careening was a necessary
part of nautical life. For reasons, which will be explained,
it was one of the most hazardous tasks facing a pirate crew.
As is well known,
as ships cruise the ocean, their bottoms quickly become covered
with barnacles. These barnacles affected the ships speed and
mobility. These two characteristics were highly respected
among pirate captains, for they knew above everything else
that if they were to be pursued in would be speed and mobility
that would save them above any amount of firepower they might
possess.
Barnacles posed another
problem. If they were not removed, periodically, they would
also cause irreparable damage to the hull by eating away the
wood or weakening the seems between planks. This meant that
if the ship were at sea, far from land, it could go down.
The threat of barnacles was taken very seriously.
Often ships are dry
docked after a long ocean voyage, in order that the hull can
be scraped free of barnacles and repaired.
Pirate rarely had
the opportunity to dry dock. When a ship could not be dry
docked, sailors had to devise other ways to clean the bottom.
It was practically impossible to clean the bottom of a ship
while in the water. The best alternative was careening.
Careening involved
finding a suitable shallow bay where the ship could safely
be run aground, thus exposing as much of the hull above the
water line as possible. Then the ship would be unloaded as
much as possible. The crew would then need to careen or turn
the ship over on one side using block and tackle, and manpower.
The crew would try
to pull the ship over enough to expose the keel or bottom
of the ship. Then they would commence scraping that side of
the ship, free of any barnacles. Then any damaged planks would
be replaced or repaired. Following this step, if possible
the bottom of the ship would be covered with paint, pitch
or some kind of proctectant.
Once the one side
was done, the crew would careen the ship to the other side
and repeat the process.
The task was labor
intensive and time consuming. Pirates were sitting ducks while
careening their ship. They were often not armed well enough
to stand a major ground assault and with their ship run aground
they could not take on another ship.
Having the ship run
aground for a long period of time was dangerous, so the pirates
did several things to reduce their risks. First they would
look for secluded cays that offered good protection and cover
from the sea, basically hiding from prying eyes. Such a place
was known as a careenage. Another strategy was to careen only
one side of the ship at a time in order to cut the length
of time on shore by half.
Of course pirates
could also swap ships in order to avoid careening. However
this was seldom done. Many pirates preferred sloops because
of their agility and speed and would often become attached
to their ship, usually not giving it up unless it was in need
of repair.
Davy Jones' Locker is
a nautical term that dates back to at least 1751 (first known
written reference to the word). It is quite possible that the
term existed orally among sailors before this date. Since it's
first historical mention, the meaning of Davy Jones has changed
very little.
Davy Jones was sailor
slang for the evil spirits of the ocean. Davy's Locker or
Davy Jones' Locker was the Deep ocean's bottom. To be sent
to Davy's Locker was to perish at sea. To send someone to
Davy Jones was to kill them.
The phrase Davy Jones
appears in much of the popular nautical literature. There
is no reason not to assume the term was common among sailors
for many years. Other variations of Davy Jones' Locker are:
- To be in Davy's
Grip: To be close to death, or frightened.
- To have the Davies
or the Joneseys: To be frightened
- To see you to Davy
Jones: To threaten to kill some one
- Awaken Davy or
Awaken Davy Jones: To cause a storm
Decks:
As each mast had a
name so do the decks.
Poop:
The aftermost part of a ship; the stern; also, the aftermost
and highest deck, often forming the roof of the cabin built
in the stern.
Forecastle:
(never called the forecastle deck) A short raised deck at
the fore end of a vessel. In early use raised like a castle
to command the enemy's decks. the forecastle also refers to
the forward part of the merchant vessel, under the deck, where
the sailors live
Spar:
The spar deck extended from stem to to stern and rest above
the main deck. It is usually devoid of guns but not always.
Frigates typically would fill about half the spar with guns.
This deck is not found on a merchant ship.
Main:
This is the deck just below the spar deck on a man of war
or the deck that rest between the poop and fore-castle on
a merchant ship. The main deck will be the upper most deck
on a man-o-war being with a full compliment of guns The guns
on this deck are sometimes referred to as main-deckers.
These means the guns rest on the main deck (if their is just
one deck of guns, it is called the gun deck) and the spar
deck acts as the ceiling.
Lower Deck:
The second deck containing guns, if the ship had only two
decks containing a full complement of guns.
Middle Deck:
The middle deck of guns when the ship of the line carried
three decks of guns. If a middle deck existed the lower deck.
obviously becomes the third deck of guns.
Berth:
The deck below the gun decks where the mess, sick bay, living/sleeping
quarters were found. The berth was often at or just above
the water line and was devoid of proper lighting and poorly
ventilated
Orlop:
The orlop (normally not called the orlop deck, just orlop)
is the lowest deck on a ship usually covering the hold. Quite
often the magazines (ammunition rooms) would be found under
the orlop, typically aft on war ships. Remember to get to
the hold, you have to pass under the orlop. The hold resides
between the orlop and the bilge.
Bilge:
The bottom of a ship's hull, or that part on either side of
the keel which has more a horizontal than a perpendicular
direction, and upon which the ship would rest if aground;
also the lowest internal part of the hull.
As you can guess,
not all ships or boats have every deck. for instance a sloop
may only have one deck which then becomes the "deck"
and everything else is below deck. Or you may have a spar
deck gun deck and then a hold.
Dry docking involved
removing a ship completely from the water, at a docking facility.
The purpose to clean and repair the hull and completely over
haul the ship before or after an ocean voyage.
Dry Docks consist
of a basin like depression where a ship could be floated in
and then with a series of locks, the water is drained from
the basin leaving the Ship sitting on a frame for support.
It is almost impossible
to see a Pirate movie without seeing ear rings. Naturally the
question has often arisen, did real pirates wear ear rings?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes.
While I'm sure Hollywood
was trying to make leading men such as Erroll Flynn and Douglas
Fairbanks look suave and exotic , real pirates were piercing
their ears for a more practical purpose. It was believed that
piercing the ears with such precious metals as silver and
gold, improved one's eye sight. This was the main reason pirates
performed such a ritual. It must also be noted that most other
sea faring men also indulged in the practice.
While for years this
was considered an old wives tale, today the art of acupuncture
lends some credence to the practice of ear piercing. The ear
lobe is an acupuncture point for several eye ailments. It
is quite possible that the practice of ear piercing was brought
to the west from the oriental trade routes.
Still another source
says they used the earring as payment when they crossed over
to the next world (when they died). Now this sounds logical
considering the superstitious nature of mariners but it has
one problem. A fellow pirate was quick to pull your payment
from your ear lobe rather than send a perfectly good ear ring
with you to Davy Jones.
Of course a final
reason may simply be "fashion statement" on the
wearers part. As pointed out by many people, pirates (at least
the successful ones) were a colorful lot.
A nautical unit of measurement
equal to approximately six feet. Sailors didn't go around carrying
rulers in their back pocket so they used their bodies instead.
For instance to measure fathoms, a sailor would grab a line
(rope) and pulling it between outstretched arms the distance
from tip of left index finger to tip of right index finger was
approximately one fathom or six feet. (If the sailor was six
feet) The following are other common approximate measurements
of a six foot tall person.
- The distance
from tip of nose to tip of an outstretched arm:
one yard (three feet)
- The distance
from elbow to tip of finger: one cubit (18 inches)
- Length of human
foot: one
foot (12 inches)
- Breadth of human
hand: one hand (4 inches) -- used chiefly in measuring
horses
- Middle knuckle
of index finger: 1 inch
Water and rum mixed
together was often called Grog. A dram (a small amount) of
rum was often added to a sailor's water ration. A proper grog
often included lime juice to help to stave off scurvy and
a measure of cane sugar to help kill the bitterness of the
water.
The sailors rum ration
was added to the water for a more important reason than just
killing the taste of the water. The rum was added to water
to prevent hoarding of the rum ration. By adding the rum to
the water, the alcohol would be diluted and lessen the chance
of the sailor becoming drunk.
In addition, the rum
rations was given to sailors to help them keep their spine
during battle. A little rum helped to steady the nerves of
the gun crews.
Despite the rationing
of rum, sailors would often find ways to have a stash of illegal
alcohol aboard ship. It may have been smuggled liquors from
a shore leave or made from an illegal still stashed somewhere
on the ship. Alcohol always remained a problem aboard ship.
The simplest of recipes
would be
Add approximately
one ounce of fine rum (the rum used in the Royal Navy was
an exceptional quality alcohol) to tin or glass of water (7
to 9 oz.)
A more complex recipe
would be
1 (oz) of Rum
the juice of half a lime
one or two teaspoons of cane sugar
and fill the rest of your tin or mug with water.
When it was made onboard
ship it was usually made in a large barrel called the grog
tub and then rationed out to the sailors. Grog gets its
name from Old Grogram, the nick name of British Rear Admiral
Edward Vernon who order his sailors rum ration diluted to
prevent hoarding and drunkenness.
Thanks to Don Rookaird
and Alexander Owens for additions and corrections on the alcohol/grog
sections of this page.
A large barrel usually
used for shipping wine and spirits or other liquids or dry
goods.
The following are
some other standard barrel/cask sizes:
- Puncheon = either
84 or 120 gallons
- Butt= 108 gallons
- Hogshead =63 gallons
- Barrel = between
31-42 gallons
- Tierce= 42 gallons
- Kilderkin =18 gallons
- Firkin =9 gallons
- Rundlet = anywhere
between 3 and 20 gallons (most often 14.5 gallons)
(Measurement are in
US standards, for conversion: 1 US gallon =3.785 liters or
0.833 British gallon.)
So next time sing
15 men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho and a hogshead of
rum!
A league is a nautical
unit of measurement equal to approximately three miles. So
if Captain Nemo traveled 20,000 leagues under the Sea it would
be about 60,000 miles under the sea. Meaning Captain Nemo
traveled around the world almost three times.
Lubber
A clumsy oaf. Thus
a land lubber is a person who cannot adapt to sea life.
The term is not a
figment of Hollywood. It dates from early times, and appeared
in print as early as 1748! "He swore woundily at
the lieutenant, and called him a swab and lubber"
The adventures of Roderick random, by tobias Smollett.
Along with the belaying
pin, the weapon of chice among the otherwise unarmed mutinous
crew. Basically a metal spike with a wood handle used to split
lines on a nautical craft. The earliest version were nothing
more than a huge wooden tooth pick. See more about these "tools"
under weapons
A professional mariner
responsible for all aspects of sailing and maneuvering a ship.
Pieces
of Eight and Doubloons
Pieces of Eight and
Doubloons are two common terms thrown around quite liberally
in the old Pirate movies. Other coins such as "Reales"
and "Escudos" are rarely mentioned. So what exactly
are these coins?
During the Golden Age of Piracy (and well into the 19th Century)
A Piece of Eight was a Spanish or Spanish American coin roughly
that was roughly equivalent to today's dollar coin. however,
However unlike today's American dollar which is worth 100
pennies, the Piece of Eight was worth, you guessed it, eight
of Spain's small common demonination, the Reale (sometimes
spelled "real").
As such the Piece
of Eight was clearly marked with the number "8".
It may sound strange to some people to have 1/8 pieces but
at one time the U.S. Dollar also was divided into eight pieces
or bits. Remember the nursery rhyme "two bits, four bits,
six bits, a dollar"? Mexico continued to use a monetary
system similar to the old Spanish Piece of Eight well into
the 19th Century.
It sounds strange to use a phrase such as "piece of"
to describe a coin but a quick look at the Oxford English
Dictionary will make it obvious that this was common practice
in the English of time. Today, we would call it an "Eight
Real Piece or Coin" similar to a "$20 Gold Piece"
or "Ten Mark Piece" Just about any reale might be
refered incorrectly as a "Piece of Eight" but all
where clearly minted as 1, 2, 4, and 8 reale pieces. Sometimes,
the coins would be cut up or cut in half. so if you cut an
8 reale coin in half the two halves would each be worth four
reales. Becuase the coins were made of pure silver, cutting
them into pieces did little to decrease their value.
So we now know that
the Piece of Eight was a standard dollar in Old Spain. Where
does that leave the Doubloon and what is this Escudo that
I'm talking about? Well the Escudo was a coin equivlent to
two Pieces of Eight. Escudoes also came in 1, 2, 4, and 8
Escudoes pieces. A Doubloon was equal to eight Escudoes or
sixteen Eight Reale coins..
The Piece of Eight
was silver coin and the Doubloon is a "gold piece".
The Spanish money
would've been easy to spend in the many islands of The Caribbean
and becuase it was made of gold or silver, its equivilent
worth was easily transferable to coins of the English Empire.
An experienced mariner
responsible for plotting courses for ships of the fleet, particularly
through coastal waters.
Prize is the main object
of desire. This typically refers to a major object of great
worth.
This was often a
particular ship, that the crew would be seeking, for instance
a Spanish Galleon laden with gold from the Main.
It may also be a
target of opportunity, if the crew was just trolling the coastal
waters looking for anything that might come along. Or it could
even be a sea port or inland town that the pirates had decided
to raid.
Don't confuse it
with such terms as plunder or booty. The pirate would plunder
a prize and then divide the booty into lots among themselves.
All in all such words are probably more common among the swashbucklers
of the Silver Screen but they are part of the myth of piracy.
In Naval terms, it was
a way of conscription. People were pressed into service with
the Royal Navy as well as other navies in time of need. Typically
this meant finding a person who was somewhat inebriated, hitting
them over the head and then having them wake up aboard ship
and out to sea. This also led to the phrase Press Gang which
was a group of sailors led by an officer or boatswain who would
force people into naval service.
To add to the confusion:
Press or more correctly Pressing was a form of torture in
which heavy weights were placed on a person's body in an effort
to get them to confess to a crime. Sometimes the confession
part was unnecessary. A person would be pressed as simple
torture as means to pass the time until he was executed.
A quarter can be a room,
aboard a ship but more often in pirate terms quarter meant mercy.
The pirate would run up the Jolly Roger which meant they were
going to attack and show no mercy or quarter if fired
upon. The captain of the other ship, could strike or lower their
own flag meaning they were not going to fight. If the ship were
to strike its colors then quarter was given and the
ship was looted but personnel were not harmed (that is, if the
pirate kept his word!).
I have no record of actual
pirates saying this and I'm not sure when the term became common
use in any navy. With that said, it is hard to see a nautical
movie from the 1930s-1960s not using the term. A variant of
the phrase (shiver my timbers) is used in the classic Treasure
Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
"I thought
so," cried the cook; "this here is a p'inter. Right up there
is our line for the Pole Star and the jolly dollars. But,
by thunder! If it don't make me cold inside to think of Flint.
This is one of HIS jokes, and no mistake. Him and these six
was alone here; he killed 'em, every man; and this one he
hauled here and laid down by compass, shiver my timbers! They're
long bones, and the hair's been yellow. Aye, that would be
Allardyce. You mind Allardyce, Tom Morgan?"
At least one source
says it is an expression of surprise. Timbers were the largest
main support beams for the decks and ribs of a sailing ship.
Only violent movements, such as heavy seas or a collision,
could cause them to shake (or shiver). This term came to be
used for any deed or action that was deeply surprising to
a sailor or caused great fear. I guess a landlubber's equivalent
would be an event that would send "chills down one's spine"
(the spine being the main support of the human body)
Swab
A mop made of rope-yarn,
etc. used for cleaning and drying the deck on board ship.
Thus, when a person
is referred to as a swab, swabber or swabbie, it is a term
of contempt or an insult. He is the one who is only fit for
swabbing the deck. He may also be the newest person on the
ship. Today it would be considered a mild insult.
A swab can also be
a slang term for the epaulettes worn by naval officers. The
swab officer is the officer in charge of cleaning the deck
and can sometimes be referred to as the swab.
Usually when the term
wench was used during the golden age of piracy it simply meant
a young woman. From today's perspective the word wench is thought
have been used to describe women who worked in taverns and/or
brothels. This is not actually the case.
Wench dates back
to around 1290 and is word that simply meant a young girl
or woman. At times it was used as a term of endearment used
chiefly in addressing a daughter, wife, or sweetheart.(Far
from today's idea of the word)
At other times it
was used to describe any kind of female of the rustic working
class (laborers, the poor). When referring to whores or mistresses
the word wench would be modified with a noun such as common
wench, light wench, wench of the stews, or wanton wench.
The term is often
confused. It means to raise the anchor from the water and
store in its proper location so the ship or boat can move.
You "drop anchor" once the ship stops moving or to slow the
ship.
Leeward and windward
are words used to describe wind direction. Leeward
is with the wind and Windward is against the wind.
Still confused? Say you're standing outside on a windy day.
The wind is blowing in your face. You are facing Windward.
If you started walking in that same direction you would be
walking windward. If the wind is blowing on your back then
you are facing leeward. If you start walking in the same direction
you are moving Leeward. This becomes important with tides.
A lee tide is when the wind and the tide are both going the
same direction. A windward tide is when the tide and the wind
are moving in opposite directions.
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