Shipbuilding Terms and Phrases
The following definitions are from United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation publication The Building of a Wooden Ship by Charles G. Davis (1918), a long out-of-print book that we have republished and is available on Amazon. They will be very handy when reading the works of such authors as Davis, Howard I. Chapelle, V.R. Grimwood, and others I will reference in this blog. In some cases, I have added further clarification to a definition in the form of editor's notes. These are in italic, contained in parentheses, and attribute the modern author of the clarification.
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| Various forms of rabbets, illustration from The Elements of Wood Ship Construction, by William H. Curtis |
RABBET: a depression or channel in a piece of timber cut for the purpose of receiving and securing the edge and hood ends of bottom and side planking, as for example, the rabbet in the stem or stem to take the hood end of planks, or the rabbet of the keel and deadwood to receive the garboard strake. There are three parts to a rabbet: rabbet line, the front or exposed edge of the rabbet; back rabbet, or line formed by the bottom angle of the rabbet; and the bearding-line, or the line formed at the inside or near edge of the rabbet, which comes against the inside face of the planking.
RACE-KNIFE: a tool having a U or V shaped blade, used in scribing or etching permanent marks on timber work.
RACK: to seize or bind two ropes together with turn of spun yarn or marline, so they cannot move or pull apart; a straight piece of iron, steel or other metal with teeth cut or cast on one broad face. These teeth engage corresponding teeth in a gear or pinion.
RACK-BLOCK: a length of wood which contains a number of sheaves, which is generally attached to the rail or the side of the mast. Rack-blocks are generally used as fair leaders.
RAG-BOLT: a bolt having the sides at the point ragged or barbed to make it hold securely.
RAIL: the top finished part of the upper edge of the bulwarks; the iron, steel or other metal strips attached to the face of a mast or to the under side of a gaff or top side of a boom to carry the head luff and foot of a fore-and-aft sail.
RAILWAYS: permanent rail or rails bolted to the under side of the standing gaff, after side of a mast or the upper side of a boom in place of jackstays. This method of rigging a sail is used on steam vessels. The head of the sail is hauled out along the gaff or boom with an outhaul line and brailed against the mast when it is desired to furl it. These rails have clamps fitted loosely over the rail, which are attached to eyelets in the sail at the bolt-ropes.
RAKE: the overhang of the stem or stern beyond the perpendicular to the keel; any part or thing that forms an obtuse angle with the horizon, as the rake of the mast, or the rake of the smokestack.
RAM-LINE: a small wire line or cord used to strike off the center of a vessel or to run its sheer lines, determine the hang of the beams, or for setting the beams fair; a chalk line used to indicate the curvature, crown or upward spring to be put in a beam.
RAMP: the inclined walk built up along the ship's sides when on the building ways, used by the shipbuilders, as an easy means of reaching the deck or upper bulwarks.
RASING: the act of marking by a mold on a piece of timber, or marks made with a tool called a "raising knife." See Race-Knife.
RATLINES: short lengths of ratline-stuff seized with a clove hitch across the shrouds about 14 inches apart, parallel with the sheer poles or decks. These ratlines are similar to the rounds or rungs of a ladder and are used by the crew when ascending or descending from aloft. Ratlines extend from the swifter or forward shroud to the one next to the after shroud. It is the custom to carry every fifth ratline to the after shroud. This ratline is called a "sheer" or "catch ratline."
RATLINE-STUFF: a small tarred line that is used to rattle, mouse or seize rigging. Sometimes applied to marlin or small spun threads or yarn of manila or hemp.
REAM (REEM, REAMING): a term used by calkers, being the act of opening a seam between planks to facilitate calking so that oakum may readily be inserted; to enlarge a round hole with special tools, called reamers, to an exact diameter.
REAMER: one who reams; a tool used in reaming a round hole.
REAMING-IRONS: special irons used by calkers to open or ream a seam.
RECONCILE: to make one piece of work fair with the mold or shape on the adjoining face, more particularly in the reversion of curve or bevel.
RED LEAD PUTTY: a mixture of whiting and red lead, used for various purposes, such as filling up deck seams, after calking the cracks in timbers.
REEVE: to reeve a rope is to pass the end of it through the mortise of a tackle-block, over a sheave, through a deadeye, bullseye or any hole.
REGISTERED TON MEASUREMENT: the measurement based on a ton of 2240 pounds occupying 100 cubic feet of volume.
RELIEVING TACKLE: a tackle which is hooked to the tiller in a gale and makes it easier to steer the vessel. A tackle by which the vessel may be steered in case of emergency or damage to the tiller-ropes or steering-wheel.
RENDER: a rope renders when it passes freely through the mortise of a block or other hole; to serve or wind with marlin, rope, yarn or small stuff.
RENDS: large open splits or shakes in timber, particularly undesirable in planking, and caused by exposure to a dry wind or hot sun.
RETURN SOUND TUBES: the steel or fiber tubes which connect the wheelhouse or navigator's bridge with the engine-room, and are used to convey the sound of the gongs or bells to the officer of the watch or deck, quartermaster or wheelman. By this means they are sure the signal which they have given is audible in the engine-room.
RIBBAND: temporary longitudinal pieces of small timber or heavy battens, nailed or lag-screwed to the frames, to hold them in position during construction. Special ribbands at the bow and stem, which are shaped to the contour of the vessel, are called harpins. The ribbands and harpins are removed when the planking and ceiling reach their position.
RIBBAND LINES: the same as diagonal lines.
RIDER KEELSON: the upper tier of keelson timbers.
RIDERS: fore-and-aft strengthening timbers fastened to the inside of the ceiling. These extend diagonally from the keelson to the beams of the lower deck at the bow and stem.
RIDGE-ROPE: a rope rove through holes in the upper ends of awning stanchions, used to secure the awning, when it is spread.
RIGGER: a man who splices, serves and fits the wire and manila ropes, shrouds and cables on a vessel. He makes and repairs the slings used for hoisting, on the vessel or in the shipyard, and installs the standing and running rigging on a vessel.
RIGGING: all the ropes on a vessel, more generally applied to all the movable ropes, as cargo, guy, halyards, downhauls, outhauls, etc. The shrouds, stays, back-stays, etc., are called "standing rigging."
RIGGING LUFFS: watch-tackle purchases which are used for setting rigging up taut.
RIGGING MAT: a pad that is seized on the standing rigging, stay or shroud to prevent chafing.
RIGHT-HAND ROPE: the three or more stranded rope, the strands of which are laid "with the sun" meaning laid over from left to right.
RINGSTAFF: a stout pole held at one end by a ring bolt, used as a lever to pull or force planks or ceiling into place against a ship's frame when fastening same.
RISE OF BOTTOM: in shipbuilding is the measurement from the produced line of the mid- ship section of the bottom at the intersection of the produced line of the half-breadth perpendicular. The distance from the point where the produced line intersects the half-breadth perpendicular to the horizontal line carried out from the intersection of the produced line of the bottom at the side of the keel, is called "use or rising of the bottom." In steam vessels the produced line is straight, but in war vessels or yachts it may be rolling or hollow.
RISING: a term derived from the shape of the ship's bottom in general, which gradually narrows or becomes sharp towards the stem and stern-post. On this account the floor towards the extremity of the ship is raised or lifted above the keel. This condition is called "rising floor" or "rising wood."
RISING FLOOR: the floors of the ship forward and abaft the square section, which on account of the rising of the body of the ship, are most difficult to construct.
RISING-LINE: an elliptical line drawn on the plan, elevation or sheer plan to determine the sweep of the floor heads. The location of these lines determines the shape of the bottom at the bow and stern with regard to its being flat or sharp.
RISING OF BOATS: the narrow, thin strake of planking which is fastened along inside the frames to support the thwarts of a small boat.
RISING WOOD: see Rising; Rising Floor.
RIVET: a short metal bolt without nut connecting two or more members, usually in sizes over one-half inch diameter, driven, upset or clinched while at a red-hot heat; three-eighths inch diameter and smaller are driven, upset and clinched while cold.
ROBANDS (RIBBANDS): gaskets used to secure a sail after it has been furled.
ROLLING: the motion by which the ship rotates from side to side, alternately raising and lowering each side of the deck. Rolling is, therefore, a partial revolution about an imaginary axis. This axis is known among ship designers as the metacenter; this point can be mathematically located. Its location must always be above that of the center of gravity, no matter what condition of loading the vessel exists, i.e., light without stores, light with stores, loaded, or loaded to the deepest draft. If the metacenter is above the center of gravity of the vessel, the stability is secured; if the metacenter is below the center of gravity, the vessel is in a dangerous condition, and it is not safe to proceed to sea under these conditions.
ROLLING HITCH: a rope knot.
ROSE-LASHING: a rope-lashing tied or knotted in a certain way.
ROUGH TREE RAILS: broad, flat rails running fore-and-aft, covering the top timbers, thus forming the top rail of the bulwarks. In merchant vessels the rails in the waist and quarters are built up nearly breast high, to prevent persons on deck being washed over-board in heavy weather.
ROUND LINE: three strand yarn used for heavy serving, such as eyes for rigging, heavy seizing, etc.
ROUND-RIBBED: a vessel carrying very little run of which is flat-bottomed.
ROUND SEIZING: the seizing that is used on the eyes of rigging.
ROVE: to pass a rope through an eye or through the mortise or over a sheave in a tackle-block.
RUDDER: a large, heavy flat device of varying shape, hinged vertically to the rudder-post, used for steering or changing the direction of a vessel's travel, while moving or under way.
RUDDER-BEARER: a surfaced deck plate bolted down to the timbers supporting the quarter deck directly over the rudder. On this plate a similar plate is placed with a surfaced face turned down and bearing on the deck plate. This second plate is bolted to the rudder-stock and takes the whole weight of the rudder off the pintle and gudgeons. The rudder bearer is sometimes fitted with ball-bearings instead of the surfaced plates.
RUDDER-CHOCKS: see Rudder-Stop.
RUDDER-GLAND: the collar holding the packing in the stuffing boxes on the rudder-stock. These glands make the rudder stuffing boxes tight, so that the sea cannot enter the ship at the stern through the rudder-trunk.
RUDDER-HEAD: see Rudder-Stock.
RUDDER-POST: a heavy vertical post at the after end of the stern frame supporting the rudder, also known as the "after perpendicular" or "A.P."
RUDDER STOCK: the vertical shaft attached to the rudder blade, and on which the pintles are bolted. The top of this shaft is attached to the tiller or rudder quadrant. The power applied from the steering engine or other steering devices, through the rudder quadrant is transmitted by the rudder-stock to the rudder-blade, moving it from side to side, at the will of the man operating the steering-wheel, thus steering or directing the course of the ship.
RUDDER-STOCK HOLE: the hole in the counter or overhang at the stem, where the rudder- stock enters the hull and rudder-trunk.
RUDDER-STOP: a device fitted on a rudder-post to limit the swing or travel of the rudder from side to side.
RUDDER STUFFING-BOXES: the metal castings attached to the rudder-stock and to the hull of a vessel at the rudder-stock hole. These stuffing-boxes have a gland and recess for packing. By means of the stuffing-boxes the water can be kept out of the vessel.
RUDDER-TRUNKS: a water-tight trunk, box or casting made of wood or steel, built about the hole in a ship's stern and extending up to the quarter deck through which the rudder-head passes. The inside of this trunk should be of sufficient size to allow the rudder-stock to pass into position without removing any of the structure when hanging the rudder.
RUN: the narrowing of the ship abaft the square section as the change in the curve of the floor towards the stern-post. This term is also used to describe the process of drawing a line on the ship or mold loft, as to “run the wale line or deck lines."
RUNG-HEADS: the forward ends of the floor timbers.
RUNNER AND TACKLE: a rope rove through a single block bent to the hauling part of a line or tackle. One part of this rope is secured to the deck or some permanent object and the other end is the hauling part. With this rig additional purchase power is obtained.
RUNNING BOWLINE: a bowline made from the standing part of its own rope, so as to form a sliding noose.
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