Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Hawser (/ ˈ h ɔː z ər /) is a nautical term for a thick rope used in mooring or towing a ship. [1] A hawser is not waterproof, as is a cable. A hawser passes through a hawsehole, also known as a cat hole, [2] located on the hawse. [3]
Also ship's magazine. The ammunition storage area aboard a warship. magnetic bearing An absolute bearing using magnetic north. magnetic north The direction towards the North Magnetic Pole. Varies slowly over time. maiden voyage The first voyage of a ship in its intended role, i.e. excluding trial trips. Maierform bow A V-shaped bow introduced in the late 1920s which allowed a ship to maintain ...
AAW An acronym for anti-aircraft warfare. aback (of a sail) Filled by the wind on the opposite side to the one normally used to move the vessel forward.On a square-rigged ship, any of the square sails can be braced round to be aback, the purpose of which may be to reduce speed (such as when a ship-of-the-line is keeping station with others), to heave to, or to assist moving the ship's head ...
Rigging comprises the system of ropes, cables and chains, which support and control a sailing ship or sail boat's masts and sails. Standing rigging is the fixed rigging that supports masts including shrouds and stays. Running rigging is rigging which adjusts the position of the vessel's sails and spars including halyards, braces, sheets and ...
The three ropes are so tightly wound counter to the weave of the constituent ropes that the fibers are compressed and the individual weaves stressed, sealing out the water and resulting in a length of about 180 metres (100 fathoms), the UK traditional definition of cable length. Using a cable, the raising of the anchor, or any activity ...
On modern vessels, running rigging is likely to be made from synthetic fibers, while the standing rigging is most often fashioned from stainless steel "wire rope". Since the 1990s, several new synthetic fibers have become common, particularly on racing and other high-performance sailing boats.
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
Some ships use wire rope for one or more of their mooring lines. Wire rope is hard to handle and maintain. There is also risk associated with using wire rope on a ship's stern in the vicinity of its propeller. Mooring lines and hawsers may also be made by combining wire rope and synthetic line.