BITTS. Perpendicular pieces of timber going through the deck, placed to secure anything to. The cables are fastened to them, if there is no windla.s.s. There are also _bitts_ to secure the windla.s.s, and on each side of the heel of the bowsprit.

BITTER, or BITTER-END. That part of the cable which is abaft the bitts.

BLACKWALL HITCH. (See PLATE 5 and page 49.)

BLADE. The flat part of an oar, which goes into the water.

BLOCK. A piece of wood with sheaves, or wheels, in it, through which the running rigging pa.s.ses, to add to the purchase. (See page 53.)

BLUFF. A _bluff-bowed_ or _bluff-headed_ vessel is one which is full and square forward.

BOARD. The stretch a vessel makes upon one tack, when she is beating.

_Stern-board._ When a vessel goes stern foremost.

_By the board._ Said of masts, when they fall over the side.

BOAT-HOOK. An iron hook with a long staff, held in the hand, by which a boat is kept fast to a wharf, or vessel.

BOATSWAIN. (p.r.o.nounced _bo-s'n_.) A warrant officer in the navy, who has charge of the rigging, and calls the crew to duty.

BOBSTAYS. Used to confine the bowsprit down to the stem or cut.w.a.ter.

BOLSTERS. Pieces of soft wood, covered with canva.s.s, placed on the trestle-trees, for the eyes of the rigging to rest upon.

BOLTS. Long cylindrical bars of iron or copper, used to secure or unite the different parts of a vessel.

BOLT-ROPE. The rope which goes round a sail, and to which the canva.s.s is sewed.

BONNET. An additional piece of canva.s.s attached to the foot of a jib, or a schooner's foresail, by lacings. Taken off in bad weather.

BOOM. A spar used to extend the foot of a fore-and-aft sail or studdingsail.

_Boom-irons._ Iron rings on the yards, through which the studdingsail booms traverse.

BOOT-TOPPING. Sc.r.a.ping off the gra.s.s, or other matter, which may be on a vessel's bottom, and daubing it over with tallow, or some mixture.

BOUND. _Wind-bound._ When a vessel is kept in port by a head wind.

BOW. The rounded part of a vessel, forward.

BOWER. A working anchor, the cable of which is bent and reeved through the hawse-hole.

_Best bower_ is the larger of the two bowers. (See page 16.)

BOW-GRACE. A frame of old rope or junk, placed round the bows and sides of a vessel, to prevent the ice from injuring her.

BOWLINE. (p.r.o.nounced _bo-lin_.) A rope leading forward from the leech of a square sail, to keep the leech well out when sailing close-hauled.

A vessel is said to be _on a bowline_, or _on a taut bowline_, when she is close-hauled.

_Bowline-bridle._ The span on the leech of the sail to which the bowline is toggled.

_Bowline-knot._ (See PLATE 5 and page 49.)

BOWSE. To pull upon a tackle.

BOWSPRIT. (p.r.o.nounced _bo-sprit_.) A large and strong spar, standing from the bows of a vessel. (See PLATE 1.)

BOX-HAULING. Wearing a vessel by backing the head sails. (See page 75.)

BOX. _To box the compa.s.s_, is to repeat the thirty-two points of the compa.s.s in order.

BRACE. A rope by which a yard is turned about.

_To brace a yard_, is to turn it about horizontally.

_To brace up_, is to lay the yard more fore-and-aft.

_To brace in_, is to lay it nearer square.

_To brace aback._ (See ABACK.)

_To brace to_, is to brace the head yards a little aback, in tacking or wearing.

BRAILS. Ropes by which the foot or lower corners of fore-and-aft sails are hauled up.

BRAKE. The handle of a ship's pump.

BREAK. _To break bulk_, is to begin to unload.

_To break ground_, is to lift the anchor from the bottom.

_To break shear_, is when a vessel, at anchor, in tending, is forced the wrong way by the wind or current, so that she does not lie so well for keeping herself clear of her anchor.

BREAKER. A small cask containing water.

BREAMING. Cleaning a ship's bottom by burning.

BREAST-FAST. A rope used to confine a vessel sideways to a wharf, or to some other vessel.

BREAST-HOOKS. Knees placed in the forward part of a vessel, across the stem, to unite the bows on each side. (See PLATE 3.)

BREAST-ROPE. A rope pa.s.sed round a man in the chains, while sounding.

BREECH. The outside angle of a knee-timber. The after end of a gun.

BREECHING. A strong rope used to secure the breech of a gun to the ship's side.