STEMSON. A piece of compa.s.s-timber, fixed on the after part of the ap.r.o.n inside. The lower end is scarfed into the keelson, and receives the scarf of the stem, through which it is bolted.

STEP. A block of wood secured to the keel, into which the heel of the mast is placed.

_To step a mast_, is to put it in its step.

STERN. (See PLATE 3.) The after end of a vessel. (See BY THE STERN.)

STERN-BOARD. The motion of a vessel when going stern foremost.

STERN-FRAME. The frame composed of the stern-post transom and the fashion-pieces.

STERN-POST. (See PLATE 3.) The aftermost timber in a ship, reaching from the after end of the keel to the deck. The stem and stern-post are the two extremes of a vessel's frame.

_Inner stern-post._ A post on the inside, corresponding to the _stern-post_.

STERN-SHEETS. The after part of a boat, abaft the rowers, where the pa.s.sengers sit.

STIFF. The quality of a vessel which enables it to carry a great deal of sail without lying over much on her side. The opposite to _crank_.

STIRRUPS. Ropes with thimbles at their ends, through which the foot-ropes are rove, and by which they are kept up toward the yards.

STOCK. A beam of wood, or a bar of iron, secured to the upper end of the shank of an anchor, at right angles with the arms. An iron stock usually goes with a key, and unships.

STOCKS. The frame upon which a vessel is built.

STOOLS. Small channels for the dead-eyes of the backstays.

STOPPER. A stout rope with a knot at one end, and sometimes a hook at the other, used for various purposes about decks; as, making fast a cable, so as to overhaul. (See CAT STOPPER, DECK STOPPER.)

STOPPER BOLTS. Ring-bolts to which the deck stoppers are secured.

STOP. A fastening of small stuff. Also, small projections on the outside of the cheeks of a lower mast, at the upper parts of the hounds.

STRAND. (See page 43.) A number of rope-yarns twisted together. Three, four or nine strands twisted together form a rope.

A rope is _stranded_ when one of its strands is parted or broken by chafing or by a strain.

A vessel is _stranded_ when she is driven on sh.o.r.e.

STRAP. A piece of rope spliced round a block to keep its parts well together. Some blocks have iron straps, in which case they are called _iron bound_.

STREAK, or STRAKE. A range of planks running fore and aft on a vessel's side.

STREAM. The _stream anchor_ is one used for warping, &c., and sometimes as a lighter anchor to moor by, with a hawser. It is smaller than the _bowers_, and larger than the _kedges_.

_To stream a buoy_, is to drop it into the water.

_Stretchers._ Pieces of wood placed across a boat's bottom, inside, for the oarsmen to press their feet against, in rowing. Also, cross pieces placed between a boat's sides to keep them apart when hoisted up and griped.

STRIKE. To lower a sail or colors.

STUDDINGSAILS. (See PLATE 2.) Light sails set outside the square sails, on booms rigged out for that purpose. They are only carried with a fair wind and in moderate weather.

SUED, or SEWED. The condition of a ship when she is high and dry on sh.o.r.e. If the water leaves her two feet, she sues, or is sued, two feet.

SUPPORTERS. The knee-timbers under the cat-heads.

SURF. The breaking of the sea upon the sh.o.r.e.

SURGE. A large, swelling wave.

To _surge_ a rope or cable, is to slack it up suddenly where it renders round a pin, or round the windla.s.s or capstan.

_Surge ho!_ The notice given when a cable is to be _surged_.

SWAB. A mop, formed of old rope, used for cleaning and drying decks.

SWEEP. To drag the bottom for an anchor. Also, large oars, used in small vessels to force them ahead.

SWIFT. To bring two shrouds or stays close together by ropes.

SWIFTER. The forward shroud to a lower-mast. Also, ropes used to confine the capstan bars to their places when shipped.

SWIG. A term used by sailors for the mode of hauling off upon the bight of a rope when its lower end is fast.

SWIVEL. A long link of iron, used in chain cables, made so as to turn upon an axis and keep the turns out of a chain.

SYPHERING. Lapping the edges of planks over each other for a bulkhead.

TABLING. Letting one beam-piece into another. (See SCARFING.) Also, the broad hem on the borders of sails, to which the bolt-rope is sewed.

TACK. To put a ship about, so that from having the wind on one side, you bring it round on the other by the way of her head. The opposite of _wearing_.

A vessel is on the _starboard tack_, or has her _starboard tacks on board_, when she has the wind on her starboard side.

The rope or tackle by which the weather clew of a course is hauled forward and down to the deck.

The _tack_ of a fore-and-aft sail is the rope that keeps down the lower forward clew; and of a studdingsail, the lower outer clew. The tack of the lower studdingsail is called the _outhaul_. Also, that part of a sail to which the tack is attached.

TACKLE. (p.r.o.nounced _tay-cle_.) A purchase, formed by a rope rove through one or more blocks.

TAFFRAIL, or TAFFEREL. The rail round a ship's stern.

TAIL. A rope spliced into the end of a block and used for making it fast to rigging or spars. Such a block is called a _tail-block_.

A ship is said to _tail_ up or down stream, when at anchor, according as her stern swings up or down with the tide; in opposition to _heading_ one way or another, which is said of a vessel when under way.