Unusual Nautical Terms

The language of the sea is rich with colourful expressions. Some have passed into everyday speech, while others remain little-known gems of maritime history. Here are some of the more unusual nautical terms once heard aboard sailing vessels.

Baggywrinkle

A baggywrinkle is a soft covering made from frayed or scrap rope, wrapped around parts of the rigging to prevent sails from chafing.

Caboose

In nautical terms, a caboose was a small shelter housing the ship’s galley (kitchen) on the deck of smaller vessels. The word comes from the Dutch kombuis, meaning cooking stove.

Devil Bolts

Devil bolts were a trick of dishonest shipbuilders. Instead of solid copper bolts to fasten a ship’s timbers, they used wooden dowels with copper heads and tails. These counterfeits looked genuine but were dangerously weak — and were blamed for many a shipwreck.

Dutchman’s Log

Before modern instruments, sailors measured a ship’s speed with a Dutchman’s log. A float tied to a rope was dropped from the bow, and a sandglass was used to time how long it took to pass the stern. From this, and the vessel’s length, the speed could be calculated and entered into the ship’s log.

Gollywobbler

Perhaps the most charming of sailing terms, a gollywobbler is a large staysail set between the foremast and mainmast. It was hoisted in fair winds to give extra speed, especially when reaching.

Orlop

The orlop deck is the lowest deck of a ship, just above the hold. The name comes from the Dutch overloopen, meaning to run over. On HMS Victory, the orlop was painted red and served as the surgeon’s station during battle — hidden from cannon fire, and with blood less visible against the painted boards.

Smoking Lamp

A smoking lamp was kept in a designated safe area aboard ship, away from tarred timbers. Sailors could light their pipes from it, but when the lamp was extinguished, smoking was strictly forbidden.

Swab

To swab is to mop the decks, originally using a mop made from old rope. The word comes from the Dutch zwabberen, meaning to mop.

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Image courtesy of Berthon