Hyperion74 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 First off, Post 100. The Question: I have read a lot of nautical fiction, so much so that I now use the lingo. I refer to my crew at work as the lads. When there is a 35kt+ wind I refer to it as a three reef topsail wind. I often go to starboard or larboard. Etc. This of course could be mental illness. How many of you guys do this? If you do how many of you get funny looks from others. HOW FAR GONE ARE YOU? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Vernon Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Well, as an Ex-Navy man myself my normal conversation is littered with nautical phrases....just ask my wife! I had to buy her a book when we met, called "Jackspeak" which is a dictionary of (Royal) naval slang. So I guess I am pretty far gone, probably beyond the point of no return. Oh and gratz on the 100th post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saintduiex Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Mine is probably not nearly as sevear of a case of it as you two and mostly involves my kids who are used to it. Occasionally will slip out when it public.However, I do expect this disease to begin to spread rapidly once open play is launched Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saintduiex Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Oh and gratz on the 100th post. and congrats on your 150th! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKPyrate Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 I started out my nautical career on tall ships. I served in the Coast Guard, and later on other various boats. I make my living on boats and enjoy knowing the proper terms for everything on them, whether distinctly nautical or not. I own my own sailboat. I sing my toddler sea shanties instead of lullabies. I can have debates over nautical terms, their histories, and modern phrases that come from the sea (as well as many that are reported to be nautical in origin and just aren't). For example, how many of you know why rudder commands today are given as left/right instead of port/starboard (at least properly)? Yeah, I'm pretty far gone. I've read tons of nautical fiction as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vosper Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Well with 6 years in the Navy and 14 in the Coast Guard and even though I haven't set foot on a boat since I retired 15 years ago, I still use some of the nautical terms, but my wife is used to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Caldwell Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Me I'm not even remotely connected to the sea, unless of course you mean I was brought up 45 minutes from Portsmouth and the southern English coast. I dont know whether being British, an islander, gives you an affinity with the sea but I love it...I can watch its awesome majesty for hours. I'm also well versed in British Naval History, loving all things military though the Nelson era being a particular favourite of mine. The idea of sailing and warring (even virtually) in the golden age of sail, well its the stuff of dreams. Yeah Im pretty far gone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirones Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 at work i'm more daydreaming about sailing along the atolls and island chains than actually doing my work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Vernon Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Who on earth gives rudder commands as left and right? Dear God, that really is the thin end of the wedge! Strap them to a grating and give them 50 lashes o' the cat until they come to their senses! If I were in my grave I wouldn't just be turning in it, I would be rotating at about 5000 rpm!!!!!!!! *LIES DOWN IN UTTER SHOCK* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vosper Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Who on earth gives rudder commands as left and right? Dear God, that really is the thin end of the wedge! Strap them to a grating and give them 50 lashes o' the cat until they come to their senses! If I were in my grave I wouldn't just be turning in it, I would be rotating at about 5000 rpm!!!!!!!! *LIES DOWN IN UTTER SHOCK* Every ship I served on gave the commands like that, EX "Come Left 15 deg to course 265" or "Left 10 deg rudder". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKPyrate Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 It was to differentiate from the older commands of port and starboard helm. Back in the early days of steam ships, most people started their career on sailing vessels. They had an understanding about working with tillers (whether connected to a wheel or not). The starboard helm command was given to push the tiller to starboard, thus creating left rudder. As a younger generation of mariners came up without having this understanding of tillers, port and starboard rudder started to be used, but created confusion as to the actual order being given. Therefore, when giving a rudder command, the standard nomenclature became left/right rudder instead of port/starboard rudder, as port helm and port rudder would be opposite orders. Now, anyone want to name some ropes on board a boat (not lines)? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Vernon Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Well I can only say in my 22 years serving Her Majesty, many of which were as an Officer of the Watch (Deck for you colonials) and Navigation Officer NEVER was left and right used, always Port and Starboard. That however was in giving direct commands to the helmsman. As a Warfare Officer (again TAO for you colonials) we would give instructions to the OOW (OOD) as left and right, as in "come left 230" which the OOW would then carry out using the proper wheel order to the helmsman. So I only know the proper way to do it, any abberations such as you describe I can only despair of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Vernon Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 AK..... Bowline? Or would you prefer headrope, sternrope, fore and aft springs, boatrope, .... must I go on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KillBox Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Wow... many sea dogs here. I'm a lubber though I have a thorough fascination with the Age of Fighting Sail, and of course, the Men-o-War built in that era are perhaps some of the most beautiful things every crafted from wood. But yeah, I know most terms and what they are - I figure I'll be using them as soon as I get my hands on the Sea Trials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKPyrate Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Well I can only say in my 22 years serving Her Majesty, many of which were as an Officer of the Watch (Deck for you colonials) and Navigation Officer NEVER was left and right used, always Port and Starboard. That however was in giving direct commands to the helmsman. As a Warfare Officer (again TAO for you colonials) we would give instructions to the OOW (OOD) as left and right, as in "come left 230" which the OOW would then carry out using the proper wheel order to the helmsman. So I only know the proper way to do it, any abberations such as you describe I can only despair of Well, ,maybe just us yanks improve antiquated systems, unless of course, you're old enough to have served in the early 1900's (I know they still used port/starboard helm commands on Titanic, and I believe it continued through WWI). Officially, as I've found out doing a little research thanks to google, it seems that Starboard/Port rudder can be used, but that starboard/port helm are no longer legal commands. "The 1929 Conference which adopted the 1929 SOLAS Convention proposed some minor changes to the collision rules then in force but they were never ratified. However, a recommendation that helm and steering orders should be given in the direct sense, so that "right rudder" or "starboard" meant "put the vessel's rudder to starboard", was accepted and came into force in 1933 - clearing confusion over helm orders due to the difference between the movement of the wheel and the tiller." Additionally, for the U.S. Navy, General Order #30, published on May 5 1913 states: "ORDERS GOVERNING THE MOVEMENTS OF THE RUDDER. 1. On and after July 1, 1913, the present designations "starboard" and "port" governing movements of a ship's helm are hereby ordered discontinued in orders or directions to the steersman, and the terms "right" and "left," referring to movement of the ship's head, shall thereafter be used instead. 2. The orders as to rudder angle shall be given in such terms as "Ten degrees rudder; half-rudder; standard rudder; full rudder;" etc., so that a complete order would be "Right--Half-rudder," etc. 3. Commanders in chief and commanding officers acting independently may, in their discretion, institute the above changes at an earlier date. F. D. ROOSEVELT, Acting Secretary of the Navy." Standing Order 98, published on May 18, 1914 states: "ORDERS GOVERNING THE MOVEMENTS OF THE RUDDER. 1. This order supersedes General Order No. 30, of May 5, 1913, which should be marked "Canceled" across its face. 2. The term "helm" shall not be used in any command or directions connected with the operation of the rudder; in lieu thereof the term "rudder" shall be used--standard rudder, half rudder, etc. 3. The commands "starboard" and "port" shall not be used as governing the movement of the rudder; in lieu thereof the word "right" shall be employed when the wheel (or lever) and rudder are to be moved to the right to turn the ship's head to the right (with headway on), and "left" to turn to turn the ship's head to the left (with headway on). Instructions in regard to the rudder angle shall be given to the steersman in such terms as "handsomely," "ten degrees rudder," "half rudder," "standard rudder," "full rudder," "left—handsomely," etc. The steersman should afterwards be informed of the new course by such terms as "course—135°." JOSEPHUS DANIELS, Secretary of the Navy." The U.S. merchant ships followed the Navy's direction with this, and every official training class that I've attended and most of the material that the USCG distributes states it as right/left rudder commands. This might not be completely universal yet, but you can also see that the timeline of this change in the maritime field, one that is steeped in history and tradition, is slow. Apparently the British Navy hangs on to anything that reminds them of when they actually did rule the seas Once the roll out occurs for this game, you and I need to discover which helm commands are superior. Since Alaska and Scotland are quite a ways apart, do you mind slapping yourself with an empty glove? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Vernon Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I consider myself duly slapped and have recovered aforementioned item from the ground where it lay. I have therefore Sir, accepted your challenge and look forward to (if I may be permitted a colonial colloquialism here?) "whupping yo ass" upon the main. I hope you can swim... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Caldwell Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I consider myself duly slapped and have recovered aforementioned item from the ground where it lay. I have therefore Sir, accepted your challenge and look forward to (if I may be permitted a colonial colloquialism here?) "whupping yo ass" upon the main. I hope you can swim... So it begins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir. Cunningham Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I gotta see that fight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry d'Esterre Darby Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I use a fair number of terms daily, moreso when I'm actively ready Aubrey/Maturin. I was cleaning a few things off the bed the other night and when my wife asked what I was doing, I absentmindedly told her I was clearing for action. I got a raised eyebrow with sideeye for that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Caldwell Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I gotta see that fight See it, I've got to be in it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saintduiex Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 Talking smack! gotta love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Vernon Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 That is your idea of smack talk? I don't indulge in that.....I merely responded to the challenge of a gentleman with a modern colloquialism. A man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do... see... there's another. I could get used to this modern parlance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyperion74 Posted November 8, 2014 Author Share Posted November 8, 2014 I have a young lad in my crew, new hire, who just got out of the U.S. Navy. He is a good kid, but the reciently seperated squid didn't remember the date of the Navy birthday. Another ex-squid didn't know many nautical terms at all. Still another ex-squid, a something or other chief, retired, I really don't know of his nautical because we spend most of our time with squid/jarhead putdowns. A naval tradition since 1775. We need answers from ex-squids if there are more heer to get a feel for what they teach young recruits. When I was a young recruit in 1983, our DI's tried to convince us that the big squad bay windows were port holes and the front of the squad bay was the quarter deck. They never mentioned a fighting top or a futtock shroud, or a clew lin, or a cat head, or a top s'l for that matter. I guess that maybe some things are lost with time. Except for people like us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyperion74 Posted November 8, 2014 Author Share Posted November 8, 2014 Oh, another thing... In the U.S. the term wheelhouse has entered the present day venacular. I prefeer the term "Quarter deck". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Vernon Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 Hyperion, your Navy and Marines have a somewhat different relationship than ours here in UK. You have two different services, Navy and Marines, over here we have one service, the Royal Navy, of which the Marines are part. When Royal Marines serve on Navy ships they will often perform the same duties as other members of the crew and are generally well versed in naval terms. Oh and FYI Jarhead (US) = Bootneck (or Booty/Boots)(UK). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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