Page 607 - The Ashley Book of Knots
P. 607
GLOSSARY
BUILDER'S KNOT: The CLOVE HITCH, one of "Tom CLOSE, To: To lay three plain-laid ropes together
Bowling's" names. to form a cable.
BULL'S-EYE: A wooden thimble or block having CLUE: A thread which, if followed, leads to the
no shiv, usually of lignum vitae; early ones solution of a problem.
of elm. COACHWHIPPll'oOG: A sinnet made around a core in
BUNT: The central section of the foot of a square which several strands are worked as a unit.
sailor seine. Also any sinnet worked around a core.
BUNTLlNE: For hauling up the bunt when furling COAX A STRAND, To: To tighten a knot gradually
and reefing. by taking up a little slack at a time, and work-
BUTTON: (I) A Kl'oOOB Kl'oOOT. (2) A leather washer ing each strand in turn ur.til all is snug.
used under nailheads when securing stirrups CoCKSCOMB: A serrated stop cleat on the end of a
to the yards. yard, to which reef earings are hauled out and
By THE RUN: To let go by the run is to let go or lashed. (Also spelled coxcomb.)
cast off instantly, instead of slacking off grad- COCKSCOMBING: A needlework term that has re-
ually. cently been applied to RI"IGBOLT HITCHING.
CABLE Qr CABLE-LAID ROPE: Three hawsers or COIL: A series of flakes in a rope, one turn upon
ropes twisted and laid up, or closed, together. another, so arranged for convenience in han-
CABLE'S LENGTH: As a unit of measurement, 100 dling and storing.
fathoms. The actual length of a cable depends CoME Al'oOD Go, THE: The play or scope allowed
upon the length of the ropewalk, usually any rope or gear.
about 120 fathoms. COME Up, To (A ROPE or TACKLE): To slacken
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CABLETS: Cable-laid rope under nine inches in cir- It gent.y.
cumference. CoMMOS KNOT: A loose name for the REE.,
CANT ROPE: An old name for four-strand rope OVERHAND and other knots. Also applied as an
without a core. Also called "four cant" (Ad- adjective to many others as COMMON
miral Smyth). WEAVER'S KNOT, CoMMON BEND, etc.
CAPSIZE, To: To change its form under stress, to COSTLINES: See CUNTLllIiES.
pervert. Said of a knot. CONT SPLICE: See CUNT SPLICE.
CAPSTAN KNOT: A name loosely applied to several CORD: Several yarns hard-twisted together.
knots, none of which appear to have any pur- CORDAGE: All twisted rope of whatever material or
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pose connected with the capstan. sIze.
CARRY AWAY, To: To break and go adrift. Ap- CORDED: Hard-twisted.-Sometimesir-means lashed~
plied to both sails and rigging. A trunk is often corded, and so also is an old-
CAST, To: To tie a knot (generally a KNOB KNOT). fashioned rope bed.
"It has a Matthew \Valker's knot cast in the CoRE: The heart of a rope or sinnet; heart is the
end." (Lever, 1808.) sailor's term.
CAST LOOSE or CAST OFF: (I) To remove the CoUCH, To: To rest in the proper niche. "The
turns from a belaying pin. (2) To untie a strands Couch better." (Steel.)
knot, to unbend. (3) To cut seizings or stops. CROSSING KNOT: Found in lashings and parcels
CASTING LINE: A heaving line. Also, in angling, where two parts are engaged where they cross
the leader. each other at right angles.
CROSSING TURNS: Similar to frapping turns but
CHAFE, To: To fray, fret, gall or rub.
found in seizings and mousings. They are at
CHAFISG GEAR: Mats, baggy wrinkles, Scotchmen,
right angles to the underneath turns and serve
rounding, etc., for protecting 'rigging and
to tighten them and keep them compact.
spars from wear of different sorts.
CROTCH or CRUTCH, To: To marry the opened
CHECK, To: To slacken and hold alternately with
ends of two ropes preliminary to splicing or
a turn around a pin or bitt.
shroud knotting.
CHEERLY: Quickly, with a will, heartily. Often ap-
CROWFOOT: Radiating lines from a euphroe block
plied to hoisting.
with which to stretch awnings, nets, etc.
CHINCKLE: A small bight (kink) in a line. (Ad- CUNTLISES: The surface seams between the strands
miral Smyth,) of a rope.
CLAP ON, To: An expression used in seizing, nip- CUNT SPLICE: Two ends side spliced together,
pering, stopping and stoppering. The two with a gap between the two parts.
hands are brought together and the ends ex- DIAMOND HITCH: A method of pack lashing.
changed, for passing the turns. DIP, To: In knotting, to tuck. The term is em-
CLEAR, To: To remove kinks and snarls from a ployed by botm Alston and Luce.
rope. DOG's CocK or PRICK: The common name for the
CLEAT. An object with two horns, for belaying crowned and back spliced end of a rope.
ropes. Found on bucket lanyards, hand lead lines,
CLEWS: Eyes in the lower corners of a square sail, etc.
and in the after lower corner of a fore-and-aft DOGSHANK: A literal translation of the French
sail. name for SHEEPSHANJ."·
