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ee I Fe ee ef ee REA Re ee tr Rn 180 THOMPSON'S COAST PILOT, EXPLANATION OF NAUTICAL TERMS. ABACK; the situation of the sails when their surfaces are pressed aft against the mast by the force of the wind. ' Abaft, or aft; the sternmost part of the ship.--Carry aft any thing ; that is, carry towards the stern.--Z'he mast rakes aft; that is, hangs towards the stern. 'How cheer ye fore and aft?" that is, how fares all the ship's company ? Abaft the beam, denotes the relative situation of any object with the ship, when the object is placed in any part of that arc of the horizon which is contained between a line at right angles with the keel, and that point of the compass which is directly opposite to the ship's course. See Bearing. Aboard ; the inside of a ship.--" Aboard main tack!" the order to draw the lower corner of the mainsail down to the chess-tree. About ; the situation of a ship as soon as she has tacked, or changed her course. "About ship /" the order to the ship's crew to prepare for tacking. Abreast ; the situation of two or more ships, lying with their sides par- allel, and their heads equally advanced; in which case they are abreast of each other. Adrift; the state of a ship broken from her moorings, and driving about without control. Afloat ; buoyed up by the water from the ground. Afore ; all that part of a ship which lies forward, or near the stem. It also signifies farther forward. . After ; a phrase applied to any object in the.hinder part of the ship, as the after-hatchway, the after sails, etc. Aground ; the situation of a ship when her bottom, or any part of it, rests on the ground. ines ) Ahead. Any thing which is situated on that point of the compass to which a ship's stem is directed, is said to be ahead of her. See Bearing. A-hull ; the situation of a ship when all her sails are furled, and her helm is lashed to the lee side ; by which she lies nearly with her side to the wind and sea, her head being somewhat inclined to the direction of the wind. | A-lee ; the position of the helm when it is put down to the lee side. All in the wind ; the state of a ship's sails when they are parallel to the direction of the wind, so as to shake or shiver. 'All hands ahoy!" the call by which all the ship's ey are sum- moned upon deck. Aloft ; up in the tops, at the mast-heads, or any where about the higher rigging. Along-side ; side by side, or joined to a ship, wharf, etc. Along shore; along the coast: a course which is in sight of the shore, and nearly: parallel to it. Aloof ; at a distance.--Keep aloof ; that is, keep at a distance. Amain ; the old term for yield, used by a man-of-war to an enemy ; but it now signifies any thing done suddenly, or at once, by a number of men.