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THOMPSON'S COAST PILOT. 183 Bight of a rope; the double part of a rope ane it is folded.-- Bight ; a@ narrow inlet of the sea. Bilge ; to break.-- The ship 7s bulged ,; that is, her planks are broken in by violence. Bilge-water is that which, by reason of the flatness of a ship' s bottom, lies on her floor, and cannot go to the well of the pump. Binnacle ; a kind of box to contain the compasses in upon deck. Birth ; a place ; as, the ship's birt; the place where she is moored.-- An officer's birth ; his place in the ship to eat or sleep in.--Birth the ship's company ; that is, allot them their places to mess in. Birth the hammocks ; point out where each man's hammock is to hang. itis ; very large pieces of timber in the fore part of a ship, ae which the cables are fastened when the ship is at anchor.--A/fter-biits ; smaller kind of bitts -- the quarter-deck, for belaying the running rigging to. To biti the cable, is to sai tie the cable to the bitts, by one turn under the cross-piece, and another turn round the bitt-head. In this position it may be either kept fixed, or it may be veered away. Bitter ; the turn of the cable round the bitts.--Bitter-end ; that part of the cable which stays within board, round about the bitts, when the ship is at anchor. Block ; a piece of wood, with running sheaves or wheels in it, through which the running rigging is passed, to add to the purchase. Board. To board a ship, is to enter it in a hostile manner, to enter a ship. , Board. To make a board is making a stretch upon any tack, when a ship is working upon a wind. To board it up; that is, to turn to windward. --The ship has made a stern board ; that is, when she loses ground in work- ing upon a wind. Boutswain ; the officer who has charge of all the cordage, rigging, anchors, etc. | Bold-shore ; a steep coast, permitting the close approach of shipping. Bolt-rope ; the rope which goes round a sail, and to which the canvas is sewed. The side ropes are called leach-ropes ; that at the top, the head- rope; and that at the bottom, the foot-rope. Bonnet of a sail is an additional piece of canvas, put to the sail in moderate weather, to hold more wind.--Lace on the bonnet ; that is, fasten it to the sail.-- Shake off the bonnet ; take it off. | Boot-topping ; cleaning the upper part of a ship's bottom, or that part which lies immediately under the surface of the water, and daubing it over with tallow, or with a mixture of tallow, sulphur, rosin, ete. Both sheets aft ; the situation of a ship sailing right before the wind. Bow-grace ; a frame of old rope or junk, laid out at the bows, stems, and sides of ships, to prevent them from being injured by flakes of ice. . Bow-lines ; lines made fast to the sides of the sails, to haul them for- air when upon a wind, which, being hauled taut, enables the ship to come nearer to the wind.