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Glossary for the Samson V Maritime Museum
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B C D E F
G H I J K
L M N O P
Q R S T U
V W X Y Z
We've included
basic nautical terms and technical terms used specifically for Samson V,
and tossed in a few extra for good measure.
A
A-frame The large A-shaped structure on Samson
V's bow. The A-frame suspends large blocks that multiply the lifting power
of the cables running back to the steam winch. With the A-frame,
the vessel was able to lift logs, deadheads, navigational buoys, old cars and
even lost ship anchors onto the deck.
Abaft Toward the stern of a vessel or further aft than
(i.e., abaft the funnel).
Aft Near or toward the stern of
a vessel.
Amidship In or into the middle of a vessel.
Anchor A large heavy metal hook used to secure a vessel
to the bottom of the river (or sea, etc.), to stop it from drifting. Samson
V has two anchors: the large, traditional Admiralty-pattern anchor (which
was similar to the type used on medium-sized sailing vessels), and a smaller stockless
anchor.
Astern Behind the vessel or further aft; backward.
Athwart Across; from side to side.
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B
Beam 1)The extreme width of a ship. 2)A longitudinal
post or timber in the ship's structure for supporting the deck.
Berth 1)Bunk to sleep in. 2)A place in the water, right
beside a dock, where a vessel sits overnight.
Bilge The lowest part of a vessel inside the hull.
Binnacle A stand or case that holds the vessel's
compass.
Block A pulley system used to move objects by running
a rope over a grooved wheel.
Boat deck The upper deck where the lifeboats and davits
are.
Boiler A container capable of generating steam by
internal or external application of heat. The water is boiled to make steam to
run the engines, pumps and winch. The two general boiler classes are fire-tube
and water tube. Samson V's boiler is an oil-fired, triple-pass,
fire-tube boiler.
Bosun (also "boatswain") A vessel's officer
who acts as the deckhands' foreman and assigns them maintenance, rigging and general
repair duties.
Bow The forward part of a vessel.
Bridge Wheelhouse or pilot house where the Captain
and officers direct the vessel's operations.
Bucket The individual paddle sections of a paddlewheel.
Bulkhead A partition wall that divides the vessel's
interior into compartments.
Bunker C A heavy fuel oil for firing boilers.
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C
Cantilever beam The structure that projects from
the stern to support the paddlewheel.
Capstan A type of winch with
a single vertical drum for handling heavy lines. On traditional vessels, the capstan
was turned by hand with poles inserted into the top of the drum - those poles
were called "capstan bars". Later vessels used steam, hydraulics or
electric motors.
Captain The person in charge of a vessel.
Carlins Deck beams.
Ceiling Planks fastened to the inside of the hull's
frame. On Samson V, only the chain locker area is fitted with ceiling.
Oddly enough, in this case, the ceiling is fastened to timbers which are called
"floors".
Chine The corner made where a vessel's vertical sides
and horizontal bottom meet. The timber that fits into this corner is called the
chine log, and is very important structurally because it joins the sides and the
bottom.
Cleats Pieces of wood or metal, usually having projecting
arms or horns, on which to tie rope or lines. The term cavil is sometimes applied
to cleats of extra size and strength.
Clutch On the winch (just like
on a car), the clutch levers release or engage power from the engine.
Compass Device that indicates the direction of magnetic
north. Samson V's compass has magnetized needles under a floating
card, and is mounted in a box on gimbals, which allow it to remain level as the
vessel rolls and pitches.
Companionway A stairway or ladder leading from
one deck to another.
Composite vessel A vessel made with various parts,
such as one made with a steel frame and wooden planking.
Cordage A comprehensive term for all ropes of whatever
size or kind on board a vessel.
Cross-head A sliding block between the piston rod
and the pitman arm.
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D
Damper A vent on the boiler's firebox
that controls the amount of air admitted to the fire.
Davits A small crane used to lower or hold the lifeboats.
Deadhead Half-sunken or submerged logs just below
the water's surface.
Dead weight The total weight of cargo, fuel, stores,
passengers and crew that a vessel can carry.
Deck A deck on a vessel is like a floor in a building.
It's what you are standing on whenever you are on board a vessel.
Deckhand A person who does cleaning and miscellaneous
repair jobs on a vessel.
Deck-head The underside of a deck, like a ceiling
in a building. (On a vessel, floors and ceilings mean specific planks and frames.)
Draft The depth of a vessel from the waterline to the
lowest point on the hull.
Dynamo Electric generator.
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E
Eccentric A crank where a circular disc is set
eccentrically (the axis is not placed centrally) upon a shaft to form both the
crank web and the crank pin. This method allows valves on a steam engine to linger
in the open or closed position for most of the piston's stroke.
Engine oil A type of oil used to lubricate the
moving parts of engines and auxiliaries, (unlike Steam or Cylinder oil, which
are introduced into the steam).
Engine room Where the engines, water pumps and
electrical plant (generator) are.
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F
Fastening Any bolt, screw, nail or rivet used to
hold wooden parts of a vessel together.
Feed pump Pump that supplies water to the boiler.
Fender A device hung from the side of a vessel to
prevent rubbing or chafing against other vessels or piers. Samson V
has several of her original wooden fenders, and even one made of woven rope stuffed
with rags.
Firebox The chamber in the boiler
where the fuel is burned.
Fireman The person who stokes or tends the boiler's
furnace or fire.
Fire-room Where coal is shovelled into the boiler.
(Also called the stokehold.)
Fire-tube A tube in the boiler through which smoke
and hot gases are moved from the firebox to the smoke-box.
Floor Transverse timbers
on the bottom of a vessel that join the side frames to the keel.
Flukes The palms or broad holding portions of an anchor
which penetrate the ground.
Fore Portions or parts of a vessel adjacent to or part
of the bow.
Foredeck The foremost part of the main deck of the
vessel. On Samson V this is the working area under and around the
A-frame.
Forefoot The foremost part of a vessel's keel.
Forepeak The extreme forward end of the vessel below
decks.
Frame One of the transverse
ribs that make up the skeleton of a vessel.
Frame spacing The fore and aft
distances between frames, heel-to-heel.
Freshet A massive flow of water and sediment each
spring caused by melting snow. The freshet raises the river's water levels and
increases the amount of debris in the river.
Funnel The smokestack that vents hot gases from the
boiler.
Funnel shroud A covering over the air vent that
surrounds the funnel and allows warm air to escape from around the boiler.
Funnel stays Cables or rods that hook onto a
collar around the funnel to support and brace it.
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G
Galley Kitchen or food preparation area aboard a vessel.
Galvanising The process of coating one metal
with another, ordinarily applied to the coating of iron or steel with zinc to
prevent corrosion.
Gangplank A board or moveable platform used to
board a vessel.
Gasket Material shaped to seal valves, steam cylinders,
etc., to prevent the release of air, water, oil, or steam.
Gong A sound signalling device used to communicate with
the engine room.
Grab-lines Lines around a lifeboat for those overboard
to hang onto.
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H
Harbour A place along the shore or coast where boats
and ships go for protection from the wind and ocean.
Hawse hole A hole in the side of a vessel which
the mooring line passes through.
Hawser A large rope or cable used for towing or mooring
a vessel.
Head A vessel's latrine.
Helm A vessel's steering mechanism including the rudder,
tiller or wheel, and any connections.
Hog
chains (hog rods)
A truss system that supports the hull and prevents the vessel
from hogging. On a deep-water vessel, the high sides give the hull rigidity and
work to prevent hogging. The hull on a shallow draft vessel
is not strong enough to keep its shape without exterior support. Hog chains are
tensioned to take the strain of the vessel's structure, and support the vessel
in a manner similar to a truss or a suspension bridge.
Hog posts Strong posts that support the hog chains.
Hogging
The tendency of the bow and stern of a
ship to droop downwards. Wooden vessels and vessels with shallow hulls, such as
sternwheelers, are prone to hogging. Water supports a vessel with even pressure
at all points on its hull, but the narrowing of the bow and stern and their overhangs
mean that there is less buoyancy on these parts of the ship for the weight involved.
Hold The space or compartment between the lowermost
deck and the bottom of the ship.
Hounds Strapping around a mast
or funnel to which the stays are attached.
Hull The framework of a vessel.
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I
Inboard In the sides or towards the centre of a vessel.
Induced draft fan A steam-powered fan that draws
air through the firebox and fire-tubes
to improve combustion.
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J
Jackstaff Flagpole at the bow
of the ship.
Jingle A small bell that is part of the sound signalling
system for communicating with the engine room.
Joint The junction of two pieces of wood.
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K
Keel The main longitudinal
timber that extends from stem to stern
along the centre of the bottom of a vessel. Samson V does not really
have a keel, although technically you could call the central bottom plank a keel.
Keelson A longitudinal
structural timber on the inside of the hull. Wooden seagoing
ships generally have one keelson directly above the keel. Samson V,
like other sternwheelers and barges, has several.
King posts The largest set of hog
posts on Samson V, set up midship on the port
and starboard sides.
Knee
An angle-shaped piece of wood. The steel plates bracing the A-frame
are also called knees.
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L
Life preserver A flotation device, usually
round, for saving people who have fallen overboard.
Line 1)The outline of the hull from
bow to stern and from keel
to sheer strake, and of the transverse
sections. 2)Cordage smaller than rope.
LOA Length Over All; the total length of a vessel.
Locker Any storage compartment aboard a vessel.
Longitudinals The term applied to fore
and aft structural timbers in the bottom of a vessel.
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M
Manhole Opening that allows access to the bilge.
Manifold A curved steam pipe that distributes steam
to the engines.
Mast A tall upright post used for sails or as a flagpole.
Mess An eating area. Samson V has one
mess for officers and one for the crew.
Midship In or into the middle of a vessel. (Also
called amidship.)
Monkey beam The transverse
post at the stern of the vessel, which connects the two cantilevers
that support the paddlewheel.
Monkey rudder Auxiliary rudders
hung from the monkey beam to improve steering ability.
Moor To tie up a vessel at a berth.
Mooring lines Ropes used to tie up a vessel.
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N
O
Outboard Towards or near the outside of a vessel;
outside the hull.
Overhaul To examine and repair or put in proper
condition for operation.
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P
Packing Material used to seal a joint; also called
gasket material.
Paddlewheel The means of propulsion on a sternwheeler.
A wheel with transverse planks that pushes water as
it turns.
Partner Stiffening or supporting pieces fitted around
the opening in a deck through which a mast
or hog post run.
Pilot house Where the Captain
and Officers direct the vessel's operations. (Also called the wheelhouse or bridge.)
Pitman arm A rod that connects the cross-head
from a steam engine to the crank on the paddlewheel, turning the back and forth
motion of the engine into the circular motion of the wheel.
Plank A long flat piece of timber.
Port The left side of a vessel when facing forward.
Prow The forward part of a vessel. (Also called the
bow.)
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Q
Quarter The upper part of a vessel's sides near the
stern.
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R
Ribs Transverse timbers that
form the frame of a hull.
Rigging A system of ropes, chains or hooks used to
support or operate the moveable parts of masts and booms.
Rudder A flat steering instrument attached to the
stern of a vessel. Samson V was originally
equipped with four balanced main rudders, as well as two monkey
rudders.
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S
Sagging The deformation of a hull
when the middle portion settles below its designed or accustomed position. The
reverse of hogging.
Safety valve A spring-loaded valve on the boiler
that opens when the steam pressure gets too high.
Samson Post A strong pillar on the deck
to which mooring or towing lines are tied.
Scarf A connection of two pieces of wood which have
been bevelled, notched, or tapered so they will fit together.
Scuttle To sink a vessel intentionally. Samson
V was scuttled in order to put out a fire in 1954.
Sheathing A layer of light gauge steel fastened
over planks to protect the wood.
Sheer The longitudinal
curve of a vessel's lines towards the bow and stern.
Sheer strake The topmost plank of a boat's side,
the upper edge of which describes the sheer as seen from the side.
Sidewheeler A steam-powered vessel, propelled
by paddlewheels affixed to its side.
Sight gauge (sight glass) A glass tube attached
to the boiler that shows the water level inside it.
Siphon An open-ended pipe running from the bilge
outboard through the side with a smaller steam line exhausting
through it. Bilge water is drawn through the pipe by the suction created by the
expanding steam. This is also known as a bilge extractor.
Smoke-box Chamber at the end of a fire-tube
boiler where the hot gases exit the tubes and are expelled through the smokestack.
The smoke-box is fitted with a hatch (or some other form of access) so ash can
be cleaned out.
Smokestack A metal chimney or funnel
through which boiler gases are discharged.
Sponson Overhanging platform built around the sides
of a sternwheeler to protect the sides and increase
useable deck space.
Starboard The right-hand side of a vessel, looking
forward.
Stateroom A private room or cabin for the accommodation
of officers and passengers.
Stays Ropes or rods used to brace masts
or the funnel.
Stay-tube A thick-walled fire-tube
that serves the double purpose of transferring heat from the exhaust gases to
the water in the boiler, as well as holding the end plates
of the tube assembly together.
Steamboat (steamer) A vessel powered by a steam
engine.
Steam oil Oil introduced into the steam lines to
lubricate the valves and pistons of a steam engine.
Steering engine A steam piston mounted on
the forward bulkhead of the stokehold,
for pulling the rudder cables. The vessel's wheel controls
a valve that admits steam to one side of the piston or the other.
Steering gear A term applied to all the parts
and fittings by which the rudder is turned.
Stem The upright timber that forms the extreme bow
of a vessel to which the planks are attached.
Stern The rear part of a vessel.
Sternwheeler A steamboat propelled by paddlewheels
affixed to the stern.
Stephenson linkage The reversing gear on
a steam engine.
Stokehold room Where the boiler
and furnace are.
Superstructure The structure built above the
uppermost complete deck.
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T
Tackle A combination of ropes and blocks that multiplies
lifting power.
Telegraph A system of signals used to relay directions
and instructions from the bridge to the engine
room.
Throttle A valve that controls the flow of steam
to the engines, and thus the speed.
Thwarts The seats in a rowboat.
Transverse At right angles to the vessel's centreline,
running athwartship.
Turnbuckle A link used to pull objects together.
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U
V
Vessel A boat or a ship. "Boat" usually
refers to small vessels, and "ship" ship usually refers to very large
vessels.
Voice pipe (voice tube) A tube designed to carry
the sound of a person's voice from one part of the ship to another, for instance
between the bridge and the engine
room.
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W
Waterline The line of intersection of the water's
surface with a vessel's hull.
Wheelhouse Where the Captain and officers direct
the vessel's operations. (Also called the pilot house or bridge.)
Winch Crank or motor-powered equipment used to hoist
or haul objects.
Wing Structural timbers, posts, or compartments that
are on the outboard side of a vessel off the centreline.
Work When structural posts or timber loosen and move
against each other.
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