NAUTICAL TERMS AND SLANG
AB	Able Seaman
AIS	Automatic Identification System. Electronically exchanges ship data including: ID, position, course, and speed, with other nearby ships and VTS stations
AZIMUTH THRUSTER	Steerable thruster that protrudes below the vessel with the ability to rotate through nearly 360°
AZIPOD	Steerable thruster with electric propulsion motor installed within the pod outside the ship's hull
BAMBOO TICKET	Certificate of Competency obtained in Hong Kong
BELLY ROBBER	Insulting name for a Chief Steward
BILGE KEEL	A strake running along the ship's sides at the turn of the bilge, to reduce rolling of vessel
BINNACLE	The pedestal where the magnetic compass is mounted
BITTER END	The end of a rope that is tied off, hence the expression "to the bitter end". A bitt is a metal block with a cross-pin used for tying lines to, found on docks.
BITTER END	Also refers to the end link of an anchor chain where it is attached in the chain locker.
BLACK GANG	Boiler room firemen, who originally stoked the boilers with coal
BOARD OF TRADE ACQUAINTANCE	Friend of another person that had sailed with. i.e. Signed on BOT articles
BOARD OF TRADE SPORTS	Fire, emergency and lifeboat drills
BOTTOM PLATES	The plates surrounding a large main engine at crankcase door level, above the tank tops
BOX BOAT	Container ship
BRONZYING	Sunbathe
BULKHEAD	Bulkhead (partition), a wall within the hull of a ship, side of tank or compartment
BULKHEAD DYNAMO	Oil lamp, refers to when ship's generators were often shut down in port at night/or and unreliable
BUNKERING	To load fuel oil from ashore or from a bunkering barge
BURGOO	In the British Royal Navy, refers to a thick oatmeal gruel or porridge
BURMA ROAD	Access alleyways below main deck, either side of hatches on a container ship  running full length of ship
CHAIN LOCKER	A compartment usually at the forward end of a ship which is used to store the anchor chain
CHIPPY	Ship's Carpenter
CHOCK A BLOCK	A rope block heaved to its full extent.
CHUNDER	Originates from when seasick sailors would stick their head out of a porthole. As they did this they would shout "Watch Under"
CHUNDER BOX	Toilet
CONNY ONNY	Tinned Condensed Milk, probably from Liverpool slang. Normally watered down to resemble fresh milk before frozen homogenized milk was available.
CROW'S NEST	A structure in the upper part of the mainmast of a ship that is used as a lookout point
DECKHEAD	A deckhead is the underside of a deck in a ship. As a ceiling to the room of a house.
DECKHEAD INSPECTION	Go to sleep
DESERT CHICKENS	All wings and legs served to lesser mortals after Passengers and Senior Officers were satisfied
DHOBI	To wash clothing or linen. Origin from Indian sub-continent where a Dhobi is a washerman
DHOBI DUST	Washing powder
DHOBI RASH	Tinea cruris, fungal skin infection of the groin often mistakenly supposed from not rinsing clothes enough, but actually due to excess sweating
DOCKING BOTTLE	Bottle of Duty Free Liquor purchased from bond before entering port
DODGER	Wind brake fitted to the front of bridge wings to deflect wind and rain from watch-keeper's face
DONKEY BOILER	Originally a boiler on deck to provide steam for sail winches. Now a synonym for an auxiliary boiler
DONKEYMAN	Engine room rating that operated the donkey (auxiliary) boiler.
DOSE	Sexually transmitted disease
DPS	Dynamic positioning system, a means to automatically maintain a ship’s position and heading by using her own propellers and thrusters
DR	Seaman's Book Entry, Declined to report which was really bad
DUNNAGE	Timber used in the stowage of cargo to prevent damage to ship and cargo. Air-bags are commonly used today.
EPIRB	Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon
FARMER	Third AB on a Bridge watch. So named because he was paid for doing "very" little
FIELD DAY	A day when all were turned to, to carry out a task (normally unpleasant). In the Navy, "field day" refers to a thorough cleaning of the ship's spaces
Fo'c'sle	Alternative spelling for forecastle. The foremost part of the upper deck
FORECASTLE	The foremost part of the upper deck
FORCED DRAFT JOB	A generously proportioned young lady
GADGET	Slang for Cadet/Apprentice
GAZONCAS	Any brand of foreign currency notes
GMDSS	The Global Maritime Distress Safety System is an internationally agreed-upon set of safety procedures, types of equipment, and communication protocols used to increase safety and make it easier to rescue distressed ships
GOLDEN BLANKET AWARD	Awarded to a person who spent the maximum amount of time in his bunk
GOLDEN RIVET	Fictitious final rivet in the vessel which "impressionable" young ladies were invited to inspect
GREEN FLASH	Momentary illumination of the horizon, in green, just as the sun finally sinks out of view at sunset
GROCER	Mildly insulting name for a Chief Steward
GYPSY	Notched chain wheel for raising the anchor on a windlass
GYROCOMPASS	A gyrocompass is essentially a gyroscope, a spinning wheel mounted on gimbals so that the wheel's axis is free to orient itself in any way
HARRY TATE	First Mate
HEADS	Another name for toilet which used to be situated at the bow
HEAVY LIFT JOB	A generously proportioned young lady
HEAVY LIFT SHIP	Heavy Lift ships are specifically designed to carry heavy or oversized cargo, such as Starman America
HOLYSTONE	Large block of sandstone used to scrub wooden sheathed decks
IMARSAT	Inmarsat plc is an international telecommunications company operating system of geosynchronous telecommunications satellites
IN THE OFFING	Vessels awaiting entry to a port, sometimes, due to adverse wind conditions would stand OFF the land and sail back and forth till a berth was available.
IRISH PENNENT	Any loose whipping or halyard flapping aloft which offends the eye of the Bridge Officer
JASPER	Blaberus giganteus or the giant cockroach
KNOCK OFF	Finish work
LAMPY	Lamptrimmer. Originally just that in the days of oil lamps, petty officer below Bosun
LECKY	Electrical Officer
LIVENER	Another name for "hair of the dog".  Recovery drink after a night ashore
LOGGING	Up  in front of the Skipper to get a bollocking and your name in the log book and the loss of TWO days pay
MIDDLE PLATES	The plates surrounding a large main engine half way up
MONKEYS FIST	End knot for a heaving line
MONKEY ISLAND	Ship's upper bridge, or deck above bridge on modern vessel
NAVTEX	Automated system for instantly distributing maritime navigational warnings, weather forecasts and warnings
NETTY	Once commonly used in South Shields to describe the toilet. Originally were the nets spread forward at the bow to be used by the crew as a toilet area.
OLD MAN	Captain
OVER THE WALL	Over ship's side
PEGGY	Nickname for Crews' messman. Origin unknown
PROFESSIONAL THIRD	Third Engineer with years of experience, but no Certificate so unable to progress to Second Engineer.
POET'S DAY	Friday.  P**s Off Early Tomorrows Saturday
PUNCHING THE TUBES	Cleaning boiler tubes
RADAR	Radio Detection and Ranging. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, direction and speed of both moving and fixed objects
RDF	Radio Direction Finder. A radio receiver for finding the direction to a radio source
RING BOLTERS	The illegal practice of the crew carrying girl friends between New Zealand ports
ROCK DODGING	On a Home Trade run
ROUND TURN	Manoeuvre carried out in emergency to avoid collision and to rapidly slow vessel.
SART	Search and Rescue Transponder. Device used to locate survival craft or distressed vessels by creating a series of dots on a rescuing ship's 3 cm radar display
SAT C	Satellite Communication System
SHAKE	As in " Give him a shake". To call or wake someone up
SHIFTER	Adjustable spanner
SHORE BOSUN	Leader of "party" girls from ashore
SHORT ARM INSPECTION	Medical inspection for sexually transmitted disease. Normally carried out in the USA and Australia
SHOW A LEG	Wake up, R.N. term from when shore women slept onboard. The owner of a  hairy leg would be "started" by the Bosun.
SKY PILOT	Priest / Seaman's Mission Padre
SMOKO	Tea or coffee break. Refers to when 90% sailors smoked tobacco and could smoke during break times
SOOGIE (SOOGEE)	Caustic soda in solution with other detergent for cleaning paintwork. Also a verb meaning to clean
SPURLING PIPE	Steel pipe through which anchor cable passes and leads down to the chain locker
SPARKY	Radio Officer
SUB	An advance against one's wages, esp. one granted as a subsistence allowance. From when wages were paid at the end of a voyage.
STEM	The upright member mounted on the forward end of a vessel's keel, to which the strakes are attached
STRAKE	Steel plating on the exterior hull of a vessel, running longitudinally along the vessel from the stem to the stern
TABNABS	Small items of food offered at break times, such as biscuits and cakes normally made by the ship's baker
TANGLEMATIC	Twin tub washing machine. Named in desperation after the effect it had on your washing!
TANK TOP	Normally refers to the top of a double bottom tank, which in the case of an engine room is equivalent to floor
THE CHANNELS	A state of high euphoria when almost home to see family/friends after a long trip! With ref. to English Channel
THUNDERBOX	Toilet hung over the stern of a vessel
TICKET	Certificate of Competency. i.e. Master's Certificate, Chief Engineer's Certificate etc.
TIGER	Captain's Steward
TONNAGE HATCH	A small hatch, normally aft on shelter-deck vessel. Related to old Tonnage Regulations and theoretically could not be watertight.
TOP END SPANNER	Beer bottle/can opener
TOP PLATES	The plates surrounding a large main engine at cylinder head level
TRACING LINE	A steam line following a fuel pipe; to maintain fuel temperature
TURN IN	Go to sleep
TURN TO	Start work
TWEEN DECK	Deck(s) below the main deck. Originally on sailing ships open to weather and used for cargo or steerage passengers
VHF	Very High Frequency radio. Used for short range ship to ship and ship to shore communications
VNC	Seaman's Book Entry, Voyage not completed. On occasions seaman had jumped ship or discharged for some other reason.
WAISTERS	Press ganged land lubbers no use as sailors or aloft splicing etc, used only in the waist of sailing ships heaving lines, honing decks etc
WELL DECK	Upper deck situated between two blocks of accommodation. Also a hangar like deck located at the water line in the stern of some amphibious assault ships
WINDLASS	Machine for raising and lowering the anchor(s)
WOODS	The Lignum vitae bearings commonly used in stern-tube bearings, prior to sealed white metal bearings.
WORKING ALLEY	Alleyway through accommodation that also served as access to machinery space
Please leave any more terms/slang on the Log Book
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Updated: 26/05/2008