Booby hatch.-A raised cabin head with sliding hatch. (See fig.) Boom.—A boom is a pole extending outboard (i.e., outwards from a vessel); and from this, anything extending outwards is said to be boomed out, as a lug sail, which may be described as boomed out if only held outward by an oar; and the shrouds of a bowsprit, which are said to be boomed out on its whiskers. Sail booms take their names from the sails they extend, as the main, mizzen, or spinnaker booms. They constitute the only means whereby such sails can be taken beyond the sides, or taffrail; and they moreover help to stand the sails flat. As an example, for the fittings of a boom we may take that of the mainsail of a cutter. It is held to the mast either by a

joint called the gooseneck and shaffle (which see), or, otherwise, it has jaws which partially encircle the mast, these jaws resting on a stout ring round the lower portion of the mast, called the saddle or bolster. The entire fitting constitutes that which is known as the boom stays. At the after end of the boom is generally to be found a member known as the clamp or cleat. This consists of a flat piece projecting on each side and perforated with various holes: it forms a sort of cleat, through the holes of which the reef pendants can be passed and tied down when the sail is reefed. This clamp is sometimes, however, dispensed with, and a traveller, or an outhaul, used in its place. Over the end of the boom the grommet of the toppinglift is passed; this latter is a rope used for lifting, or topping, the boom when taking in a reef, or tricing up the sail, it being necessary

at such times to take the weight of the boom off the halyards. The boom rests, when the boat is at anchor, on a crutch-sometimes called a mitchboard-which may be either a simple pair of trestle legs, or, in the latter case, a flat board with a half circle cut out of the top, this also being to take the weight of the spar. (See CRUTCH.) And it is usually covered, when the sail is furled, by a water-proof sail cloth, which encloses boom, sail, and gaff-the gaff-halyards being unshackled and attached to slings which pass under the boom. (See under SLING.) The tendency of a boom being to bend upwards it is made somewhat thicker in the middle than at the ends. In large racing yachts the mainsail is laced to the boom; but in cruisers the foot is generally tacked down at each end and, if fastened to the boom at all, merely lashed to it by short ropes, so as to be readily let go. A boom is not a necessary adjunct to the mainsail of a single-masted boat. Many, more especially fishing craft, carry sails which merely hang from the gaff, and may be brailed up by a clew-line, at any moment: these sails are called trysails, and are sometimes rigged to yachts for winter work; the fact that they are without the boom rendering them very handy in variable weather. Other booms, apart from the main, are as follow:

Spinnaker boom.—A very long and light spar, often longer than the lower mast, which extends a spinnaker-i.e., a racing sail, set, when running before the wind, on the side opposite to that on which the mainsail stands. When no longer in use, this boom is usually topped up to the mast, or, being run out, forward of the shrouds, it may be laid forward by the bowsprit.

Lug sail boom.-The lower yard of a balance-lug is called the boom.

Jigger-boom. The bumpkin which, in yawls, is often set out and fixed beyond the taffrail is sometimes known as the jigger-boom.

Boomkin (pronounced and often written "bumpkin ").-This is a small boom, usually fixed, and serving to work a sail extending beyond the taffrail of a boat. If very small it may be called a jigger.

A jib-boom is a species of extra bowsprit supported by and extended beyond that spar: it is only found on large yachts, and not often there; belonging, mostly, to trading vessels.

A flying jib-boom is a prolongation of the jib-boom, carrying a flying jib: it belongs only to large vessels.

A sprit, which passes diagonally across a fore and aft sail, is not a boom; nor must it be confounded with it, as the office of each is very different from the other. (See SPRIT.)

Boom foresail (in a schooner).-The foresail; that is the gaff sail on the foremast. (See SCHOONER.) It is so called because it carries a boom, but principally to distinguish it from the fore stay-sail, which is often called the foresail. (See under FORE.) On occasions we hear seamen speak of "the two mainsails" "both mainsails of a schooner, meaning the mainsail and the boom foresail.

or

Boom-iron (in ships). An iron implement composed of two rings, formed into one piece, so as nearly to resemble the figure 8. It is employed to connect two cylindrical pieces of wood together, such as the jib-boom to the bowsprit, studding sail booms to the yards, etc.

Boom square sail.-In old vessels one of the courses (usually the fore-course), the foot of which is extended on a boom so that it may be topped over the fore or main stay when the ship comes round.

Boom-stays.-The fittings of a boom to its mast. They may consist either of a shaffle and gooseneck joint, or of a saddle for the jaws of the boom, when it has them. (See GOOSENECK AND SHAFFLE.)

Boot-topping.-Scraping a ship's bottom and paying it over with a mixture of tallow, sulphur, resin, etc.

Bore.-" A word used to express the sudden rise of the tide in certain estuaries, as in the Severn.

To bore. When down by the head a vessel is said to bore.

Both sheets aft.-An expression used with respect to a square rigged vessel, signifying that she is running before the wind, in doing which the sheets of her square sails will be drawn aft equally.

Bottom.-Of a ship, that part of her which is under the water line. As used by commercial men, the term sometimes refers to the ship itself, as, for instance, in the phrase, a trade in foreign bottoms.'

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Bottomry.-A term in commercial law referring to the letting or mortgaging of ships. (See also RESPONDENTIA.)

Bound. Tightly held (of a ship).

Outward bound.-Leaving home.

Homeward bound.—Returning home.

Tide bound.-Unable to make progress because of a head tide.

Wind bound.-At anchor because unable to make progress in consequence of contrary winds.

Bow (Bows of a ship). The sides at the fore-part of a vessel, distinguished one from the other by the right and left hand, the first being the starboard-bow, the second the port-bow (fig. 1).

PORT

BOW

STARBOARD

BOW

FIG. 1. SAILING.

(In rowing) Bow.-The head most rower (nearest the bow) he is No. 1 (fig. 2). All the rowers count from him; thus, the composition of an eight-oar boat will be as follows:-Bow (1), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, stroke (8), coxswain. In pair-oar or double-sculling the rowers are known as bow and stroke, and their oars are numbered 1 and 2.

Bow side. The side upon which the bow-man puts out his oar; that is on his left-hand side. The terms starboard and port are never used in rowing, the bow-side and stroke-side being spoken of instead. The bow-side is therefore the starboard side.

Bow-board, in a pleasure skiff.-A board fitting the bows of a boat and forming a back upon which a person may recline.

Bowline.--(See BOWLINE.)

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It

SIDE

STROKE

2

Bow (1)

5

7

BOW

SIDE

Bow-sprit (anciently bolt - sprit).— One of the main spars in a vessel. is a pole or sprit" projecting forward from the stem and taking the forestays and bobstays. Its office is to enable a vessel to carry an increased spread of canvas in the form of head-sails, and to furnish a forward support to the topmast, though this latter object could actually be obtained without its use. The methods of fitting a bowsprit and keeping it in place are as follow: Some little distance aft of the stempost and on the deck of the vessel are fitted two stout timber heads called the bowsprit bitts; between these bitts the bowsprit is stepped (or placed). It is kept from rising by a cross piece called the crossbitt, and from sliding inwards by a fid at the heel. the stem are the knightheads, and the bowsprit runs between these also, and in large vessels is supported by them. in small craft the bowsprit lies on the deck and does not

(8) STROKE

FIG. 2.-ROWING.

At

But

require the support of the knightheads, which are, therefore, of a different form. (See under KNIGHTHEADS.) The bowsprit must, nevertheless, have some support at the stem, and this is obtained by a stout ring, called the gammoning-iron, through which it is passed; this gammoning iron is usually bolted

to the stem on its port, or left-hand side. The bowsprit, like the mast, requires staying, for it has to sustain almost as great a strain. At its forward end it is fitted with a metal cap, called the cranseiron, which is made with several rings upon it to take the standing ends of the stays. The most important of these is the bob-stay, for it holds the bowsprit down against the strain of the topmast-forestay, which leads from the topmast head to the nose of the bowsprit. Laterally, the bowsprit is stayed by shrouds, and if the boat is very narrow or the spar very long, these bowsprit-shrouds are boomed out-i.e., extended on small cross-trees called whiskers (which see). The shrouds lead to the bows and are set up (or tightened) by means of a purchase, which leads in board, or in small boats sometimes by screw-tighteners. The angle which the bowsprit of a ship makes with the horizontal is called the steeve; this is seldom seen in small craft. The act of hauling it inboard is called reeving it, and that of hauling on the bobstay to tighten before making sail is bowsing down the bowsprit. The method of fixing the bowsprit constitutes the main difference between the cutter and sloop rig. In the sloop it is a standing spar, taking the tack of the foresail; in a cutter it is a reeving spar and the foresail is secured at the stemhead. (See under both CUTTER and SLOOP.)

Bower.—One of the large anchors of a ship which hold her by the bows, hence the name. (See ANCHOR.)

Bowgrace. A name given, in ships sailing in frozen regions, to a framework of old rope or junk laid round the bows, stem and sides of a vessel to protect her from floating ice.

Bowline. 1.-A loop in a rope, tied in a peculiar manner and often used to throw over a post. (See KNOTS.) 2. A rope fastened to a square sail near the middle of the leech by three or four shorter ropes called bridles. Bowlines are employed on the principal sails in a square-rigged vessel to keep the weather edges forward and steady, for without some such tension the sails would be continuously shivering. Hence to be sailing with a taut bowline is to be close-hauled (which see). To check the bowlines is to slacken them as the ship falls off from the wind.

Bowse down.-To haul down taut. The act of tightening a bobstay by hauling on its fall (i.e., its running end) is called bowsing down the bowsprit.

Box.-Boxing the compass.-Repeating the points of the compass in order, starting from any point. (See COMPASS.) Though this accomplishment may be unnecessary to amateur sailors a thorough familiarity with the compass cannot fail to prove of the utmost service on many occasions.

Boxing off-Generally speaking, throwing a vessel's head off from the wind. There are many occasions in a sailing boat when this may be done, as, for instance, at starting, when unable to get round in tacking, or if there be danger of running aground. In the last case the plan formerly called box hauling may be resorted to