Funny. A narrow sculling boat, pointed bow and stern, and open throughout, accommodating only one person, and at one time employed in sculling matches:

it was usually clincher-built. The funny was never a successful type of boat, being very difficult to keep steady, and was quickly superseded by the

whiff, and that again by the wager or best boat.

FUNNY.

Furl.-To roll a sail and confine it to its yard or boom.

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Furling lines.-Short ropes which are used to secure a sail to the yard or boom, when furled. They are also called gaskets and ties. Furling in a body is a particular method of rolling up a topsail, only practised in harbours, and is performed by gathering all the loose part of the sail into the bunt, about the top-mast, whereby the yard appears much thinner and lighter than when the sail is furled over all at sea. " (Falconer.)

Furniture. The masts and rigging of a vessel with all accessories constitute that which is sometimes called its furniture.

Futtock. This term is evidently derived from the lowest part, or foot, of a timber, and from the hooked shape of the piece; hence, foot-hook (a hook, in shipbuilding, being anything bent or incurvated). In shipbuilding, a futtock is one of the members composing the ribs of a vessel. The ribs of large ships cannot be made of one piece, as can those of open boats; they consist, therefore, of several pieces or members, scarfed together, each one being called a "futtock." The lowest of these is the floor timber, also called the ground futtock or (amidships)

futtock, or floor-timber, lies
above the keel, and upon it TRESTLE TREE..
rests the keelson, which is bolted
through to the keel.

On each side are the bilge planks (both inside and out), that one nearest the keel on each side being called the "futtock - plank." (See diagram under FRAME.)

Futtock-plate (in rigging).Apart from any connection with the futtocks forming the ribs of

H

a ship, the masts of large vessels are sometimes furnished with an apparatus called the futtock-plate and shrouds. It consists of an

iron plate at the masthead, set athwart the ship; and its use is to extend the topmast shrouds, thus (like the channels to the lower mast) giving lateral support to the topmast.

Futtock stave.-A short piece of rope by which the shrouds are confined at the cat harpings.

G.

Gaff (usually pronounced garf or garft).-The spar which extends the head (or upper portion) of a fore-and-aft sail, such as the mainsail of a cutter. A sail suspended by a gaff is called a gaff sail, in contradistinction to a sail suspended by a yard, which is a square sail. The form and gear of a gaff are as follows (see fig.):-The lower end is furnished with jaws (sometimes called hounds) made of hard wood, sometimes metal; and in large yachts a clapper, or tumbler, is fitted between them to prevent chafing; this portion of the spar being called

the clip. The jaws partially encircle the mast, the circle being completed by a rope on which several round beads of hard wood, called trucks, have been threaded; this is the parrel, which allows the gaff to be raised and lowered without jamming. The upper end of the gaff is called the peak; the lower the throat. It is hauled up by two halyards, the one being fixed to the throat, and therefore called the throat halyard (or, in single masted boats, simply the main halyard); the other usually at two in pots further up the spar for elevating the peak, and for that reason designated the peak-halyard. In raising the sail these two halyards are hauled on together, so that the gaff may go up in a position almost horizontal; and when the clip is well up the peak is set up, and swigged upon to make the sail hang flat: in large vessels, a tackle is employed for this latter purpose. In each case these halyards pass through blocks, the number of sheaves in which varies according to the power necessary for lifting the sail. The block through which runs the throat,

Peak Pendants.

SLINGS

halyard is often attached to the gaff by a double-eyed bolt called the main-halyard bolt, the lower eye being underneath, and carrying on it another smaller block, through which another rope is rove communicating with the tack of the sail; this is the tricing-line, and its object is to pull or trice up the luff of the sail, so as quickly to reduce the area it presents to the wind. The peak-halyard blocks are carried in large vessels by spans, which are kept from slipping by small excrescences called spurs or thumb cleats. Over the guy-end (after-end) of the gaff is fitted a cap, or end-ring, with eyes. The ring prevents the spar from splitting, while the eyes serve to carry small blocks, one for the topsail sheet, another for the peakline, a thin rope used sometimes for hauling down the peak, but mostly as a flag halyard, the ensign or some other flag being often hoisted at the peak as a signal. In small craft and yachts, the gaff is always lowered and stowed away with the boom, the peak-halyards being unshackled when the sail cover is put on, and then replaced by hooking the blocks to slings which pass under the boom and round the cover. But in vessels of larger class it is often set with

VANGS

out the sail. And as, in such a case, it will naturally sway backwards and forwards, ropes are stretched from the guy end of the peak to the sides of the vessel; these ropes being called vanes or vangs: The sprit of a barge is always steadied by vangs.

The mainsail of a cutter, sloop, yawl, etc., being set up, it may be desirable to add another sail above it, which is known as a gaff-topsail, and is elevated by means of a halyard passing through a sheave or block, attached near the head of the topmast, and the foot of which is stretched along the gaff, whence the name. In this sense any topsail on a gaff may be termed a gaff-topsail, but, for convenience in distinguishing the shape, each has its name, as jack topsail, sometimes called a donkey topsail; jib-headed, or working topsail; spinnaker topsail; and on a yacht, a brig topsail; by the last being generally understood a species of standing lug, extended over the main. (See under TOPSAILS.)

Gain the wind (of another ship).—To get to windward of her. Gale. The term as used at sea has a different meaning from that usually understood by it ashore. It means a continuous wind, of

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which there may be several degrees,-1. a fresh gale; 2. a strong gale; 3. a heavy, hard, or whole gale. "Half a gale" is a popular term among seamen, who mean by it as strong a wind as can blow. Gallant.-From Garland" (which see), hence the usual pronunciation of the word, Garn," as t'garn for top-gallant. The word has considerable use at sea. (See MAST, SAIL, STAYS, Top, DECK, etc.)

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Galleon. A name formerly given to ships of war having three or four batteries. Later applied by the Spaniards to their large merchantmen. To-day sometimes used in talking of any heavy looking craft.

Galley.-1. The cook-house of a ship. 2. A big boat.

Row galley.-An open boat with six or eight oars, used by custom house officers, etc., but the word is dropping out of use.

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Galliot (pronounced by the fishermen "galley-yacht ").—A Dutch vessel of remarkable type. She is very long and narrow, and may reach to 100 tons burden. She is fore-and-aft rigged with two masts, main and mizzen, the latter being little more than a jigger, and answering the same purpose as the same sail does in our own sailing barges; that is to assist the rudder in getting the vessel round; and for this purpose it works with the rudder.

GALLIOT.

But the galliot is principally peculiar in the form of her mainsail, the foot of which is enormously long, while the head is extremely short. The vessel is now rare.

Gallows-bitts.-On ships, a frame for the support of spars, boats, etc. the form is supposed to have resembled a gallows.

Galvanizing.-Nearly all iron fittings to sailing craft are now galvanized, the process being very cheap, and its effect as a preservative against rust lasting a long time. Articles to be galvanized are first pickled, that is immersed in weak sulphuric acid and water (about 1 per cent. of acid); they are then washed in lime water, and afterwards placed in a bath of chloride of zinc for a few minutes. When dry they are continually dipped in melted zinc (which should not be at too great a heat) until a sufficient coating has adhered, any excess being removed by ham

mering or wire-brushing while still hot.

Gammoning. In ships the fastening and lashing down of the bowsprit. (See fig.)

Gammoning holes.-The holes through which the ropes used in lashing the bowsprit pass. (See fig.)

GAMMONING

Gammoning-iron.-A ring, bolted to the stem head of a sailing boat, and through which the bowsprit passes. It does away with the necessity of gammoning. (See under BowSPRIT.)

Gang.-A number of men employed on any particular service. Gang board.-A board used for getting on board a vessel from a quay or pier.

Gangway. -1. A narrow platform or bridge passing over from one deck of a vessel to another. 2. That part of a ship's bulwarks which are removable so that persons can walk on board by a gang board. 3. A narrow passage left between the stowage of cargo in a ship to allow of a man going down to make examinations. Garboard. The lowest part of a vessel.

Garboard strakes (sometimes called garboards in shipbuilding). -The lowest strakes in a vessel, which abut upon the keel. They are also called the ground or sand strakes. (See diagrams under FRAME.)

Garland.—A ring of rope placed round a spar for the purpose of moving it, as, for instance, when swaying a heavy mast.

Otherwise a collar of rope wound about the head of a mast to keep the shrouds from galling. A garland in ancient days was a rope used in swaying the topmasts. Hence, when a mast was added to ships above the topmasts, it was called a garland mast; and the word be" in coming corrupted, eventually resolved itself into "gallant, writing, though the original pronunciation garn" has been preserved amongst seamen in speaking to this day.

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Garnet. A short line attached to the claw of a lower square sail or course. (See CLEW-GARNETS, under CLEW.)

Gas-buoy.-A large buoy, on the margin of a shoal or channel, upon which a gas light is always burning.

Gaskets. Small cords by which a sail when furled is kept bound up to a yard, boom, or gaff; there are several, as the bunt-gasket, the quarter-gasket, the yard-arm-gasket. They are also called ties and furling lines. The gasket, in a steam engine, is the hempen plait used for packing pump pistons, etc.

Gather. To draw in, as of a sheet.

To gather way. -To increase speed in sailing.

Gatt. A channel in an open piece of water, as the "Fishermen's Gatt" in the estuary of the Thames. The word is Low German. A gatt must not be confounded with a gut, which is only a small waterway, whereas a gatt may be a sheet of water many miles in length.

Gauntlet (properly_gant-lope).—Running the gauntlet.-A form of punishment for an offence revolting to the feelings of the whole crew of a vessel, and therefore giving to every member an opportunity of visiting his own peculiar displeasure upon the offender. It consisted in making a man pass down between the whole crew formed up in two lines facing each other, each man being furnished with a rope-end with which he slashed at the offender as he passed. The punishment is long since extinct, if indeed it ever existed as a