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Vincent Pica
Chief of Staff, First District, Southern Region (D1SR)
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
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“Sabby the Lingo?” Maritime Language – XI
As noted prior, each discipline has a language and that language conveys competency to the listener. This column is part of a series of maritime vocabulary words. So you can sound like the salty ol’ mariner you are… We’ll run enough of these to get the major concepts and phraseology from Alpha to Zulu in front of you!
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| H – Hotel - International Meaning: I have a pilot on board. |
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- Hail - To attempt to contact another boat or shore, either by voice or radio.
- Half Hitch - A single turn of line around an object with the end being led back through the bight. It's the basis upon which many nautical knots are constructed.
- Half Seas Over - (1) The condition of a vessel stranded on a reef or a rock when the seas break over her deck. (2) Half drunk; incapacitated by drink.
- Halyard - A line used to hoist or lower a sail, flag or spar. The tightness of the halyard can affect sail shape.
- Hand - A member of the ship's crew.
- Handsomely - To do something carefully and in the proper manner.
- Hard Aground - A vessel which has gone aground and is incapable of refloating under her own power.
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- Hard Alee - The command given to inform the crew that the helm is being turned quickly to leeward, turning the boat windward
- Hard Chine - An abrupt intersection between the hull side and the hull bottom of a boat.
- Hard Over - Turning the wheel or tiller as far as possible
- Haul - To pull in or heave on a line by hand; to pull.
- Haul Out - Remove a boat from the water.
- Hawser - A heavy line or cable used for towing, mooring or anchoring a large vessel
- Head - (1) A marine toilet or the compartment containing a toilet. (2) Generally, the top or forward part. (3) The upper corner of a triangular sail. (4) The top portion of a mast.
- Head Down - To turn the boat away from the wind. also Fall Off.
- Head Sea - A sea which is traveling in the opposite direction to that of the boat
- Head to Wind - Where the boat is pointed directly into the wind, sails luffing
- Head Up - Change direction so as to point closer to where the wind is coming from. The opposite of falling off.
- Headed - When the wind shifts toward the bow. Opposite of lifted.
- Heading - Direction in which ship's bow is pointing at any instant.
- Headway - The forward motion of a boat through the water. Opposite of sternway.
- Heave - (1) To throw, as to heave a line ashore. (2) An upward pull on a line; to lift (3) The rise and fall of a vessel in a seaway.
- Heave To - To stop a boat and maintain position (with some leeway) by balancing rudder and sail to prevent forward movement, a boat stopped this way is "hove to"; such as when in heavy seas. The idea is to bring the wind onto the weather bow and hold the ship in that position, where she can safely and easily ride out a storm.
- Heaving Line - A light line with a weight on the end used for heaving from ship to shore (or ship to ship) when coming alongside. A heavier cable or hawser is attached which can then be hauled over using the heaving line.
- Heavy Seas - When the water has large or breaking waves in stormy conditions.
- Heavy Weather - Stormy conditions, including rough, high seas and strong winds.
- Helm - The apparatus by which a vessel is steered, including the rudder, steering wheel and tiller.
- Helmsman - The one who steers the boat.
- High Seas - The area of sea not under the sovereignty of nations with a seaboard.
- Hitch - (1) A knot used to secure a line to another object such as a ring or cylindrical object or to another line; (2) Common term for an enlistment.
- Hogged - A vessel whose bow and stern have drooped. The opposite of sagged.
- Hook - Slang for anchor
- Horse Marine - An unhandy seaman.
- Hove To - Lying nearly head to wind and stopped, and maintaining this position by trimming sail or working engines.
- Hull Down - Said of a distant ship when her hull is below horizon and her masts and upper works are visible.
- Hurricane - A strong tropical revolving storm of force 12 or higher. In the northern hemisphere hurricanes revolve in a clockwise direction. In the southern hemisphere these storms revolve counterclockwise and are known as typhoons.
- Hypothermia - A life-threatening condition where there is loss of body heat; the greatest danger for anyone in the water. As the body loses its heat, body functions slow down, and this can quickly lead to death.
More in the weeks ahead…!
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BTW, if you are interested in being part of USCG Forces, email me at JoinUSCGAux@aol.com or go direct to the D1SR Human Resources department, who are in charge of new members matters, at DSO-HR and we will help you “get in this thing…”
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