[BillinO]

Hi Bob always enjoy reading your posts. I am severely sea challanged. The only water we have in Eastern Nebraska is Big Muddy (Missouri River) On your close i think I understand the slip me over, but have no idea what the standing part of of the fore sheet is. What is the differance of a ship and a boat? How about a quick lesson about sea going craft?

Thanx a bunch, Bill in Omaha

[wade clark]

Bill,
Forgive me for being Mr. Buttinski. I can hardly wait to find out about the standing part of the fore sheet! I know though that the difference in a ship and a boat is the length. I was on a nuclear fast attack submarine and at 240 ft. it was a boat. Maybe 250 is the magic number, not sure.
Looking foreward to the fore sheet...I think!
Wade

[squbrigg]

Ahoy there shipmate! Ya, people actually call each other that!! At least around here. The Maritimes is very nautical, I could never live far from the sea, it gets in your blood and you seek it like a homing pigeon!

"Slip me over the standing part of the fore sheet", is an old nautical saying from the days of sail. It's what happened to a person who dies at sea. The ceremony is carried out at the rail of the ship, near the "standing part of the fore sheet", and the body is sewn into a hammock (last stitch through the nose to make sure he's dead) with weight (shot) at their feet, and slipped over the rail to his final resting place, Davy Jones Locker . The fore sheet.....is a rope that handles the lower sail on the foremast, it controls the lower corner of the sail or "clew", and the line is connected to the hull close to the rail. The "standing part" is the part of the line that is fixed or doesn't move, it is anchored perminantly to the rail, while the lead end of the line runs through a block to pull the sail end in or let it out, depending on the wind direction and the set of the sails. The lead end is then "belayed" and coiled around a pin rail, and can be adjusted at any time, "slackened" or "haul taut".

Now, the difference between a ship and a boat...generally a boat is carried by a ship, or the size that could be carried by one. Submarines are called boats, because they are not true ships.....don't sail the ocean's waves, but under them.

With sailing vessels....a ship is a three masted vessel, with square sails on all three masts. A barque is a three masted vessel with the fore and main square rigged and the mizzen (after mast) schooner rigged (fore and aft). A barquentine is a three masted vessel with only the fore mast square rigged and the main and mizzen schooner rigged. If all three masts are fore and aft rigged, then it's a schooner, a tern schooner to be exact.

A vessel with two masts, and both square rigged is a brig, a vessel with two masts and only the fore square rigged is a brigantine. If the vessel has fore and aft rig on both masts, it's a schooner. There are lots of other rigs, but these are the basics.

Good questions mate. Fire away if you have more.

Bob

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Well, as for me, I come from the days of iron ships and wooden men! And I am sure glad there isn't a test on this! LOL

[Ashbys]

SoGuys that are on subs, nerver shipout ... they boatout. AndI always thought the difference between a ship and a boat was you sail a ship and pull a boat. Thanks Bob , I love not being confused.
So I am carving a 2 masted Brig .. or a 2 masted Schooner, Hummm ... think i will just call it a boat.

LOL
Ash


Brig ?

[Colin_Partridge]

Bob I just read your post twice, what did you just say?LOL Who's on first? I guess if any of us want to know anything about ships/boats you are definatly the man to come to. Just joshing you buddy I probably will get what you said when I read it again. It always amazes me how knowledgable people can become on a particuar subject.
Colin

[Callynne]

I don't know who's on where, Colin, he lost me when I read the part about the last stitch going through the nose , hmmmm, if you weren't dead then you'd have a heck of a piercing there, wouldn't you?!!

Ash, that's a fine carving you have there, by whatever name you call it!! Callynne

[squbrigg]

Ash.....she's definately a two masted schooner, with a gaff and boom on the fore mast and the main mast, and nicely carved I might add. Well done.

Colin.....come on down son, I'll give you some seamanship lessons. You'll know an eye splice from a downhaul before you know it! And we'll wet it with a Nor' Wester to boot! (A Nor' Wester is half rum and half water)

Bob

[Ashbys]

Thanks Bob , and I just finished it! Did A lot of new things with it, I so enjoy butchering Susans patterns.

Callynne , Thanks Glad you like it.

I think though I should get a real camera and do my photos' the phone cam just doesn't really do them justice.

Ash

[BillinO]

Thanks Bob for the tutorial, on sea traditions and vessels. There is such a wealth of info on this board, and enjoy learning all that I can.

Bill in Omaha