(1) A ruffle on the water indicating a breath of wind during a calm (2) A twisting hitch made in the bight of a rope to form two eyes, through which the hook of a tackle is passed for hoisting purposes.

To fill in the seams with cotton or oakum.

Forcing material into the seams of the planks in a boat's deck or sides to make them watertight; the material itself. Oakum was once the material used for this purpose, and was then sealed with hot pitch to prevent it from rotting. Today there are polymer ...

Loss of effective propeller thrust caused by the blades cutting across the column of water sucked along by the propeller instead of working in it. Can also lead to heavy vibration of the vessel.

Abbreviation for "Cubic Meter."

Abbreviation for "Consumption Entry." The process of declaring the importation of foreignmade goods for use in the United States.

Timber placed across the floor of the cargo hold to protect it from damage.

To calculate your position using time, the position of celestial bodies, and mathematical tables. Position is determined by measuring the apparent altitude of one of these objects above the horizon using a sextant and recording the times of these sighting ...

An imaginary sphere surrounding the globe that contains the sun, moon, stars and planets.

Compartment in the hold of a containership into which a shipping container fits exactly.

The construction system employed in container vessels; permits ship containers to be stowed in a vertical line with each container supporting the one above it.

Space between the floor of holds and the bottom of the ship.

C The international temperature scale where water freezes at 0 (degrees) and boils at 100 (degrees). Also known as the centigrade scale.

A point through which all buoyant forces on an immersed hull are assumed to act.

Point at which all of the force of the wind can be thought to concentrate; the point in the sail plan that is the balance point for all the aerodynamic forces

The point of equilibrium of the total weight of a containership, truck, train or a piece of cargo.

Center point of all underwater area of the hull where the hull's lateral resistance can be said to be centered.

The internal duct and filter medium support

A board that can be raised and lowered by pivoting in a watertight box called the trunk or well to increase the draft and lateral area of the hull, preventing the boat from sliding sideways. Unlike a daggerboard, which lifts vertically, a centerboard pivo ...