Glossary

(reprinted from the book "Felix and His Mayflower II Adventures")

Adze: A carpenter’s tool used for shaping wood.

Aft: Toward the back of the ship.

Ahull: To allow a ship to ride without sails during a storm.

Ark Royal: British Royal Navy, Aircraft Carrier, launched in 1950.

Ballast: Mayflower II carries 133 tons of ballast consisting of cast iron and cut-up railroad track.

Battens: Horizontal strips of wood lashed to the shrouds.

Beak: The wooden structure projecting from the front of the ship. It has the appearance of a bird’s beak.

Belay: To tie off a line to a belaying pin, cleat or other secure part of the ship.

Belaying Pin: A wooden pin to which lines on the ship are tied.

Binnacle: A structure housing the compass, usually made of wood or non-magnetic metal.

Block and Tackle: A set of ropes and pulleys used on ships to help lift heavy objects.

Bosun: A contraction for boatswain. The bosun is responsible for rigging and painting.

Bow: The forward part of the ship.

Bowsprit: The spar that extends out from the front of the ship. The spritsail hangs below the bowsprit.

Brixham: Town in Devon, in the south-west of England, where Mayflower II was built.

Bulwark: A solid wooden rail at the side of the ship.

Cat’s-paws: Ripples on the water caused by light winds on a calm day.

Caulk: To force cotton, oakum or other fibers into seams preventing water from leaking through.

Chippy: Term for ship’s carpenter.

Clew Garnet: Block and tackle used to raise the corner of a square sail.

Diesel Launch: Small wooden power boat used as a tender on Mayflower II, propelled by a diesel motor.

Distance in Nautical miles: A nautical mile equals 6000 feet. A land mile equals 5,280 feet.

Distance per log: The distance a ship sails according to a device towed through the water.

Dry dock: A structure, dug into land at water’s edge, into which a ship is floated. The structure can be sealed and the water pumped out leaving the ship high and dry.

Even Keel: An expression meaning level and stable.

Flying fish: A type of fish common to tropical and sub-tropical waters. It appears to fly with its wing- shaped fins while leaping out of the water away from prey.

Fo’c’sle: A contraction for forecastle, the forward most cabin on the ship. Customarily the common crew lives in the forecastle.

Fore Course Sail: The large lower square sail on the foremast.

Foremast: The forward-most mast on Mayflower II.

Foretopsail yard: The upper yard on the foremast to which the foretopsail is rigged.

Forward: Toward the front of the ship.

Frank: To stamp a letter for postage.

Gangway: Planks used to walk aboard a ship while it is tied to a dock.

Gaskets: Small ropes, sometimes braided, used to tie up sails on the yards.

Half-Deck: The deck above the main deck on Mayflower II. It is approximately half the length of the ship.

Hawseholes: Openings in the bow through which the anchor line runs.

Heads: The bathroom on ships. Derived from the ancient practice by sailors of using the bow of a ship as a toilet.

Helm: The system used to steer a ship.

Helmsman: The person who steers the ship. The crew takes turns acting as helmsman.

Jacob’s ladder: A rope and wood ladder hanging over the side of a ship.

Life-lines: Ropes rigged in various places on the ship for the sailors to hold onto in rough weather.

Main Course Sail: Large lower square sail on the main mast.

Main Knighthead:  A wooden post near the main mast used to belay large lines.

Mainmast: The largest mast on Mayflower II. It carries two square sails, the main course and the main topsail.

Maintop Sail:  The upper sail on the main mast.

Maritime: Pertaining to the sea.

Maul hammer: Large sledgehammer.

Mine sweeper: Naval vessel, often made of wood, used to look for floating explosive devices.

Mizzenmast:  The aft-most mast on Mayflower II. It carries one triangle shaped sail, the mizzen sail.

Oakum: Hemp yarn, soaked in tar, used for caulking.

On watch: The sailor’s day is divided into a series of four-hour segments. When he is working the sailor is said to be “on watch”.

Quarterdeck: The command deck of a ship.

Pin-rail: A wooden rail fastened to the inside of the bulwarks for belaying pins.

Pitch: Plunging forward motion of the ship in large waves.

Pitch: Distilled product made from pine resin, used for filling seams during the caulking process.

Rigging: All rope and line used to secure and control spars and sails.

Scuppers: Openings in the deck through which excess water can run out.

Sea trial: Preliminary voyage to test a newly built vessel.

Set (sails): To open, or unfurl sails.

Shallop: A 17th-century style open boat that can be rowed and sailed. Shallops were often taken apart and carried aboard larger sailing ships.

Ship’s wheel: The device with which the helmsman steers a ship.

Skiffle: A form of music popular in England in the 1950s in which the vocal part is supported by a rhythmic accompaniment of guitars or banjos.

Spars: Wooden poles used to support the sails. The yards, masts and bowsprit are all spars.

Spritsail: The square sail that hangs down below the bowsprit on Mayflower II.

Sprit Yard: The yard that supports the spritsail.

Square Sails: Sails that are perpendicular to the centerline of the ship.

Stern: The back part of the ship.

Stowaway: A person who attempts to hide aboard a departing ship hoping for free passage.

Topmen: The sailors who climb in the rigging and work on the upper sails.

Trade winds: A wind pattern found in tropical waters that provide strong consistent breezes.

True course: The actual course of a ship not accounting for variation and deviation.

Trawler: A type of fishing vessel that drags nets through the water.

Variation: The difference between true north and a magnetic north for a specific location.

Waist: The middle part of the main deck of the ship.

Whipstaff: A pole attached to the tiller.  Used on 17th century ships for steering. 

Yacht: A vessel intended for pleasure use.

Yard: A horizontal wooden pole supported by a ship’s mast from which a sail hangs.
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Felix and his Mayflower II Adventures.
Written by Peter Arenstam, Manager of Plimoth Plantation’s Maritime Artisans Department, the book tells the story of the maiden voyage of Mayflower II and her unlikely passenger, a kitten named Felix.

Told through Felix’s eyes, the story captures the events surrounding the building and sailing of Mayflower II. Beautifully illustrated byRonnie Rooney, the book brings Felix’s adventures to life. This is an ideal time for a new generation to hear the story as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Mayflower II’s arrival in Plymouth.

Purchase your copy at our Museum Shops or online Shop.

hours: from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, 7 days a week March 22 through November 30, 2008
address: 137 Warren Avenue, Plymouth, MA 02360 USA
telephone: 1 + 508 746 1622