Spring tide:  the greatest rise and fall during the same, being soon
  after full and change of moon.

TRADE, the.  A term applied to a body of merchant vessels, to or from a particular destination.

TRADE WIND.  A wind which blows uniformly from the same general direction throughout a fixed period.  In the West Indies, from the northeast the year round.  See also “Monsoon.”

VEER.  See “Cable.”

VESSEL.  A general term for all constructions intended to float upon and move through the water.  Specific definitions applicable to this book: 

  Ship, a square-rigged vessel with three masts.

  Brig, a square-rigged vessel with two masts.

  Schooner, a fore and aft rigged vessel with two or more masts.

  Sloop, a fore and aft rigged vessel with one mast.  See pp. 9, 15, 17.

VESSELS OF WAR.  Ship of the Line.  A ship with three or more tiers of guns, of which two are on covered decks; that is, have a deck above them.  See “Line of Battle Ship.”

  Frigate.  A ship with one tier of guns on a covered deck.

  Sloop of War.  A ship, the guns of which are not covered, being on
  the upper (spar) deck.

  Sloops of war were sometimes brigs, but then were usually so styled.

WAKE.  The track left by a vessel’s passage through the water.  “In the wake of”:  directly astern of.

WAY.  Movement through the water.  “To get underway”:  to pass from stand-still to movement.

WEAR, to.  See under “Tack.”

WEATHER.  Relative position to windward of another object.  Opposite to Lee.  Weather side, lee side, of a vessel; weather fleet, lee fleet; weather gage, lee gage (see “Gage"); weather shore, lee shore.

WEATHER, to.  To pass to windward of a vessel, or of any other object.

WEATHERLY.  The quality of a vessel which favors her getting, or keeping, to windward.

WEIGH, to.  To raise the anchor from the bottom.  Used alone; e.g., “the fleet weighed.”

WHEEL.  So called from its form.  The mechanical appliance, a wheel, with several handles for turning it, by which power is increased, and also transmitted from the steersman on deck to the tiller below, in order to steer the vessel.

WIND AND WATER, between.  That part of a vessel’s side which comes out of water when she inclines to a strong side wind, but otherwise is under water.

WINDWARD.  Direction from which the wind blows.

YARD.  See “Spars.”

INDEX

  Algeciras, in Gibraltar Bay, station of Franco-Spanish Fleet
          supporting the Siege of Gibraltar, 121, 230, 231.

  Arbuthnot, Marriott, British Admiral, commands North American
          Station, 1779, 113, 148;
    anger at Rodney’s intrusion on his command, 150;
    supports the attack on Charleston, 1780, 151;
    station in Gardiner’s Bay, 151, 170;
    action with French squadron under des Touches, 1781, 171;
    regains command of Chesapeake Bay, 174;
    superseded, 1781, 176.