The Sailor's Word-Book Part 56

CLAKE. A name for the barnacle-goose (_Anser bernicla_). Also, for the _Lepas anatifera_, a cirriped often found attached to vessels or timber by a long fleshy peduncle, sometimes 4 or 5 feet in length.

CLAM. A well-known bivalve sh.e.l.l-fish. "As happy as a clam at high-water," a figurative expression for otiose comfort.

CLAMBER. To climb; to ascend quickly.

CLAMPING. Applying a cross-head, or stirrup-piece, in a socket.

CLAMP-NAILS. Such nails as are used to fasten clamps; they are short and stout, with large heads.

CLAMPS. Pieces of timber applied to a mast or yard, to prevent the wood from bursting. Also, thick planks lying fore and aft under the beams of the first orlop or second deck, the same as the rising-timbers are to the deck. They are securely fayed to all the timbers, to which they are fastened by nails through the clamp, and penetrating two-thirds of the thickness of the timbers. Also, substantial strakes, worked inside, on which the ends of the beams rest. Also, smooth crooked plates of iron forelocked upon the trunnions of cannon; these, however, are more properly termed cap-squares. (_See_ CARRIAGE.) Also, any plate of iron made to open and shut, so as to confine a spar. A one-cheeked block; the spar to which it is fastened being the other cheek.--_To clamp_, is to unite two bodies by surfaces or circular plates.--_Clamped_, is when a piece of board is fitted with the grain to the end of another piece of board across the grain.

CLAMS. Strong pieces used by s.h.i.+pwrights for drawing bolts, &c. Also, a kind of forceps used for bringing up specimens of the bottom in sounding; a drag. (_See_ CLAM.)

CLANG. The rattling or clas.h.i.+ng of arms.

CLAP-BOARD [German, _klapp-bord_]. An east-country commercial plank, which ought to be upwards of 13 feet in length; cask-staves are also clap-boards. Clap-board, in the colonies, is the covering the side of a house with narrow boards, "lapping fas.h.i.+on," in contradistinction to s.h.i.+ngling, or tiling, or clench-built.

CLAP-MATCH. A sort of seal, distinct from the fur-seal.

CLAP ON! The order to lay hold of any rope, in order to haul upon it.

Also, to "Clap on the stoppers before the bitts," _i.e._ fasten the stoppers; or, "Clap on the cat-fall," _i.e._ lay hold of the cat-fall.--_To clap a stopper over all_, to stop a thing effectually; to clap on the stopper before the bitts next to the manger or hawse-hole; to order silence.--_To clap in irons_, to order an offender into the bilboes.--_To clap on canvas_, to make more sail.

CLAPPER. A name for the valve of a pump-box. Also, a plank or foot-bridge across a running stream; also, the clapper of a bell.

CLAP-SILL. The lockage of a flood-gate.

CLARTY. In north-country whalers, used for _wet_, _slippery_.

CLASHY. Showery weather.

CLASP-HOOK. An iron clasp, in two parts, moving upon the same pivot, and overlapping one another. Used for bending chain-sheets to the clues of sails, jib-halliards, &c. (_See_ SPAR-HOOK.)

CLa.s.s. Order or rank; specially relating to dockyard men.

CLa.s.sIFICATION OF s.h.i.+PS. A register made of vessels according to the report rendered in by special surveyors. (_See_ NAVY and LLOYD'S REGISTER.)

CLAW, OR CLAW OFF, TO. To beat, or turn to windward from a lee-sh.o.r.e, so as to be at sufficient distance from it to avoid s.h.i.+pwreck. It is generally used when getting to windward is difficult.

CLAYMORE. Anciently a two-handed sword of the Highlanders, but latterly applied to their basket-hilted sword.

CLEACHING NET. A hand-net with a hoop and bar, used by fishermen on the banks of the Severn.

CLEAN. Free from danger, as clean coast, clean harbour; in general parlance means quite, entirely. So Shakspeare represents aegeon

"Roaming clean through the bounds of Asia."

Also, applied to a s.h.i.+p's hull with a fine run fore and aft.--_Clean entrance_, clean run.--_To clean a s.h.i.+p's bottom._ (_See_ BREAMING and HOG.)

CLEAN BILL. (_See_ BILL OF HEALTH.) When all are in health.

CLEAN DONE. Quite. In a seamanlike manner; purpose well effected; adroitly tricked. (_See_ WEATHERED.)

CLEAN-FISH. On the northern coasts, a salmon perfectly in season.

CLEAN-FULL. Keeping the sail full, bellying, off the wind.

CLEAN OFF THE REEL. When the s.h.i.+p by her rapidity pulls the line off the log-reel, without its being a.s.sisted. Also, upright conduct. Also, any performance without stop or hindrance, off-hand.

CLEAN s.h.i.+P. A whale-s.h.i.+p unfortunate in her trip, having no fish or oil.

CLEAR. Is variously applied, to weather, sea-coasts, cordage, navigation, &c., as opposed to foggy, to dangerous, to entangled. It is usually opposed to _foul_ in all these senses.

CLEAR, TO. Has several significations, particularly to escape from, to unload, to empty, to prepare, &c., as:--_To clear for action._ To prepare for action.--_To clear away_ for this or that, is to get obstructions out of the way.--_To clear the decks._ To remove lumber, put things in their places, and coil down the ropes. Also, to take the things off a table after a meal.--_To clear goods._ To pay the custom-house dues and duties.--_To clear the land._ To escape from the land.--_To clear a lighter, or the hold._ To empty either.

CLEARANCE. The doc.u.ment from the customs, by which a vessel and her cargo, by entering all particulars at the custom-house, and paying the dues, is permitted to clear out or sail.

CLEAR FOR GOING ABOUT. Every man to his station, and every rope an-end.

CLEARING LIGHTERS. All vessels pertaining to public departments should be cleared with the utmost despatch.

CLEAR THE PENDANT. _See_ UP AND CLEAR THE PENDANT.

CLEAR WATER. A term in Polar seas implying no ice to obstruct navigation, well off the land, having sea-room.

CLEAT A GUN, TO. To nail large cleats under the trucks of the lower-deckers in bad weather, to insure their not fetching way.

CLEATS, OR CLEETS. Pieces of wood of different shapes used to fasten ropes upon: some have one and some two arms. They are called belaying cleat, deck-cleat, and a thumb-cleat. Also, small wedges of wood fastened on the yards, to keep ropes or the earing of the sail from slipping off the yard. Mostly made of elm or oak.

CLEAVAGE. The splitting of any body having a structure or line of cleavage: as fir cleaves longitudinally, slates horizontally, stones roughly, smoothly, conchoidal, or stratified, &c.

CLEFTS. Wood sawn lengthways into pieces less in thickness than in breadth. (_See_ PLANK.)

CLENCH, TO. To secure the end of a bolt by burring the point with a hammer. Also, a mode of securing the end of one rope to another. (_See_ CLINCH.)

CLENCHED BOLTS. Those fastened by means of a ring, or an iron plate, with a rivetting hammer at the end where they protrude through the wood, to prevent their drawing.

CLENCH-NAILS. They are much used in boat-building, being such as can be driven without splitting the boards, and drawn without breaking. (_See_ ROVE and CLENCH.)

CLEP. A north-country name for a small grapnel.

CLERK. Any naval officer doing the duty of a clerk.

CLETT. A northern or Erse word to express a rock broken from a cliff, as the holm in Orkney and Shetland.

CLEUGH. A precipice, a cliff. Also, a ravine or cleft.

CLEW. Of a hammock or cot. (_See_ CLUE.)

CLICKS. Small pieces of iron falling into a notched wheel attached to the winches in cutters, &c., and thereby serving the office of pauls.