SHIP, a general name for all large vessels with sails, fit for navigation on the sea, except galleys, which go with oars, and smack-sails. See NAVIGATION.
A ship is undoubtedly the noblest machine that ever was invented; and consists of so many parts, that it would require a whole volume to describe it minutely. However, we shall endeavour to satisfy the reader the more fully on this head, as it is an article of the utmost importance. And first, to give an idea of the several parts and members of a ship, both external and internal, with their respective names in the sea-language, in Plate CXLVIII, is represented a ship of war of the first rate, with rigging, &c. at anchor: Where A is the cat-head; B, the fore chains; C, the main chains; D, the mizzen-chains; E, the entering part; F, the ha-ho holes; G, the poop lanterns; H, the chefs-tree; I, the head; K, the stern.
L, The bowprit. 1, Yard and sail. 2, Gammong. 3, Horse. 4, Bob-stay. 5, Sprit-sail sheets. 6, Pendants. 7, Braces and pendants. 8, Halliards. 9, Lits. 10, Clew-lines. 11, Spirit-sail horses. 12, Bunt-lines. 13, Standing-lits. 14, Spirit-sail top. 15, Flying jib boom. 16, Flying jib stay and sail. 17, Halliards. 18, Sheets. 19, Horses.
M, The sprit-sail top-mast. 20, Shrouds. 21, Yard and sail. 22, Sheet. 23, Lits. 24, Braces and pendants. 25, Cap. 26, Jack-staff. 27, Truck. 28, Jack-staff.
N, The fore-mast. 29, Runner and tackle. 30, Shrouds. 31, Laniards. 32, Stay and laniard. 33, Preventer.
Preventer-stay and laniard. 37, Woolding the mast. 38, Yard and sail. 39, Horsies. 40, Top. 41, Crow-foot. 42, Jeers. 43, Yard tackles. 44, Lifts. 45, Braces and pendants. 46, Sheets. 47, Fore tacks. 48, Bow-lines and bridles. 49, Fore bunt-lines. 50, Fore leech lines. 51, Fore top ropes. 52, Puttock shrouds.
O, The fore top mast. 53, 54, Shrouds and laniards. 55, Yard and sail. 56, Stay and sail. 57, Runner. 58, Back stays. 59, Halliards. 60, Lifts. 61, Braces and pendants. 62, Horsies. 63, Clew-lines. 64, Bow-lines and bridles. 65, Reef-tackles. 66, Sheets. 67, Bunt-lines. 68, Cross trees. 69, Cap.
P, The fore top gallant mast. 70, 71, Shrouds and laniards. 72, Yard and sail. 73, Back stays. 74, Stay. 75, Lifts. 76, Clew-lines. 77, Braces and pendants. 78, Bow-lines and bridles. 79, Flag staff. 80, Truck. 81, Flag-staff stay. 82, Flag of lord high admiral.
Q, The main mast. 83, 84, Shrouds. 85, Laniards. 86, Runner and tackle. 87, Pendant of the gornet. 88, Guy of ditto. 89, Sail of ditto. 90, Stay. 91, Preventer stay. 92, Stay tackle. 93, Woolding the mast. 94, Jeers. 95, Yard tacles. 96, Lifts. 97, Braces and pendants. 98, Horsies. 99, Sheets. 100, Tacks. 101, Bow-lines and bridles. 102, Crow foot. 103, Top rope. 104, Top. 105, Bunt-lines. 106, Leech-lines. 107, Yard and sail.
R, The main top mast. 108, 109, Shrouds and laniards. 110, Yard and sail. 111, Puttock shrouds. 112, Back stays. 113, Stay. 114, Stay sail and stay halliards. 115, Runnets. 116, Halliards. 117, Lifts. 118, Clew-lines. 119, Braces and pendants. 120, Horsies. 121, Sheets. 122, Bow-lines and bridles. 123, Bunt-lines. 124, Reef tackles. 125, Cross trees. 126, Cap.
S, The main top gallant mast. 127, 128, Shrouds and laniards. 129, Yard and sail. 130, Back stays. 131, Stay. 132, Stay sail and halliards. 133, Lifts. 134, Braces and pendants. 135, Bow-lines and bridles. 136, Clew-lines. 137, Flag staff. 138, Truck. 139, Flag staff stay. 140, Flag standard.
T, The mizzen mast. 141, 142, Shrouds and laniards. 143, Pendants and burtons. 144, Yard and sail. 145, Crow foot. 146, Sheet. 147, Pendant lines. 148, Peck brails. 149, Stay sail. 150, Stay. 151, Derric and spann. 152, Top. 153, Cross jack yard. 154, Cross jack lifts. 155, Cross jack braces. 156, Cross jack slings.
V, The mizzen top mast. 157, 158, Shrouds and laniards. 159, Yard and sail. 160, Back stays. 161, Stay. 162, Halliards. 163, Lifts. 164, Braces and pendants. 165, Bow lines and bridles. 166, Sheets. 167, Clew-lines. 168, Stay sail. 169, Cross trees. 170, Cap. 171, Flagstaff. 172, Flag staff stay. 173, Truck. 174, Flag union. 175, Ensign staff. 176, Truck. 177, Ensign. 178, Poop ladder. 179, Bower cable.
Thus we have pointed out the external parts, masts, rigging, &c. an account of all which may be seen under their respective articles MAST, HULL, ROPE, RUDDER, &c.
In Plate CXLIX. is represented the section of a first-
VOL. III. No 93.
rate ship of war, shewing the inside thereof: where A is the head; containing, 1, The stem. 2, The knee of the head, or cut water. 3, The lower and upper cheek. 4, The tail-board. 5, The figure. 6, The gratings. 7, The brackets. 8, The false stem. 9, The breast hooks. 10, The haufe hole. 11, The bulk head, forward. 12, The cat-head. 13, The cat-book. 14, Necessary seats. 15, The manger within board. 16, The bowsprit.
B, Upon the forecastle. 17, The gratings. 18, The partners of the fore mast. 19, The gun wale. 20, The belfry. 21, The funnel for the smoke. 22, The gangway going off the forecastle. 23, The forecastle guns.
C, In the forecastle. 24, The door of the bulk head, forward. 25, The officers cabins. 26, The stair case. 27, The fore top tail sheet bits. 28, The beams. 29, The car lines.
D, The middle gun-deck forward. 30, The fore-jeer bits. 31, The oven and furnace of copper. 32, The captain's cook-room. 33, The ladder, or way up into the forecastle.
E, The lower gun-deck forward. 34, The knees fore and aft. 35, The spirketings, or the first streak next to each deck; the next under the beams being called clamps. 36, The beams of the middle gun-deck, fore and aft. 37, The car-lines of the middle gun-deck, fore and aft. 38, The fore bits. 39, The after, or main bits. 40, The hatchway to the gunner's and boat-swain's store-rooms. 41, The jeer capston.
F, The orlop. 42, 43, 44, The gunner's, boat-swain's, and carpenter's store-rooms. 45, The beams of the lower gun-deck. 46, 57, The pillars and the riders, fore and aft. 48, The bulk head of the store-rooms.
G, The hold. 49, 50, 51, The foot-hook rider, the floor-rider, and the standirt, fore and aft. 52, The pillars. 53, The step of the fore mast. 54, The keelson, or false keel, and dead rising. 55, The dead wood.
H, A midships in the hold. 56, The floor timbers. 57, The keel. 58, The well. 59, The chain pump. 60, The step of the main mast. 61, 62, Beams and car-lines of the orlop, fore and aft.
I, The orlop a midships. 63, The cable tire. 64, The main hatchway.
K, The lower gun-deck a-midships. 65, The ladder leading up to the middle gun-deck. 66, The lower tire or ports.
L, The middle gun-deck a-midships. 67, The middle tire ports. 68, The entering port. 69, The main jeer bits. 70, Twilled pillars or stantions. 71, The capston. 72, The gratings. 73, The ladder leading to the upper deck.
M, The upper gun-deck a-midships. 74, The main top-sail sheet bite. 75, The upper partners of the main mast. 76, The gallows on which spare top-masts, &c. are laid. 77, The fore sheet blocks. 78, The renners. 79, The gun-wale. 80, The upper gratings. 81, The drift brackets. 82, The pift dale. 83, The capston pall.
N, Aaft the main mast. 84, The gang-way off the quarter-deck. 85, The bulkhead of the coach. 86, The stair case down to the middle gun-deck. 87, The beams
of the upper deck. 88. The gratings about the main-mast. 89. The coach, or council-chamber. 90. The stair-case up to the quarter-deck.
O, The quarter-deck. 91. The beams. 92. The carlines. 93. The partners of the mizzen mast. 94. The gangway up to the poop. 95. The bulk-head of the cuddy.
P, The poop. 96. The trumpeter's cabin. 97. The taffarel.
Q, The captain-lieutenant's cabin.
R, The cuddy, usually divided for the master and secretary's officers.
S, The state-room, out of which is made the bed-chamber, and other conveniences for the commander in chief. 98. The entrance into the gallery. 99. The bulk-head of the great cabin. 100. The stern-lights and after galleries.
T, The ward-room, allotted for the lieutenants and land-officers. 101. The lower gallery. 102. The steerage and bulk-head of the ward-room. 103. The whipstaff, commanding the tillar. 104. The after stair-case down to the lower gun-deck.
V, Several officers' cabins abaft the main-mast, where the soldiers generally keep guard.
W, The gun-room. 105. The tillar commanding the rudder. 106. The rudder. 107. The stern-post. 108. The tillar-transom. 109. The several transoms, viz. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 110. The gun-room ports, or stern chafe. 111. The bread-room scuttle, out of the gun-room. 112. The main capstan. 113. The main capstan. 114. The pall of the capstan. 115. The partner. 116. The bulk-head of the bread-room.
X, The bread-room. Y, The steward's room, where all provisions are weighed and served out. Z, The cock-pit, where are subdivisions for the purser, the surgeon, and his mates.
AA, The platform, or orlop, where provision is made for the wounded in time of service. 116. The hold abaft the main-mast. 117. The step of the mizzen mast. 118. The keelson, or false keel. 119. The dead-wood, or rigging.
Different kinds of ships. All ships at first were of the same form, whatever uses they were designed for; but the various ends of navigation, some of which were better answered by one form, some by another, soon gave occasion to build and fit out ships, not only different in bigness, but also in their construction and rigging: and as trade gave occasion to the fitting out large fleets of different kinds of merchant-ships; so ships of war became necessary, to preserve them to their just proprietors.
SHIPS OF WAR have three masts, and a bowsprit, and are sailed with square sails; the other parts being as described above, and represented in Plate CXLVIII. They are divided into several orders, called rates; that is, their degree or distinction as to magnitude, burden, &c. The rate is usually accounted by the length and breadth of the gun-deck, the number of tons, and the number of men and guns the vessel carries. There are six rates, viz.
A common first-rate man of war has its gun-deck from 159 to 178 feet in length, and from 44 to 51 broad. It contains from 1313 to 2000 tons; has from 706 to 1000 men, and carries from 96 to 100 guns. But one of the most considerable first-rate ships was that built at Woolich
in 1701; the dimensions whereof are as follow: The length, 210 feet; number of guns, 110; number of men, 1250; number of tons, 2300; draught of water, 22 feet; the mainmast in length 54 yards, depth 19; main mast in length 39 feet, in diameter 38 inches; weight of the anchor 82 Cwt. 1 qr. 14 lb.; cable in length 200 yards, diameter 22 inches.—The expence of building a common first rate, with guns, tackling, and rigging is computed at 60,000 l. sterling.
Second rate ships have their gun-decks from 153 to 165 feet long, and from 41 to 46 broad: they contain from 1086 to 1482 tons; and carry from 524 to 640 men, and from 34 to 90 guns.
Third rates have their gun-decks from 140 to 150 feet in length, from 37 42 feet broad: they contain from 871 to 1262 tons; carry from 389 to 476 men, and from 64 to 80 guns.
Fourth rates are in length on the gun-decks from 118 to 146 feet, and from 29 to 38 broad: they contain from 448 to 915 tons; carry from 226 to 346 men, and from 48 to 60 guns.
Fifth rates have their gun-decks from 100 to 120 feet long, and from 24 to 31 broad: they contain from 259 to 542 tons; and carry from 145 to 190 men, and from 26 to 44 guns.
Sixth rates have their gun-decks from 87 to 95 feet long, and from 22 to 25 broad: they contain from 152 to 256 tons; carry from 40 to 110 men, and from 16 to 24 guns.
It is to be observed, that the new-built ships are much larger, as well as better, than the old ones of the same rate; whence the double numbers all along; the larger of which expresses the proportions of the new built ships, as the less those of the old ones.
MERCHANT SHIPS are estimated by their burden; that is, by the number of tons they bear, each ton reckoned at 2000 lb. weight; this estimate being made by gauging the hold, which is the proper place of loading.
Besides those mentioned above, there are other forms: as, 1. The bilander, (Plate CXLIX. fig. 2.) which has rigging and sails not unlike a hoy, only broader and flatter: bilanders are seldom above twenty-four tons, and can lie nearer the wind than a vessel with cross-sails can do. 2. Bomb-vessels, (ibid. fig. 3.) have sometimes three masts, and square sails, as represented; but they are also frequently ketch-fashion, with one mast and a mizzen. 3. Brigantines (ibid. fig. 4.) are now disused; but had two masts, and square sails. 4. Hag-boats (ibid. fig. 5.) are masted and sailed ship-fashion, but are built in the form of the Dutch fly-boat. 5. Hoys (ibid. fig. 6.) are fitted with one mast and a sprit-sail; whose yards stand fore and aft like a mizzen, so that it can lie near the wind. 6. Hulks (ibid. fig. 7.) are generally old ships cut down to the gun-deck, and fitted with a large wheel, for men to go in when careening: it has also several capstans fixed on its deck, for setting ships masts. 7. Ketches (ibid. fig. 8.) are fitted with two masts; and their main-sail and top-sail stand square as those of ships do, but their fore-sail and jibbs as those of hoys do. 8. Lighters (ibid. fig. 9.) are vessels made use of for laying down or shifting the moorings, for bringing ashore or carrying on broad ships cables, anchors, &c. 9. Pinks (ibid. fig. 10.) fail
at the upper deck. 88. The pantry about the main
mast 89. The coack, or counsellor-chamber. 90. The
station-deck up to the quarter-deck.
Q. The quarter-deck. 91. ... beam. 92. The car-
linet. 93. The ... coach of the mazzar mast. 94. The
gangway up to the poop. 95. The ball-head of the ca-
tin.
P. The poop. 96. The temperance cabin. 97. The
tavern.
Q. The captain-the-steer's cabin.
R. The coack, usually divided for the master and his
secretary's offices.
S. The star-room, out of which a mast-rope-bed cham-
ber, and other conveniences for the commander in chief.
28. The entrance into the gallery. 29. The ball-head of
the great cabin. 100. The fire-light and halter-gallery.
T. The ward-room, allotted for the lieutenant and
head officer. 101. The lower gallery. 102. The ster-
age, and ball-head of the ward-room. 103. The whip-
staff, commanding the tugs. 104. The star-head-cabin
house to the lower gun-deck.
V. Several officers' cabins about the main-mast, where
the officer is generally very busy.
W. The gun-room. 107. The still commanding the
sailor. 108. The tablet. 109. The gun-bolt. 106.
The mill-runs. 108. The general crimson, the
... 110. The gun-room part or iron parts.
111. The bread-room, usually out of the main-room. 112.
The main cabin. 113. The mast cabin. 114. The
hall of the cabin. 115. The pantry. 116. The ball-
head of the bread room.
X. The bread-room, Y. The master's room, where all
provisions are stored and divided out. A. The cook-shop,
where are the utensils for the quarter, the lifeguard, and
breaker.
AA. The plumbroom, or crib, where provisions are made
for the woodshed in time of service. 118. The ball-head
the main-mast. 119. The head of the main-mast. 118.
The keelson, or ball-head. 120. The dead wood, or ri-
sing.
Different kinds of ... All things in full view of the
shape form whatever they were designed for, but
the various sorts of navigation, from which were born
are entwined by one form, some by another, from which
occasion to build and at one time, not only different in
pitches, but all in their construction and rigging, and
different kinds of mechanical things. In shape of war, the
... to principles, in their full proportions.
A common latitude man is warr as he goes back from
121 to 228 feet to length, and from 44 to 47 broad. It
contains from 122 to 2000 tons; but it was 500 to 1000
tons, and carries from 50 to 100 guns. But one of the
most considerable single-tails was ... Wootchil
In 1791, specifications were set as follows:
30 feet; number of guns, 110; number of men, 1200;
number of boats, 300; diameter of axle, 24 feet; the
mazzar in length 24 yards depth 29; main mast in
length 39 feet, in diameter 36 inches; weight of the
anchor 87 Cwt. 1 pr. 23 lb. 4 in. in length 100 yards;
diameter 22 inches. The expense of building a common
single-tail, with guns, mazzar, and rigging is computed
at 60,000 A sterling.
Second-rate ships have their gun-decks from 122 to
145 feet long, and from 41 to 45 broad. They contain
from 100 to 180 guns, and carry from 50 to 75 guns
Third-rate have their gun-decks from 120 to 130
feet in length, from 39 to 41 broad; their courses from
85 to 100 feet; carry from 25 to 35 guns; contain
60 to 80 guns.
Fourth-rate are in length from 90 to 110 feet from 32
to 34 feet, and from 36 to 38 broad; they contain from
45 to 55 guns; carry from 20 to 25 guns; and from
45 to 50 guns.
Fifth-rate have their gun-decks from 100 to 120 feet
long, and from 34 to 36 broad; they contain from 25 to
35 guns; and carry from 15 to 20 guns; and from
25 to 30 guns.
Sixth-rate have their gun-decks from 95 to 99 feet
long, and from 33 to 35 broad; they contain from 15 to
20 guns; carry from 10 to 15 guns; and from 15 to
20 guns.
It is to be observed, that the main-tail ships are much
larger, as well as stronger, than the old ones of the late
time; whereas the double numbers are about; the larger
of which, except the proportions of 123. ... ball-head,
as the full hull of the ship.