SHIFTERS, on board a man of war, certain men who are employed by the cooks to shift and change the water in which the flesh or fish is put, and laid for some time, in order to fit it for the kettle.

SHIFTING A TACKLE, in sea-language, the act of removing the blocks of a tackle to a greater distance from each other, on the object to which they are applied, in order to give a greater scope or extent to their purchase. This operation is otherwise called fleeting. Shifting the helm denotes the alteration of its position, by pushing it towards the opposite side of the ship. Shifting the royal signifies changing its position on the capstern, from the right to the left, and vice versa.