Evolution of the Wooden Ship

[Onkel Neal]

New book review by Subnuts
http://www.subsim.com/books/wooden_ships.htm

Having spent years trying to understand primitive nautical jargon (the only opportunity one has to say "snatch block," "bunt lacing," or "cheek block" with a straight face), I've recently gotten down to the business of figuring out how wooden sailing ships were built. I've come across books full of detailed plans and descriptions of hull construction, but still had a hard time visualizing how everything fit together. Enter The Evolution of the Wooden Ship. I came across this book in a rather roundabout way. I was exploring the shipbuilding exhibit at Mystic Seaport when I noticed a series of illustrations from this book adorning one of the walls. I recognized the illustrator's style right away, and I decided right there that I had to own a copy some day.

[nikimcbee]

I see you naughty terms and raise you one. The PT-Boats have "Butt Plates" and we've been removing them.

[Subnuts]

I'm starting to get the impression that every unmentionable slang word describing women's, uh, nether regions, were actually created by drunken sailors during the age of sail.

[geetrue]

I remember something about having to go to the stern on wooden ships to go to the bathroom for number two, surely not number one depending on the wind

So where does the term "poop deck" come from or how about the term "winch"?

Surely "winch" is a pirate name for bar girls

Not to mention the "golden rivet" every newbie sailor had to find or in the days of steel hull ships ...

maybe we shouldn't go there ... you know where the term "candy ass" came from right?

[Subnuts]

I didn't include any pictures of the book's contents in my review, but found some fairly low-res scans of some of Sam Manning's illustrations online.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by geetrue

I remember something about having to go to the stern on wooden ships to go to the bathroom for number two, surely not number one depending on the wind

No. There were planks for that with holes cut in them up near the bow, which is why today a bathroom on a ship is calle the "head".

So where does the term "poop deck" come from

From the French word "poupe", which comes from the Latin "puppis", which means the stern.

or how about the term "winch"?

It comes from the Old English term "wince", which means a pulley.

Surely "winch" is a pirate name for bar girls

No, that word is "wench", which comes from the Old English "wencel", or child. It refers to any working girl, but usually one who serves food or drinks.