B
BACK of the post to BALANCE of the mizen
BALANCE of the boom sail to BARK
BARNACLE to BEAMS
BEAMS to BED of a river
BED of a cannon to BIGHT
BILANDER to BLACK-STRAKES
BILANDER
BILGE
BILL
BILL of lading
BINACLE
BIRTH or BERTH
BITE
BITS
To BIT the cable
BLACK-STRAKES
BLADE to Trim the BOAT!
To bale the BOAT to BOLT-ROPE
BOMB to BOTTOM
BOTTOM to BOX-HAULING
BOXING to To BREAK-UP
BREAK-WATER to BRIDLES of the bowline
BRIG, or BRIGANTINE to Ship-BUILDING
Ship-BUILDING to BUNTINE
BUNTLINES to BUTTONS
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BINACLE
BINACLE, a wooden case or box, which contains the compasses, log glasses, watch-glasses, and lights to shew the compass at night.As this is called bittacle in all the old Sea-books, even by mariners, it appears evidently to he derived from the French term habitacle, (a small habitation) which is now used for the same purpose by the seaman of that nation.
The BINACLE (plate I. fig. 4.) is furnished with three apartments, with sliding shutters: the two side ones, a b, have always a compass in each, d, to direct the ship's way, while the middle division, c, has a lamp or candle, with a pane of glass on either side to throw a light upon the compass in the night, whereby the man who steers may observe it in the darkest weather, as it stands immediately before the helm on the quarter-deck.
There are always two binacles on the deck of a ship of war, one being designed for the man who steers, and the other for the person who superintends the steerage, whose office is called conning, or cunning.
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© Derived from Thomas Cadell's new corrected edition, London: 1780, page 35, 2003
Prepared by Paul Turnbull
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/0148.html