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William Falconer's Dictionary of the Marine |
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Table of Contents
C CABIN to To CALK, or CAULK CALL to CANNON CALL CALM Dead-CALM CAMBERED-DECK CAN-BUOY CAN-HOOKS CANNON CANNON to CANOE CANOE to To rig the CAPSTERN Surge the CAPSTERN to CARPENTER of a ship CARTEL to CATS-PAW CAULKING to CHANNEL CHANNELS to CHEARLY CHEEKS of the mast to CLINCH CLINCHER-WORK to COASTING-PILOT COAT to COLLIERS COLOURS to COMPASS COMPASSING to COVE COUNTER to CRAWL CREEPER to CROW-FOOT CROWNING to CUT-WATER Search Contact us |
CALMCALM, (calme, Fr.) the state of rest which appears in the air and sea when there is no wind stirring.That tract of the Atlantic ocean, situated between the tropic of Cancer and the latitude of 29� north; or the space that lies between the trade and the variable winds, is frequently subject to calms of very long duration: and hence it has acquired, amongst seamen, the name of the Calm Latitudes. A long calm is often more fatal to a ship than the severest tempest, because if the ship is tight and in good condition, she may sustain the latter without much injury; whereas in a long calm, the provision and water may be entirely consumed, without any opportunity of obtaining a fresh supply. The surface of the sea in a continued calm is smooth and bright as a looking-glass.
© Derived from Thomas Cadell's new corrected edition, London: 1780, page 60, 2003 Prepared by Paul Turnbull http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/0257.html |