A la SERRE, housing, or securing, the guns by tackles and breechings.

SERRE.bauquieres, thick stuff placed under the clamps, in a ship's side.

SERRE.bosse, the shank.painter of the anchor.

SERRE.goutieres, the water.ways of a ship.

SERRER des voiles, to shorten sail.

SERRER la file, to close or contract the line of battle, by making the ships draw nearer to each other.

SERRER le vent, to haul the wind ; to haul upon a bowline.

SERRER les voiles, to furl, or hand the sails.

See FERLER.

Faire SERVIR, to fill the sails after they had been shivering, or laid aback for some time.

SEUILLETS de sabords, the port.fells, or lower part of the gun.ports.

Hauteur des SEUILLETS, the heighth of the port.fells from the deck immediately beneath them.

SIAMPAN, a small coasting vessel of China, with one sail, and two, four, or six oars; extremely light and expeditious.

SIFFLEMENT, the whistling of shot as it flies through the air when discharged from a cannon.

SIFFLET, a boatswain's call.

SIGNAL, a general or particular signal used at sea.

SILLAGE, or l'eau d'un vaisseau, the track or wake of a ship; the trace which she leaves behind her on the surface of the sea.

Doubler le SILLAGE d'un vaisseau, to sail with twice the velocity of another ship; or, according to the sea.phrase, to sail two feet to her one.

Reference Works