Terminology -- "Stateroom"

[jeepbluetj]

Originally Posted by StuM

Self tailing?

I'd rather tail the wenches myself. No need for self tailing wenches. I'm kinda oldschool that way.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by jeepbluetj

I'd rather tail the wenches myself. No need for self tailing wenches. I'm kinda oldschool that way.

Wifey B: "A Gentleman said of a young Wench who constantly ply’d about the Temple, that if she had as much Law in her Head, as she had in her Tail, she would be one of the ablest Counsel in England". From Joe Miller's Jests, circa 1739.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by MarinerJo

Ok, so a sheet is a rope with a purpose. What then goes on a bunk, bed, berth, rack??

What goes on in a bunk, bed, berth or rack between consenting adults is their business

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by StuM

It is to me. And the US Navy agrees:

Navy Terminology, Origins of
"Head The "head" aboard a Navy ship is the bathroom. The term comes from the days of sailing ships when the place for the crew to relieve themselves was all the way forward on either side of the bowsprit, the integral part of the hull to which the figurehead was fastened."

(and numerous other similar references)

It always grates slightly when I see/hear people using "the heads" when they mean a single location on a boat or "a thing you sit on to crap".

Agree. The heads are not made of porcelain. The porcelain thing is a marine toilet.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Actually, I've heard from a number of sources (advising against jargon) that the primary purpose of jargon is to prevent non-members of a group from comprehending what the group is saying. It is a way of putting down the auslanders and confirming who really is a member of the clique. An intentional way of preventing communication across the wall surrounding a group, nothing more.

This is all true, including the last sentence, for fields with no substance, like Deconstruction. Or like prison languages (sabella, fenya, etc.).

Also true with regard to the sea, except the last sentence, especially not the last two words. A specialized vocabulary always goes with any specialized field -- nature of the beast. How could you talk about running rigging if instead of "sheet", "halyard", "outhaul", "vang", "brace", etc., your vocabulary only extended to "that rope there" and "this rope here"?

So the specialized vocabulary is really needed for precision. But it also creates exclusivity and identifies who is in the tribe and who is out, reinforcing the sense of belonging which we all need -- tribalism is part of human nature. Belonging to the tribe of people who ply the seas requires specialized knowledge, and gives you the right to use the specialized vocabulary.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Belonging to the tribe of people who ply the seas requires specialized knowledge, and gives you the right to use the specialized vocabulary.

And if you've rounded the Horn - you don't need to stand up when the King (Queen) enters the room

[weavis]

I went down to the boat dock this morning. My front rope thingy was not tied tightly to the metal oojamaflip tie up thingy. After I tightened it, I noticed the hard rubber torpedo thingies were squashed on the wood beam ends. I ignored them.

Going to the back of the boat, I climbed up the stairs into the open area of the boat where the steering wheel is. A lot of ropes were in there. Some were tight in clamps. I unzipped a bag holding the big sail on the smaller metal bar coming out at right angles to the big metal pole with metal rope thingies holding it in place.

Too many ropes and colours to worry about so I went down the steps and made my way to the kitchen and put on the kettle for coffee.

As it boiled I went to the toilet and was amused to see knobs and levers just to flush it. I pulled and twisted a few. The toilet emptied! Someone yelled at me "Holding tank idiot!" I have no idea whether he was holding a tank or not but I know I wasnt, so I smiled and ignored him as well.

Ah.. the boating life. I was asked to clean the Dorades, and I looked in the kitchen and could see no fish anywhere...... so I wont bother.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by weavis

I went down to the boat dock this morning. My front rope thingy was not tied tightly to the metal oojamaflip tie up thingy. After I tightened it, I noticed the hard rubber torpedo thingies were squashed on the wood beam ends. I ignored them.

Going to the back of the boat, I climbed up the stairs into the open area of the boat where the steering wheel is. A lot of ropes were in there. Some were tight in clamps. I unzipped a bag holding the big sail on the smaller metal bar coming out at right angles to the big metal pole with metal rope thingies holding it in place.

Too many ropes and colours to worry about so I went down the steps and made my way to the kitchen and put on the kettle for coffee.

As it boiled I went to the toilet and was amused to see knobs and levers just to flush it. I pulled and twisted a few. The toilet emptied! Someone yelled at me "Holding tank idiot!" I have no idea whether he was holding a tank or not but I know I wasnt, so I smiled and ignored him as well.

Ah.. the boating life. I was asked to clean the Dorades, and I looked in the kitchen and could see no fish anywhere...... so I wont bother.

Good humor post.

[captain58sailin]

Couldn't say for sure, but it stands to reason the painter is the painter because one would use the dinghy to paint the outside of your vessel and to keep the dinghy from floating away you would need to tie off the bow line of the dinghy.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

Couldn't say for sure, but it stands to reason the painter is the painter because one would use the dinghy to paint the outside of your vessel and to keep the dinghy from floating away you would need to tie off the bow line of the dinghy.

It's cognate to "pendant"; comes through French from Latin "pendere" -- to hang. So it's a "hanger-rope". See the article in Etymology Online.

Sent from my D6633 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[captain58sailin]

Okay it stands to reason the name was a bastardization of a real name.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

Okay it stands to reason the name was a bastardization of a real name.

As most (all) words in English.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_...uage_of_origin

[captain58sailin]

Yup, mostly by 'mericans. We can't be bothered with proper pronunciation too much werrrrrk.

[Exile]

Thank you DOCKhead, for another interesting & informative thread starter. And thank you DOC Weavis, for your ever-so-timely interjections of wisdom & humor (mostly humor).

On my old school center cockpit boat, if any cabin deserves the label "stateroom," it is probably the one behind the cockpit with its "queen island berth," its beautiful teak joinery, and it's own head, complete with separate shower, sink & toilet. But instead I've always referred to it as the "aft cabin." You know, wanna avoid pretension & all that. I do notice in yacht listings, however, frequent references to the "master cabin" & "owner's cabin." Well, la-de-da . . . .

Speaking of "yachts," I never knew the term didn't have the same sort of pretension in Europe & probably elsewhere that it seems to have in the U.S. Anybody know how that developed? Wiki just says the term was Dutch in origin, and referred to small, fast sailing vessels that were originally used to chase pirates in & out of shallow waters, etc. Later on, when sail power became more exclusive to recreational vessels, the term stuck I guess. Funny how in the U.S. it kept it's basic meaning (albeit also applied to recreational power vessels), but also somehow developed a different connotation. Probably because "yachting" was associated with affluence and upper crust society, I suppose.

[BandB]

Wifey B: We have a "Florida Room" at home. Guess that's a state room...