Terminology: Portlight vs Porthole

[SvenG]

Ok, now I don't feel so bad about not knowing the difference, but I'm not sure I feel any wiser

Thanks to all.


Should I now bring up the mis-use of jibe as being on a "port jibe" ?

How about the invention of the pushpit to complement the proper term pulpit ?




-Sven

[goboatingnow]

given that its spelled Gybe. what "mis" in port Gybe.

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

given that its spelled Gybe. what "mis" in port Gybe.

I'd looked that up too and both spellings appear to be accepted. In Swedish it is "Gipp" which had made me spell jibe with a "G" until I got corrected. Can't win


-Sven

[Astrid]

Here again, gybe is more common in England while jibe is more common in the americas: as Churchill (I think) said, two countries separated by a common language.

[dcstrng]

Originally Posted by osirissail

If you look at the marine catalogs of yesteryear you will see that "portlights" are fixed glass prisms or transparent material that is permanently mounted mostly in a deck to allow "light" into a dark area of the boat. They do not open. A "port hole" is an "open-able" window in the side of the vessel. In the ancient days they were round but now are mostly rectangular.

Yep, that's how I remembered it... didn't realize it hand changed...

[JTB]

CHAPMAN PILOTING, 58th edition, page 20:
Portholes and Portlights
On a boat, a PORT (or PORTHOLE) is an opening in the hull to admit light and air. The glass used in it to keep the hull weathertight is termed a PORTLIGHT if it can be opened, and a DEADLIGHT if not.

[hellosailor]

"The glass used in it to keep"

That's clearly an obsoleted reference. These days, the correct term would be "the glazing used" since glass is not the only glazing used. And under Chapman's definition, then hatches must be "ports" since they are in the hull for those same purposes. Or if the deck isn't part of the hull, what of the windows in the cabin sides?!

[ssanzone]

deck prisms are awesome.

-s