DICTIONARY OF

Contract Ticket 96 Coping
Contract Ticket. Document by which a shipowner contracts to carry a passenger other than
a steerage passenger. Minimum value £25, or £3 25s. for every 1000 miles of voyage.
Contra Propeller. Propeller-like fitting on fore side of rudder post and close to ship's
propeller. It redirects the flow of water from ship's propeller, so giving a 'ahead' reaction.
'Star' type had six blades originally; this has been reduced to two blades erected vertically.
Contributory Negligence. Neglect which, though not being directly responsible for an
accident, is one of the factors that made it possible.
Controller. Cast iron fitting, just abaft hawse pipe on cable deck, over which the cable can
run freely. Has a bed that can be lowered, so causing outboard end of link to be brought up
against a shaped portion that holds cable from further running out.
Controlling Depth. Minimum depth of water in an anchorage or channel.
Convection. Mode by which heat is propagated through a fluid. Heated mass rises and
unheated mass descends to source of heat.
Convectional Rain. Rain caused by surface layers of atmosphere expanding and rising, so
giving place to cooler and denser air. When rising air is charged with moisture, precipitation
occurs.
Conventional Signs and Abbreviations. The accepted and established symbols and
abbreviations used in a chart.
Convergence. Term used in meteorology to define a condition when more air flows into an
area than out of it. This causes air to rise and results in formation of clouds and, possibly,
precipitation of rain.
Convergency. Tendency to meet at a point. Particularly applied to meridians and their
inclination towards each other as they approach the pole.
Conversion. The changing of a vessel's class by alterations, reductions or additions.
Convex Iron. Rolled steel or iron having one surface flat and the other a raised arc of a
circle.
Convoy. Group of merchant vessels escorted by warship or warships.
Copernican Hypothesis. The view held by Copernicus regarding the solar system. He
called it an 'hypothesis' to avoid antagonising the Pope of Rome.
Copernican System. Placed Sun in centre and relegated Earth and planets to subordinate
positions. Considered Earth and planets to be joined to Sun by bars. Until Kepler and
Newton proved the falsity of this latter assumption the view of Copernicus was generally
accepted.
Copernican Theory. Later name for 'Copernican hypothesis'.
Coping. Former name for the turning of ends of iron lodging knees so that they hooked into
beams, thus easing strains on bolts when vessel rolled.