DICTIONARY OF

Half Minute Glass 162 Hand Log
Half Minute Glass. Sand glass that takes half a minute to run down. Used when timing a
ship log and line.
Half Moon. Phase of moon when at first and third quarters; and half of disc being
illuminated.
Half Poop. Low poop about 4 ft. in height.
Half Port. One of two ports, each having a semicircular piece cut away so that they could be
closed around a protruding gun.
Half Round Strip. Rolled steel or iron bar having a semicircular section.
Half Sea.* Old name for 'mid channel'.
Half Tide Rock. Rock that is covered between half flood and half ebb of tide.
Half Timber. Short futtock in those parts of a wooden ship where the bottom is inclined, not
flat.
Halliards. Ropes by which sails, yards, flags, gaffs, etc., are hoisted.
Halo. Circle of light around a luminous body. Particularly applied to such a circle around
Sun or Moon when due to refraction caused by ice crystals in atmosphere.
Halshed Chain. Chain sling or strop in which one end of chain is rove through an open link
in other end.
Halyards. 'Halliards.'
Hamal. Star Arietis. S.H.A. 329°; Dec. N23°; Mag. 2-2.
Hambro Line. Hard laid, three yarn small stuff, generally tarred. Used for lashings, seizings
and for lacings of sails of small craft.
Hammock. Rectangle of special type canvas that contains the naval seaman's bed.
Hammock Clews. Twelve lengths of nettle stuff, middled and seized in the bight, which are
attached to ends of a naval seaman's hammock so that it can be extended between hooks in
beams.
Hammock Cloth. Canvas cover over hammock nettings.
Hammock Hooks. Small hooks screwed into beams of warships for the slinging of
hammocks.
Hammock Lashing. Length of small rope with which a naval rating's hammock is lashed
up, with seven turns, when not in use.
Hammock Netting. Small compartment, in a warship, for stowage of hammocks. Formerly,
were two rows of netting above bulwarks. Hammocks were stowed between them to form
protection against small arms fire and splinters when in action. Hand. Any one member of a
crew. Hand the Log. To haul inboard the logline and rotator. Hand a Sail. To furl a sail.
Hand Gear. Alternative means by which a machine, usually actuated by power, is actuated
by hand.
Hand Lead. Sounding lead, weighing between 10 and 14 Ib., by which sea soundings may
be taken by one man in depths not exceeding 20 fathoms (about).
Handling Ship. Manoeuvring and controlling a vessel by engines, or sails, and helm
movements.
Hand Log. Name sometimes given to common log and log line, to differentiate is from
mechanical logs.