DICTIONARY OF

Keeler 190 Kentledge
Keeler. Man employed on a keel (craft). 2. Shallow tub that holds material for caulking
seams in a vessel.
Keel Hauling. Olden punishment in which an offender was lowered from one yard arm and
hauled under the keel by another halliard from the opposite yard arm.
Keelson. Internal keel fitted immediately above the main keel.
Keel Staple. Large copper staple fastening false keel to main keel in wooden ship.
Keep Her Away. Injunction to helmsman to keep ship's head from coming too close to
wind.
Keep Her So. Order to helmsman to keep ship's head on her heading when the order was
given.
Keep the Luff. Order to helmsman to keep ship's head closely to the wind.
Kelp. Large seaweed.
Kelpie. Fabulous spirit, generally in the form of horse, supposed to haunt ferries and fords.
Kelter. Good order and readiness.
Kelvin. Unit of absolute temperature, freezing point of water 273 K, boiling point of water
373K. The length of each unit being the same as on the Celsius scale.
Kelvin Deflector. See 'Deflector'.
Kelvin Sounding Machine. Apparatus by which a sinker can be dropped to sea bottom at
end of a wire, taking with it a glass tube sealed at upper end. Inside of tube is coated with a
chromate preparation which, as water is forced into tube, changes into a chloride through
action of salt in the water. When sinker is hauled up, the line of demarcation between
chromate and chloride is a measure of water pressure at seabed. This pressure is an
indication of depth.
Kelvin Tide-Prediction Machine. Apparatus by which tidal states and times, at any given
place, can be determined mechanically when the machine has been set to conform with the
harmonic tidal constants at the place.
Kelway Electric Log. Early type of submerged log. Rotator under bottom of ship sent
electric impulses to an inboard indicator.
Kempstock. Old name for a capstan.
Kennet. Old name for a large cleat.
Kenne. 'Kenning.'
Kennelly-Heaviside Layer. Atmospheric layer in stratosphere. Reflects radio waves at
night.
Kenning. Sixteenth-century sterm for a sea distance at which high land could be observed
from a ship. Varied between 14 and 22 miles according to average atmospheric conditions in
a given area.
Kentledge. Permanent pig iron ballast specially shaped and placed along each side of
keelson. Name is sometimes given to any iron ballast.