DICTIONARY OF

Lamp Trimmer 194 Laridae
Lamp Trimmer. Rating responsible for the trimming and care of oil and candle-lighting
arrangements.
Lanby. Large Automated Navigation Buoy. Increasingly used in place of a light vessel.
Land Blink. Gloomy-yellow light over distant ice-covered land.
Land Breeze. Wind blowing seaward from land after sunset. Due to land temperature of
atmosphere being below that of sea atmosphere. Sometimes applied to any off-shore wind.
Landfall. Land first sighted when approaching from seaward.
Landfast Ice. Ice that is fast to the land.
Landing. Overlap of strakes or plating.
Landing Account. Statement of goods landed at dock or wharf, and of charges for
warehousing and storing.
Landing Craft. Vessel built for the purpose of landing men or materials on a beach. Very
shallow draft forward, with bow door, and with engines aft.
Landing Order. Document authorising transference of goods from ship to shore.
Landing Strake. Second line of planking below gunwale.
Landlubber. Seaman's derogatory name for a landsman, or incompetent seaman.
Landmark. Shore object, sometimes especially erected, that assists seamen in identifying
their position when in sight of it.
Lands. Overlaps in planking of a clincher-built boat.
Land Waiter. Customs officer attending a vessel that is discharging a cargo liable to duty.
Land Wind. An offshore wind.
Lane. Narrow waterway through ice.
Langrage. Former missile used for destroying rigging of enemy ships. Was a bundle of
scrap iron, bolts, etc., and was fired from a gun.
Language Test. Examination of a seaman, engaged at a port within Home Trade limits, to
ascertain that he has sufficient knowledge of English to understand all orders he may be
given.
Lantern. Casing, with transparent sides, in which a light is carried,
Lanyard. Rope or cord used for securing or attaching.
Lap. Overlap of edge of one plate along the edge of another. 2. The cutting off of steam
supply to a piston before end of stroke.
Lapse Rate. Amount by which temperature of atmosphere alters with increase of height.
Usually about 0.6°C per 100 metres. Is positive if decreasing with height, negative if
increasing.
Lapstrake. Alternative name for 'Clincher' build of boats.
Larboard. Opposite to starboard. Formerly in general use, but supplanted by 'Port' to avoid
possible confusion due to similarity in sound.
Larbowlines. Nickname for men in port (larboard) watch.
Large. Said of a vessel sailing with wind abaft the beam but not right aft.
Laridae. One of the gull families. Are swimmers with slender beaks, lateral nostrils, long
wing span. Hind toe is a spur, and is not connected to outer toes. Plumage is usually white
with a certain amount of grey.