DICTIONARY OF

Bleed a Buoy 45 Blue Back
Blazer. In 1845 her captain, J. W. Washington, dressed his ship's company in blue and
white striped jerseys.
Bleed a Buoy. To make a hole in it and drain it of water.
Bleed the Monkey. Surreptitiously to remove spirit from a keg or cask by making a small
hole and sucking through a straw.
Blind Bucklers. Hawse hole stoppers that completely close the holes; cable having been
removed.
Blink. Pale yellow gleam in sky caused by light being reflected on cloud by ice. Rarely
produced by bergs unless they are flat topped.
Blister. Compartment built on outside of ship's underwater body to minimise effect of
torpedo on hull plating.
Blister Ship. Any ship fitted with blisters.
Blizzard. Strong wind accompanied with low temperature and snow.
Block. Grooved sheave working in a frame or shell. Used to alter direction of a rope or
chain, or to gain a mechanical advantage by reeving a purchase. Types vary largely, to suit
different purposes. They are classified by their special peculiarities. These are: number of
sheaves, number of scores, nature of stropping, nature and size of shell, etc. Wooden types
are: Common (taking a rope one-third their size), Clump (taking a rope half their size) and
snatch blocks. Sailing vessels may carry Sister, Fiddle, Fly, Tye, Furniture and other blocks.
Parts of block are: shell, sheave, strop, score, swallow, choke and pin. Loss of effort when
using blocks is from one-tenth to one-eighth for each sheave used.
Blockade. War operation to prevent approach to, or departure from, an enemy's territory or
coast, of all shipping and commerce.
Block and Block. 'Two blocks.'
Block Coefficient. Ratio that the immersed volume of a vessel bears to the product of her
immersed length, breadth and draught. Also termed 'coefficient of fineness'.
Blood and Guts. Name sometimes given to Union Jack.
Blood Money. Bonus sometimes paid—usually to a keeper of a seaman's boarding house—
for finding a seaman to fill a vacancy in crew.
Bloom. Piece of steel, in an intermediate state, having a sectional area of more than 36
inches. 2. An iridescent coating on iron or steel, usually known as 'Mill Scale'.
Blooper, Big Boy or Shooter. A very light large sail used in a yacht.
Blow. Gale of short duration. 2. Spouting of a whale.
Blubber. Thick coating of fat directly under skin of whales.
Blubber Guy. Strong triatic stay on old whalers. Tackles were made fast to it when
removing blubber from whales alongside.
Blubber Spade. Spadelike knife, with staff handle, used for cutting blubber from whales.
Blue Back. Chart produced by private firm and mounted on stiff blue paper. Although based
on Admiralty and other surveys they embody additions, omissions and alterations that are
intended to be helpful to those for whom they are produced. Introduced by Imray, Laurie,
Norie & Wilson, London.