DICTIONARY OF

Cetacea 76 Chain Shot
Cetacea. Members of whale family, including dolphins and porpoises. They have warm
blood and suckle their young. Some have vestiges of legs.
Cetology. The study of cetacea.
Cetus. (Lat.=Whale.) Largest constellation in sky. Situated S of Aries. Has 97
discernible stars, two being of 2 nd mag., eight of 3 rd mag. and nine of 4 th mag.
Chain. Name often given to chain cable.
Chafe. To wear away through friction.
Chaffer. Said of a jib sail when it shivers in the wind.
Chafing Board. Piece of wood used to protect against chafing.
Chafing Cheeks. Wooden blocks without sheaves sometimes used in running rigging of
lightly rigged, small sailing craft.
Chafing Gear. Paunch matting, sennit, strands, battens, etc., put on mast yard, standing
rigging, etc., to protect against damage from chafe.
Chafing Mat. Any mat used as chafing gear, but particularly to paunch and thrum mats put
on yards to protect them from chafe by backstays.
Chain Boat. Boat used, in harbour, for recovering chain cable and anchors when slipped or
parted.
Chain Bolt. Iron bolt used when fastening chain plates and ends of deadeye chains to side
of a wooden vessel.
Chain Cable. Anchor cable when made of wrought iron.
Chain Ferry. A ferry which proceeds by hauling itself along a chain laid across a river or
channel.
Chain Gantline. Any gantline made of chain, particularly that rove through block at top of
funnel.
Chain Hook. Iron hook, with T handle, used when working cable. 2. Strong, two-pronged
hook used for temporarily holding cable, inboard end being secured to deck, 'Devil's Claw'.
Chain Knot. Succession of loops in rope, each loop being passed through previous loop.
Chain Lifter.* Former name for sprocket ring of capstan.
Chain Locker. Cable locker.
Chain Pipe. Strengthened hole in cable deck, and through which cable passes to locker.
Chain Plait. 'Drummer's Plait.'
Chain Plates. Plates on ship's side to take lower ends of links o bars passing upwards to
the chains. These plates take stress off shrouds, while chains give spread to the shrouds.
Chains. Projecting ledge on outside of vessel, abaft a mast, to which lower rigging is set
up and given increased spread. Name is also given to a platform for taking soundings with
hand lead: this was formerly done from the main chains.
Chain Shot. Two cannon-balls joined by a length of chain and fired simultaneously.
Used for destroying masts, spars and rigging. Invented by Admiral De Witt, 1666.