Three pounds of wordy fun
A book landed in my lap with a big thud a couple of weeks ago. It's called "The Sailor's Illustrated Dictionary," written by Thompson Lenfestey with help from his son Captain Thompson Lenfestey Jr.
This baby weighs in at three pounds at least, but is lighter than Chapman's Piloting and way lighter than Webster's. Lenfestey, author of the "Gunkholer's Cruising Guide to Florida's West Coast," has compiled more than 8,500 nautical terms and phrases used by boaters, sailors, Naval history enthusiasts and lovers of the sea.
Turns out this book came in handy the other day when I was enjoying some sun with a few acquaintances. A couple of old salts mentioned the word "baggywrinkles," and I had to ask "what are those?"
Contrary to what you are thinking, baggywrinkles are not the crinkles you get around your eyes and mouth from trying to find Can 11 or Bell 10 in the fog, or on those days when you cannot find your good eyeglasses or the binoculars have gone missing.
Baggywrinkle is a noun that, according to the Lenfesteys, is the "scruffy-looking padding used on shrouds to prevent chafing." Many sailors who opt to sail downwind, going or coming, may be missing a set of baggywrinkles ("bag wrinkle" is also used). In that case, their mainsail, whether on a catboat or sloop, may chafe against the spreaders or shrouds, wearing away the sailcloth to the point where it could rip in a big blow.
Owners of ketches and yawls may need two sets of baggywrinkles -- a set of at least two for the mainstays and a set for the mizzenstays. Owners of larger sailing and cruising boats, classic yachts and sailboats with unusual sail configurations, schooners and barquentines may need several sets of baggywrinkles to prevent wear and tear on the sailcloth.
So why is it that Messrs. Lenfestey add this advice in their definition of baggywrinkle -- "Baggywrinkle is never used in the plural."
Huh?
On the plus side, the Lenfesteys' book contains tons of information for armchair navigators. Pick any letter of the alphabet. OK, "Q" it is.
Q: a noun meaning "a classified message, usually secret, relating to navigational hazards such as mines, aids to navigation, and channels swept for mines." Could be there are a few Q-messages being sent in these days of heightened homeland port security.
Quarantine flag: another noun, with this definition: "the Q flag, a yellow square displayed by vessels entering a port. Q means 'My ship is healthy and I request free pratique (gotta look that one up).'
QQ: means "'My ship is suspect' or 'I have had infectious diseases more than five days ago,' or 'There has been unusual mortality among the rats on my ship.'" Yikes!
QL: means 'I have had infectious diseases less than five days ago.'" I certainly hope I haven't, because if I do, I'll have to stay aboard with those rats for at least five more days.
Queenie: a noun meaning: "a quadrilateral sail set on the triatic stay of the schooner." Oh goodie, more words to look up. The Lenfesteys definitely have a good thing going here.
Quickwork: n., That part of a vessel's hull that is submerged when loaded.
Perhaps what they meant to say is "that part of a vessel's crew that is submerged when loaded"?
There are hundreds more definitions which spawn more words you can spend countless hours checking out and memorizing until the wind and rain stops or you reach port, whichever comes first.
Not to be left out are the illustrations and tables -- 44 of them. Under "A," there are pictures of anchors, "B" has illustrations of bollards, bitts and cleats as well as buoys, "C" has nice renderings of a capstan, clouds, a compass card, and so on.
Back to pratique: "Permission or clearance to enter port after a vessel that has been outside the country has been examined by a port official who has established that the vessel has met health regulations and the crew and passengers can leave the ship."
The definition continues: "Free pratique is issued on white paper and indicates the vessel has met the requirements, and no further delays are required. Provisional pratique is issued on yellow paper and is conditioned upon additional specified procedures. Radio pratique may be granted 12 to 24 hours before a passenger liner arrives in port, provided an acceptable ship's doctor is aboard."
All clear, right?
Needless to add (but the Lenfesteys do anyway--, pratique comes from the French word of the same spelling meaning "practice."
"The Sailor's Illustrated Dictionary" could use more illustrations and lighten up the text a little bit, but, on a rainy day when you're stuck below or at home -- quickwork or not -- it can provide some fun, not to mention the backbone for a marathon game of sailor's scrabble.
"The Sailor's Illustrated Dictionary" is a product of the Lyons Press, a division of Globe Pequot Press, and costs $24.95.
FEELING LUCKY?
Armchair or real-world navigators can win a seven-night cruise for two aboard a Star Clipper yacht by entering the online Weems & Plath 75th Anniversary "Adventure in Navigation" contest.
Sponsored by the Boat Owners Association of The United States (Boat/U.S.), the contest starts Sept. 16 and runs for 75 days, commemorating the founding of Weems & Plath in 1928 by Captain Philip Van Horn Weems.
To enter the contest, register at http://www.BoatUS.com or at http://www.Weems-Plath.com. Each Tuesday during the contest period, six questions about famous explorers, navigation methods, the history of Capt. Weems and Weems & Plath products will be posted online for a total of 54 multiple choice questions. The contestants who compile the highest point totals by the end of November win and will be notified by December 16.
For a complete list of "Adventure in Navigation" contest rules, visit http://www.BoatUS.com or http://www.Weems-Plath.com.
Barbara Veneri is a columnist for the Standard-Times. You can contact her by e-mail at bveneri@hotmail.com.
This story appeared on Page E11 of The Standard-Times on September 14, 2003.
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