Re: [bolger] Re: Gaff/yard/upper spar.

There are some online nautical dictionaries and glossaries listed here:

http://www.boat-links.com/linklists/boatlink-19.html#words

On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:22:16 -0700, Joe T wrote:

> For those who care about proper nautical terminology here is a book you
> might enjoy. A Dictionary of Sailing, by F H Burgess. Written by a Brit
> for Brits....
>http://www.amazon.com/dictionary-sailing-Penguin-reference-books/dp/B0007DXYIA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278991475&sr=1-1


--
John (jkohnen@...)
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after
tomorrow. (Mark Twain)

For those who care about proper nautical terminology here is a book you might enjoy. A Dictionary of Sailing, by F H Burgess. Written by a Brit for Brits. But hey, English is the mother tongue even for us colonials. From the Forward: "The language of the sea, always part of our mother tongue, has been handed down to us all as the heritage of a seafaring nation." I would like to see that heritage respected.
Available at Amazon for a measly two bucks! (plus $3.99 shipping)
I found mine in a used book store for under a buck. Think of the fun of amazing your friends with a few of these more obscure terms.

http://www.amazon.com/dictionary-sailing-Penguin-reference-books/dp/B0007DXYIA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278991475&sr=1-1

Joe T

--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "John Kohnen" <jhkohnen@...> wrote:
>
> Ah, but the upper spar of a Sunfish lateen sail is a "yard." ;o) Alcort
> should have tried to get it right. Except for the yard of a gunter sail,
> the differences between yards, gaffs and booms are unambiguous, and have
> been for a long time. Sometimes with nautical terminology you've gotta
> take into account the period the speaker is referring to...
>
> On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:41:05 -0700, Will W wrote:
>
> > The Sunfish upper spar is called that because Alcort called it that from
> > their very first brochure. I disliked the term myself, and tried to get
> > Alcort to call it a gaff. It amuses me to listen to "purists" insist on
> > certain nautical terminology, since there has always been ambiguity in
> > sailor talk. Just try to find a definitive definition of "yawl," or
> > "vang," just to name two.
>
>
> --
> John (jkohnen@...)
> "Necessity is the mother of invention" is a silly proverb.
> "Necessity is the mother of futile dodges" is much nearer the
> truth. (Alfred North Whitehead)
>

Ah, but the upper spar of a Sunfish lateen sail is a "yard." ;o) Alcort
should have tried to get it right. Except for the yard of a gunter sail,
the differences between yards, gaffs and booms are unambiguous, and have
been for a long time. Sometimes with nautical terminology you've gotta
take into account the period the speaker is referring to...

On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:41:05 -0700, Will W wrote:

> The Sunfish upper spar is called that because Alcort called it that from
> their very first brochure. I disliked the term myself, and tried to get
> Alcort to call it a gaff. It amuses me to listen to "purists" insist on
> certain nautical terminology, since there has always been ambiguity in
> sailor talk. Just try to find a definitive definition of "yawl," or
> "vang," just to name two.


--
John (jkohnen@...)
"Necessity is the mother of invention" is a silly proverb.
"Necessity is the mother of futile dodges" is much nearer the
truth. (Alfred North Whitehead)