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Glossary

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	Bache, Alexander Dallas Alexander Dallas Bache 1806-1867. Graduated from West Point in 1825. Appointed second superintendent of the United States Coast Survey in 1843. Became first president of the National Academy of Sciences.

	Backstaff back staff, back-staff, Davis quadrant A navigational instrument for measuring the altitude of the sun, introduced in the 16th century. It got its name because, unlike the cross-staff that it replaced, the user has the sun behind him when using the instrument. Sailors also called a Davis Quadrant after the inventor John Davis who published it in 1595 in his Seaman's Secrets.

	Bag net A net set in a river, attached to a rectangular wooden frame. The frame is then attached by guy lines to a large cement block or boulder to keep it from shifting. As the incoming tide opens the net, fish swimming with the current are caught inside. The net is pulled up at the highest point of tide. Used for smelt.

	Bait bag Net bag in a lobster trap in which the bait is put.

	Baltimore clipper A sharp-built topsail schooner or brig-rigged vessel with tonnage from 90 to 200 tons, about 100 feet long. The masts were raked to preserve a balance of sail, the hull had a sharp V section and cutaway ends. Ill suited for carrying cargo, it was faster in light and moderate winds than most other vessels. The type reached its height of development in the War of 1812 in which Baltimore clipper schooners played a major part as privateers, posing a major threat to British merchant shipping. The type inspired later clipper ship design.

	Bangor and Aroostook Railroad This rail line was formed in 1891 to combine the lines of the Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad and the Bangor and Katahdin Railroad. It was based in Bangor. Lines went to Oakfield, Houlton, Madawaska, Presque Isle, and Searsport. It was sold in 1995 and declared bankrupt in 2002. It is now the Montreal, Maine, and Atlantic Railway under the ownership of Rail World, Inc.

	Banks As a nautical term, banks are shallow areas which are often prime fishing grounds.

	Barbary corsairs Corsair was the term usually used to describe the piratical vessels of the coast of northern Africa, manned by Berbers (hence the name Barbary). Unlike real pirates, these were sponsored by small countries in that area. Many countries bribed these Algerian states to leave their merchant vessels alone. The Barbary Corsairs or Barbary pirates were known for their ferocity and skill. Piracy off the Barbary Coast took place in the 17th,18th, and early 19th centuries. Protecting American merchant vessels from them was a major impetus for the creation of the United States Navy and led to the first Barbary War from 1801 to 1805. They were finally eliminated after the French conquest of Algiers in 1830.

	Barge The general name given to a flat-bottomed rigged or unrigged craft with a full body and heavy construction. Usually for transportation of bulky freight such as coal, lumber, sand, or stone.

	Bark A sailing vessel with three masts; square-rigged on the fore and main masts and fore-and-aft rigged on the mizzen.

	Barkentine A sailing vessel with three masts; square-rigged on the fore mast and fore-and-aft on the main and mizzen masts.

	Barrel header In barrel making or coopering, the person who puts the top and bottom (the head or heading) on a wooden barrel.

	Basque People inhabiting parts of France and Spain, on the western edge of the Pyrenees, near the Bay of Biscay.

	Bateau bateaux French for boat. A term used in North America to designate various types of small craft. In Canada and New England, a double-ended, flat-bottomed rowing boat used on rivers and lakes; specialized bateaux were used by lumbermen in driving logs down rivers.

	Bath Iron Works Established in 1884 by Thomas Hyde in Bath, Maine to consolidate his various maritime companies. He had begun in 1865 with an iron foundry and machine shop to build engines and ship machinery, which became the Hyde Windlass Company. Began ship building in 1888 and continues ship building today with the United State Navy its primary customer. Now owned by General Dynamics Corporation.

	Battle of Quebec In 1759, the British and Americans defeated the French and Indians at the Battle of Quebec, ending French rule in Canada and French influence in Eastern Maine.

	Beam The transverse measurement of a ship at its widest part; (2) A term used to indicate direction in relation to a ship, as is on the beam (abeam) for something whose direction is at 90 degrees to the vessel (3); One of the transverse members of a ship�s frame on which the decks are laid. In wooden vessels, beams are supported on the ship�s sides by right-angled timbers known as knees, and in steel ships by steel brackets or stringers. The depth of a beam is called its moulding, and its width is its siding.

	Beam trawl A trawl or towed net whose mouth is held open by a long beam.

	Bearing The horizontal angle between the direction of true north or south and that of the object of which the bearing is being taken. When the bearing is taken by a magnetic compass, subject to variation and deviation, it must be corrected before true bearing is obtained.

	Beaufort, Francis Sir Francis Beaufort 1774-1857. Irish hydrographer and Royal Naval officer. During his naval career in the Napoleonic Wars during which he rose to captain, he surveyed when he could. In 1829 he was given the appointment of Hydrographer of the Navy and oversaw the creation of a Hydrographic Department which made Admiralty Charts the standard to which other chartmakers aspired. He is still remembered for his creation in 1805 of the Beaufort Scale to measure wind and sea conditions.

	Beche-de-mer sea cucumber, trepang Beche-de-mer, or sea cucumbers, are sea-dwelling animals, a echinoderm like starfish. In Asia, where they are considered a delicacy, they are dried and pulverized and used in foods. Sea cucumbers contain chondroitin, thought to help joint pain and stiffness from arthritis, so are in demand for supplements also, although there is no documented proof of effectiveness. The sea cucumber grows slowly, raising concerns about management of their harvest. Commercially, it is also known as trepang.

	Benthos Organisms (plants, animals, and bacteria) that live on or in the sea floor. Familiar examples would be shell fish, crabs, lobsters, sea anemones, sea urchins, starfish.

	Bill of Lading A document issued by a carrier, such as a ship's master, acknowledging that certain goods have been taken on board for delivery to a specific person or place.

	Billethead A carving, usually a scroll attached to the bow under the bowsprit of a vessel. When it is a representational figure it would be called a figurehead.

	Bird's nest soup A delicacy in Asia for over 400 years. The soup is made from swiftlet nests, found in Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, and Australia. The Chinese believed the nests to have great nutritive and medicinal properties, although this has largely been discounted by scientific analysis.

	Birdseye, Clarence Clarence Birdseye 1886-1956. Developed the quick food freezing process after watching Inuit use freezing to preserve food in Labrador. He started a company in 1924 to develop quick-freezing machines for his newly-established General Seafoods Company in Gloucester, Massachusetts. His system reached practicality in 1926. In 1930 after selling his company it was established as Birds Eye frozen foods with the first products appearing. His work led to the frozen fish market.

	Blacksmith A craftsman who creates items by heating, cutting, and shaping iron or steel.

	Block A pulley, consisting of a frame or shell which supports a sheave or roller, over which ropes are run. There are many kinds of blocks. Blocks with ropes run through them form a tackle.

	Blubber The layer of fat found under the skin of marine mammals like whales, porpoises and seals. It stores energy and serves as an insulator. Heated, it can be rendered or melted into oil.

	Blue Willow A blue and white porcelain design, introduced in England in 1780, based on a Chinese legend. It traditionally shows a house, willow trees, a bridge, and Chinese figures.

	Blueback chart Blueback charts were the names given to charts published by private chart makers in the 19th century such as Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson, in Britain and Blunt in the United States. They take their name from the reinforcing backing of heavy blue paper that these charts had, something not found on government charts.

	Bluefish A migratory schooling fish species that ranges from Nova Scotia to Florida. It is a voracious fish, feeding on other species such as mackerel and herring. Found on the Maine coast in summer.

	Blunt, Edmund M. Edmund M. Blunt 1770-1862. Publisher of nautical books and charts based in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Began publishing The American Coast Pilot in 1796 under the nominal authorship of a Captain Lawrence Furlong. Became publisher of Bowditch's New American Practical Navigator. After moving the business to New York in 1811, his work continued with his sons Edmund Blunt and George William Blunt. The former was also a surveyor for the Coast Survey, and after Alexander Dallas Bache became superintendent, a relationship developed that allowed the Blunts to publish data collected.

	Board foot A unit of measure used in the American timber trade. One board foot refers to a piece of unmilled wood 1 foot x 1 foot x 1 inch, or 144 cubic inches. Twelve board feet equal one cubic foot.

	Boat A small watercraft used for transportation, fishing or recreation. Some boats are powered by sail, some by motor, and some by paddles or oars. A boat is small enough that it may be lifted onto a larger vessel. But submarines are also called boats. Different types of boats designed and built for different purposes. Traditional boats may vary widely in size and style as they were developed by a local culture for work in a particular trade or region. Boat types that could be carried on ships could spread widely around the world.

	Boatswain bos'n Pronounced �bos�n,� the leading petty officer of the deck crew of a merchant ship, in charge of equipment and the crew.

	Boatswain's locker bos'n's locker Also Bos'n's Locker. A small compartment for tools and materials for repairing or making up rigging or cargo gear.

	Borderlanders Scotch-Irish Scottish families living in Northern Ireland. Also called Scotch-Irish. Many Maine settlers were from this group of people, who were known for their toughness and ability to live on the frontier.

	Bounty A Federal fisheries subsidy, a grant to cod fishermen, from 1792 to 1866. An annual allowance based on vessel tonnage paid to cod fishermen actively fishing for at least four months of the year. In Maine, its major effect was after about 1830, and it formed an important part of cod fishing vessel's earnings. Amendments in 1819 encouraged the kinds of smaller vessels found in Maine.

	Bow Forward part or head of a vessel.

	Bowditch, Nathaniel Nathaniel Bowditch 1773-1838. American scientist, captain, navigator and mathematician. During his voyages at sea, he recomputed many of the English navigational tables then in use. The task of revising these for publication was so great that Bowditch decide to write his own book, The New American Practical Navigator, published in 1802. It is still in use in a modern edition.

	Bowsprit Spar projecting forward from the stem of a sailing vessel, for the purpose of extending the head sails and keeping the sail plan balanced.

	Boy Youngster serving on a merchant or fishing vessel in order to acquire the necessary training to become a sailor.

	Brace Rope that controls the horizontal motion of the yards, or (verb) to swing or turn around the yards of a ship by means of the braces.

	Breakwater A wall or other structure designed to protect a harbor or anchorage from the waves of the open sea.

	Breed stock In fishing, the fish that are mature enough to actively breed and produce young. When the number of fish gets too low, the breed stock may not be enough to replenish the fishing population.

	Brig Vessel with two masts; both square-rigged.

	Brigantine Vessel with two masts; the fore mast square-rigged and after mast fore-and-aft rigged.

	British East India Company A joint stock company that was granted a Royal charter in 1600 to challenge the Dutch-Portuguese spice trade monopoly and given a monopoly to trade with India. It was eventually transformed from a trading company to the ruler of India, until the British government took over India in 1858.

	Buntline One of the lines hauling the foot of a sail above and forward of the yard for convenience in furling.

	Buoy A floating object designed for a special purpose often anchored to the sea bottom. Buoys range in size from large navigational buoys to lobster trap buoys.

	Bycatch Marine organisms that are caught unintentionally when fishing, usually by towed nets. A bycatch can be very large and is usually discarded, something that is now being seen as wasteful and ecologically damaging.