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Sagadahoc
Native American place name meaning " mouth of the big river," given to the mouth of the Kennebec River.
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Sailing directions
Originally called "routiers" or "rutters", written directions for navigation.
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Sailmaker
One who makes and assembles canvas articles used on ships and boats, such as sails, awnings, and covers. He attaches ropes and metal fittings to the canvas. On sailing vessels he was assisted by a sailmaker's mate, and was in charge of the upkeep of sails. He did not keep watch and was quartered with the carpenter and carpenter's mate.
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Saint Croix Island
Located on the Saint Croix River in Passamaquoddy Bay, below Calais, Maine, Saint Croix Island was the site of the first French colony in Northern North America in 1604. Other than the Norse effort six centuries earlier, there is no other evidence of earlier European colonies in the New England/ Canada area.
An unusually hard winter and ice stranded the French on the island and 35 of the 79 died of apparently of scurvy. With the coming of spring, the settlers moved to Annapolis Royal or Port Royal in Nova Scotia across the Bay of Fundy, beginning the continuous history of European colonization of America north of Florida.
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Salmon
A marine and freshwater food fish, inhabiting North Atlantic waters near the mouths of large rivers. Salmon are anadromous fish, entering rivers to spawn (lay eggs.) In Maine, salmon fishing was once a commercial, then a sport fishery; now wild salmon are an endangered species. Many are farm-raised.
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Saloon
The parlor or living room of the captain's cabin aboard a merchant vessel in the nineteenth century.
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Salt brine
Highly salted water.
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Salt dried cod
Cod that is cleaned, split or filleted, salted with a heavy layer of salt rubbed into the fish, then sun dried.
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Saltonstall, Dudley Dudley Saltonstall
1738-1796. Boston captain and merchant, and privateersman in the French and Indian War. He became the 4th ranking Captain in the Continental Navy in the Revolutionary War in 1775, and was given command of the Alfred, Commodore Esek Hopkins' flagship which successfully raided New Providence in the Bahamas for cannon. In 1779 he was made Commodore of the Penobscot Expedition, which ended in a disaster for which he was blamed and dismissed from the Navy. He then turned profitably to privateering.
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Samoset
c.1590- c.1653. An Abenaki who made contact with the Pilgrims in 1621. Native of the Pemaquid area, he may have been one of the Native Americans captured by Waymouth where he would have learned English; or he may have learned English from fishermen on the Maine coast.
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Sampan
A small, flat-bottomed boat found in the Orient that is narrow at the bow and stern but broad in the center.
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Sand glass sandglass
A means of measuring time on board ship before the development of reliable clocks for ships. Two vacuum globes connected by a narrow neck, allowing sand to run from the top globe into the bottom one in a given period of time. Maritime sand-glasses were supplied in four sizes: half-minute, half-hour, hour, and four-hour. The half-minute glass was used to estimate the speed of the ship in conjunction with the log, by measuring the amount of line that would run out from the ship as she went through the water during the half-minute glass period. To announce time, the ship's bell was rung every time a half-hour glass emptied itself.
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Sandalwood
Sandalwood, an aromatic, sweet-smelling wood, discovered growing in Hawaii (then called the Sandwich Isles) in 1790. By 1820 the sandalwood forests were so depleted that Hawaii was no longer involved in providing products for the China Trade. American interest in the Islands dated from the China Trade days, however, and eventually Hawaii was annexed to the United States. Hawaii became a state in 1959.
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Sardines
Small herring, preserved in oil or sauces and canned. Maine had many sardine factories.
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Sawyer
A person who saws wood as an occupation.
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Scale
Scale on charts and maps is the ratio of the map to the real world it depicts. On a 1:40,000 chart, a measurement unit like an inch is 40,000 of those units on the surface of the earth. Small scale charts cover a large area, but the features are small. Large scale charts show features in more detail but cover a smaller area.
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Scallop
Sea scallops are bivalve mollusks which differ from clams and mussels by being active free swimmers. They have symmetric fluted shells. They are caught with dredges. Maine's fishery became commerically viable around 1900 with the introduction of the gasoline engine.
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Scarf scarph
To join the ends of two timbers or metal parts to form a piece that appears continuous.
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School
A large collection of fish that swim together, usually near the surface of the water, such as herring, mackerel, smelt, and menhaden.
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Schooner
A sailing vessel of two or more masts, all fore-and-aft rigged. The Thomas W. Lawson, built in 1902, had seven masts. In comparison to a square-rigged vessel of comparable tonnage, a schooner is better for coastwise sailing.
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Score scored
A scratch or thin carved line incised in a surface so that later pieces break apart along this line.
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Scrimshaw
Carvings done by sailors using the jawbone or teeth of a whale or shark. The etched design was filled in with India ink or tar, then polished with sailmakers' wax and canvas. Scrimshaw includes etchings on bone, ivory, or shell. It was usually done on whaling ships. It is also used as a term to describe articles made of whalebone such as tools, kitchen implements and toys.
A person who makes scrimshaw is called a scrimshander.
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Scurvy
A disease marked by spongy gums, loosening teeth, and bleeding into the skin and mucous membranes, caused by lack of vitamin C.
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Sea shanty chantey
A rhythmic work song with a repeating chorus, often of a call-and-response format, used aboard ship to help with group tasks such as raising the anchor.
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Sea urchin
Echinoderm with a spine covered shell; feeds on algae. Roe is prized as a delicacy in the Far East. In 1987, a market for Maine sea urchins was developed in Japan triggering a sea urchin rush that severely depleted the resource. It is now tightly controlled but it is difficult to reestablish.
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Seaman
A sailor or mariner. Any person employed or engaged aboard ship, with the exception of the master, pilot, or apprentice. See Able-Bodied Seaman and Ordinary Seaman.
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Sears Island
The largest undeveloped island left on the east coast. Sears Island was originally called Brigadiers Island and was owned by Henry Knox. Later it was the site of a home belonging to David Sears, for whom the town of Searsport was named in 1845. Currently Sears Island is the subject of controversy about development plans.
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Second mate
The officer third in command aboard a merchant vessel, after the captain and first mate.
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Sedimentary sediment
In geology, refers to the kind of rock formed by sediment, or matter that settles to the bottom of water or is deposited by water, ice, or air. Limestone is a kind of sedimentary rock.
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Seine
Any long net, having floats at the top edge and weights at the bottom, and hauled by its ends to close around a school of fish.
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Seine boat
Seine boats are used to set the seine around a school of fish. In the past these have been rowed. American seine boats were 35-foot double enders, rowed with 6-8 oars, large enough to carry the net. Now they are powered.
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Sericulture
The process of making silk from the cocoons of silkworms.
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Serving
Wrapping a light line called marline around a wrapped (with tarred canvas) rope or wire, for preservation.
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Set a course
Setting a course is planning what course to steer, then setting out on it.
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Set sail
To begin a voyage. This term is used for mechanically-powered vessels as well as for sailing vessels. To set the sails on a vessel is to raise, open, and extend them to the wind.
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Sextant
A portable reflecting astronomical instrument for measuring angles. It is mainly used to measure the altitude of heavenly bodies at sea, but can also be used to determine horizontal angles between landmarks in order to fix a position. Developed in 1757 from Hadley's quadrant, it can measure angles up to 120 degrees, sometimes needed to measure lunar distances.
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Shackle shackles
A bow-shaped or U-shaped steel or iron fitting with a pin across the throat end, used as a connection between lengths of chain or to attach other fittings. Shackles used in the rigging have a threaded pin, and those used for joining lengths of anchor chain have a smooth heavy pin.
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Shad
American or atlantic shad are an anadromous fish traditionally caught in weirs or set nets along the Eastern Seaboard. They are the largest member of the herring family, and are often found in nets together with salmon. Damming rivers destroyed the shad fishery, as egg-bearing shad cannot jump, so do not use ladders put in for alewives and salmon. In Maine this is only a recreational fishery.
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Shaker
A member of the Millennial Church, originating in England in the middle of the 18th century and brought to the U.S. in 1774, advocating celibacy, common ownership of property, and a strict and simple way of life: so called from their practice of shaking during religious services.
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Shantyman
The crew member who led the shanty and sang the verses, making up new ones as needed.
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Share
A percentage of ownership. In the days of the Down Easter, ships were owned in sixty-fourths.
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Shark
Realtively few sharks are found in Maine waters, with the 3-4 foot dogfish the common species. Offshore in summer are found blue sharks in the 12 foot range. Other species are uncommon. With the passage of the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000, catching sharks for their fins for shark-fin soup in US waters has been prohibitied. However, that is a serious threat to shark species in other waters.
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Shark's fins
A delicacy used in soup in China. Finning is the practice of catching sharks for their fins alone. In the past fishermen have cut off the fins and returned the crippled and dying shark to the water, which generally meant that it would be eaten alive by its fellows.
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Shear legs shears
A temporary structure of two or three spars raised at an angle and lashed together at the point of intersection. With a tackle secured to this point, sheers are used to lift heavy weights on board ship where derricks are not available. Originally, the main use was for lifting in and out the lower masts of square-rigged ships.
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Sheet sheets
The controlling line attached to a sail.
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Shellfish shell fish
Common name for marine invertebrates: crustaceans such as lobsters, molluscs such as clams, echinoderms such as sea urchins.
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Shingles shingle
Thin pieces of wood laid in overlapping rows and used to cover the outside walls or the roof of a building.
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Ship
A vessel with three masts, all square-rigged.
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Ship carpenter ship's carpenter
A petty officer, responsible to the chief officer, whose duties include the opening and battening down of hatches and cargo ports, and maintaining wooden masts, spars, and decks. A ship's carpenter can also work in a shipyard, building vessels.
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Ship carver
The ship carver was a specialist in carving decorations on a ship such as figureheads, billetheads, and trail or name boards.
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Ship portrait
Marine painting featuring an accurate depiction of a vessel, usually commissioned by the owner or captain.
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Ship's clock
Clock aboard a ship that typically rings the time in bells, with eight bells every 4 hours, and one bell at a half hour after eight bells, marking the watches. Traditionally the ship's clock was reset to noon based on daily sun observations.
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Ship's time
Local apparent time which is reset every day at noon based on a noon sun sight. A ship's new day traditionally began at noon.
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Shipsmith
A person who makes a vessels' iron work.
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Shoal
A shallow area of water.
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Shogun shogunate
The title used in Japan for chief military officers, from the 8th through 12th centuries, and then applied to the hereditary rulers of Japan until 1868, when the shogunate was ended and rule returned to the emperor.
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Shooks stave
Barrel staves bundled for export. A stave is a narrow piece of softwood about 42 inches long, used to form the sides of the finished barrel.
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Shore
A prop or beam used for support during vessel construction.
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Shore whaling
Whaling method using boats that set out from shore and then processed the whales on shore. It was practiced in many areas where whales pass close to land.
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Shorten sail
To reduce the amount of sail, or canvas, used on a vessel.
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Shrimp
A small swimming crustacean, typically caught commercially by trawling. Maine's shrimp are northern shrimp, and the Gulf of Maine is at the southern limit of their range. The fishery is a winter fishery which began in the 1930s.
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Side heads
In the lobster fishery, the heads or funnel shaped nets that let the lobsters into the kitchen section of the trap.
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Sidereal time
The time derived from the motion of a star as it appears to revolve from east to west.
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Sight reduction tables
Tables that allow celestial sights to be transformed into a vessels' position using precomputed data. Data needed are the altitude of the body observed, the ships estimated or dead reckoning position, and the time. The only calculations needed are adding and subtracting. The process is called sight reduction.
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Silicosis
A lung disease caused by prolonged inhalation of silica dust.
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Silk
The thread made by silk worms to form their cocoons. The Chinese cultivated the mulberry tree, whose leaves the silkworms ate, and nurtured the eggs of the worms. After the worms spun cocoons and changed into moths, Chinese women unwound the cocoons into fine threads several hundred yards long, dyed them, and spun them into silk fiber. The thread was woven into a light, shiny cloth. Europeans were introduced to silk as a result of Alexander the Great's military campaigns in Asia. The ancient Greeks called the Chinese the "silk people."
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Silk Road
An ancient caravan route across Asia by which early European explorers traveled to China.
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Sloop
A sailing vessel with a single fore-and-aft rigged mast.
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Slop chest
Slops refers to ready-made clothing carried on board ship and issued to seamen, with the cost deducted from their wages.
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Smack
Term broadly applied to small fishing vessels. In the United States, a smack is a small fishing schooner or sloop engaged in the fresh fishery, formerly having a well to preserve fish alive. Often now used as a term for a motorized fish-carrying boat.
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Small lumber
Short items made by sawmills, including shingles and barrel staves
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Smelt
Small anadromous fish that is a food fish for other species. Netted in winter on both lakes and in tidal waters.
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Smith, Capt. John Captain John Smith
c.1580-1631. English soldier, sailor, and writer, who became the leader of the Jamestown Colony. Chiefly known in New England for his 1614 voyage in which he mapped much of the coast. He published the story of this voyage as "Description of New England" in 1616. It described the fishing, flora, fauna, inhabitants, and climate, and created the name "New England". This publication did much to promote New England as a destination.
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Snow Squall
Built in 1851 in South Portland, Snow Squall is the only American clipper for which there are any remains. Not a larger clipper, Snow Squall was 157 feet long, measured 742 registered tons and carried a crew of 18 to 20. She ended in 1864 when she ran aground near Cape Horn then sailed to the Falkland Islands where she was condemned and abandoned. In 1979 she was rediscovered in the Falklands, and in 1983 an archaeologial expedition returned her bow and other pieces to Maine. The bow section is now on view at the Maine Maritime Museum.
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Sonar
Derived from SOund Navigation and Ranging Device. An apparatus used in locating submerged submarines, consisting of a transducer and receiver attached to the hull of a ship. The transducer emits pulses of high frequency sound which pass through the water until reflected back by a solid object. The accurate measurement of the time between emission of a pulse and arrival of the returning echo gives the range of the object.
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Sounding
The name given to a depth of water obtained by a lead and line sounding machine, or echo-sounder, or by any other means. The figures on a maritime chart which indicate the depth of water are also known as soundings.
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Sounding machine
A mechanical device invented by Lord Kelvin by which the depth of the sea is measured. It consists of a drum of piano wire mounted on a framework on deck. A sinker is fastened to the end of the wire and allowed to run out until it touches the sea bottom, at which point a reading on the sounding machine indicates depth.
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Spanker
An additional sail hoisted on the mizzen mast of sailing ships to take advantage of a following wind.
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Spar
A round timber used for masts, yards, booms, etc.
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Spawn
The eggs of fish, or, as a verb, the laying of eggs by fish.
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Speaking tube
Speaking tubes are tubes use to convey voice between compartments. On small ships a speaking tube might be fitted between the bridge or wheel house and engine room.
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Specie
Coined money.
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Speculation
The process of creating a product or artwork without a commission or contract, then trying to sell it.
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Sperry, Elmer A. Elmer A. Sperry
1860-1930. American engineer and inventor best known for his work on the gyrocompass. In 1908 he patented the gyrocompass and in 1910 set up the Sperry Gyroscope Company to build it. After trials in 1911, orders began being taken for the gyrocompass. The technology was also adapted to gunfire control, autopilots and stabilization. During World War II, over 100,000 people were working for the company. It is now part of Northrup-Grumman.
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Spice Islands
Popular name for the Molucca Islands in Indonesia, for some centuries the only economically important source of spices such as cloves, nutmeg and mace.
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Splice
The method of joining tow ropes or wires together by unlaying the strands at the two ends and tucking or relaying them according to the nature of the splice required.
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Spoilum
Chinese artist active in Canton from around 1770-1805.
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Spray hood
A canvas hood stretched over a frame that keeps spray off the crew of a boat. Found primarily in small power boats.
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Spruce
An evergreen, coniferous tree related to the pine.
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Square sail
A trapezoidal-shaped sail laced to yards on square-rigged ships.
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Square-rigged
The arrangement of sails in a vessel where the main driving sails are laced to yards lying square to the mast. It is the oldest type of known rig. Such a vessel is called a square rigger.
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Stanchions
An upright post or support used to support the various decks of a vessel.
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Standing rigging
The lines that hold up the mast. They are wormed, parceled, and served for water-proofing.
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Star sights
Altitude observations of stars needed for celestial navigation.
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Starboard
The right-hand side of a vessel as seen from aft. The term is of Norse origin; the steering oar on a Viking ship was rigged on the right hand side.
Used also as a term to describe the second mate's watch on a sailing vessel.
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Static gear
Fishing gear which traps fish. It may be nets, weirs, or traps like lobster traps.
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Staves shook
The curved wooden parts of a cask or barrel, rabbeted at both ends to take the bottom and top.
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Staysail
A triangular fore-and-aft sail which is set by being hanked (fastened with small rings or hoops) to a stay (the part of the standing rigging which supports the mast) Staysails are set in both square-rigged and fore-and-aft rigged vessels.
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Steamer steamboat,steamship
A mechanically-propelled vessel in which the principal motive power is steam, as opposed to a sailing vessel or motorship. Steamboats traditionally were the sometimes sizable coastal steamers, while steamship referred to ocean going vessels.
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Stem
The foremost timber in a vessel, attached vertically to the keel.
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Stern
The after end of a vessel, built around the sternpost.
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Sternpost
The aftermost timber in a wooden vessel or steel piece in a steel vessel, forming the stern of the ship and joined to the keel by scarfing or riveting. Originally the rudder was hung on the after end of the sternpost, but today most ships have a separate rudder post.
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Steward
The person aboard ship in charge of provisions and aiding the cook.
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Storm
A wind with average speed of 48 to 63 knots.
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Stove-in
Pushed in; a vessel damaged from the outside.
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Stringer
A long horizontal piece in a vessel's structure.
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Striped bass
A migratory anadromous fish that moves up the Eastern seaboard, arriving in Maine in summertime. They live very near shore and are caught in surf or in rivers below head of tide. They are no longer plentiful enough in Maine for a commercial fishery.
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Suez Canal
A ship canal about 103 miles long, linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea. It opened in 1869 and was controlled by the British from 1875 to 1956. Its opening was the death blow to sailing ships heading for India. It was the cause of Middle East conflict and was closed until the U.N. intervened and reopened it in 1975.
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Sulphur sulfur
A non-metallic element used in chemical and paper industries, in rubber vulcanization, and in medicine for treatment of skin diseases.
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Sun sights
Altitude observations of the Sun needed for celestial navigation. Sights is generally referred to taking a sun sight, but means also takeing star sights at night.
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Sun time
The local time at any particular spot. It can be determined by instruments like sundials or by the time the sun is highest in the sky, which is local noon: the start of a ship board day.
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Sundial
A device that measures time by the position of the sun. Known from Ancient Egypt. For navigation special ones were developed that could tell local noon on board ship.
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Supercargo
The man charged with the mercantile business of a voyage and the protection of the owner's interests. Abbreviation of cargo superintendent.
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Surveyor of Pines and Timber
The British official who claimed New England's trees for the British king. White pines of appropriate size were marked with the "King's Broad Arrow" to warn others that these trees were claimed for use as masts for ships of the British Navy.
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Swordfish
A large ,warm water, highly migratory ocean traveling fish characterized by its sword. A summer visitor to the banks off the Maine coast. While the largest caught have been 1000 pounds, those that visit the Gulf of Maine are in the 50-60 pound range. Commericially the fish are caught on longlines or harpooned. With such a wideranging fish, fisheries regulation is difficult. It is considered to be overfished but recovering.
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