COAMING-CARLINGS. Those timbers that inclose the mortar-beds of bomb-vessels, and which are called carlings, because they are shifted occasionally. Short beams where a hatchway is cut.
COAMINGS OF THE HATCHES OR GRATINGS. Certain raised work rather higher than the decks, about the edges of the hatch-openings of a ship, to prevent the water on deck from running down. Loop-holes were made in the coamings for firing muskets from below, in order to clear the deck of an enemy when a ship is boarded. There is a rabbet in their inside upper edge, to receive the hatches or gratings.
COAST. The sea-shore and the adjoining country; in fact, the sea-front of the land. (_See_ SHORE.)
COAST-BLOCKADE. A body of men formerly under the jurisdiction of the Customs, termed Preventive Service, offering a disposable force in emergency; but which has been turned over to the control of the Admiralty, and now become the Coast-guard, over which a commodore, as controller-general, presides. (_See_ FENCIBLES.)
COASTER. _See_ COASTING.
COASTING, OR TO COAST ALONG. The act of making a progress along the sea-coast of any country, for which purpose it is necessary to observe the time and direction of the tide, to know the reigning winds, the roads and havens, the different depths of water, and the qualities of the ground. As these vessels are not fitted for distant sea voyages, they are termed coasters.
COASTING PILOT. A pilot who has become sufficiently acquainted with the nature of any particular coast, to conduct a ship or fleet from one part of it to another; but only within his limits. He may be superseded by the first branch-pilot he meets after passing his bounds.
COASTING TRADE. The commerce of one port of the United Kingdom with another port thereof. A trade confined by law to British ships and vessels.
COAST-WAITER. Custom-house superintendents of the landing and shipping of goods coastways.
COAST-WARNING. Synonymous with _storm-signal_; formerly fire-beacons were used to give warning of the approach of an enemy.
COAT. A piece of tarred canvas nailed round above the partners, or that part where the mast or bowsprit enters the deck. Its use is to prevent the water from running down between decks. There is sometimes a coat for the rudder, nailed round the hole where the rudder traverses in the ship's counter. It also implies the stuff with which the ship's sides or masts are varnished, to defend them from the sun and weather, as turpentine, pitch, varnish, or paint; in this sense we say, "Give her a coat of tar or paint." By neglecting the scraper this may become a crust of coatings.
COAT OF MAIL. The chiton shell.
COAT-TACKS. The peculiar nails with which the mast coats are fastened.
COB. A young herring. Also, a sea-gull. Also, a sort of short break-water--so called in our early statutes: such was that which forms the harbour of Lyme Regis, originally composed of piles and timber, lined with heaps of rock; but now constructed of stone compacted with cement.
COBB. A Gibraltar term for a Spanish dollar.
COBBING. An old punishment sometimes inflicted at sea for breach of certain regulations--chiefly for those quitting their station during the night. The offender was struck a certain number of times on the breech with a flat piece of wood called the _cobbing-board_. Also, when _watch_ was cried, all persons were expected to take off their hats on pain of being cobbed.
COBBLE, TO. To mend or repair hastily. Also, the _coggle_ or _cog_ (which see).--_Cobble or coggle stones_, pebbly shingle, ballast-stones rounded by attrition, boulders, &c.
COBBLER. An armourer's rasp.
COBBO. The small fish known as the miller's thumb.
COBLE. A low flat-floored boat with a square stern, used in the cod and turbot fishery, 20 feet long and 5 feet broad; of about one ton burden, rowed with three pairs of oars, and furnished with a lug-sail; it is admirably constructed for encountering a heavy swell. Its stability is secured by the rudder extending 4 or 5 feet under her bottom. It belonged originally to the stormy coast of Yorkshire. There is also a small boat under the same name used by salmon fishers.
COBOOSE. _See_ CABOOSE.
COCK. That curved arm affixed to the lock of small arms, which, when released by the touch of the trigger, flies forward and discharges the piece by percussion, whether of flint and steel, fulminating priming, needles abutting on the latter, &c.
COCKADE. First worn by St. Louis on his unfortunate crusade.
COCK-A-HOOP. In full confidence, and high spirits.
COCKANDY. A name on our northern shores for the puffin, otherwise called _Tom Noddy_ (_Fratercula arctica_).
COCK-BILL. The situation of the anchor when suspended from the cat-head ready for letting go. Also said of a cable when it hangs right up and down. To put the yards a-cockbill is to top them up by one lift to an angle with the deck. The symbol of mourning.
COCK-BOAT. A very small boat used on rivers or near the shore. Formerly the cock was the general name of a yawl: it is derived from _coggle_ or _cog_ (which see).
COCKETS, OR COQUETS. An official custom-house warrant descriptive of certain goods which the searcher is to allow to pass and be shipped. Also, a galley term for counterfeit ship-papers.--_Cocket bread._ Hard sea-biscuit.
COCK-PADDLE. A name of the paddle or lump-fish (_Cyclopterus lumpus_).
COCKLE. A common bivalve mollusc (_Cardium edule_), often used as food.
COCKLING SEA. Tumbling waves dashing against each other with a short and quick motion.
COCKPIT. The place where the wounded men are attended to, situated near the after hatchway, and under the lower gun-deck. The midshipmen alone inhabited the cockpit in former times, but in later days commission and warrant officers, civilians, &c., have their cabins there.--_Fore cockpit._ A place leading to the magazine passage, and the boatswain's, gunner's, and carpenter's store-rooms; in large ships, and during war time, the boatswain and carpenter generally had their cabins in the fore cockpit, instead of being under the forecastle.
COCKPITARIAN. A midshipman or master's mate; so called from messing in the cockpit of a line-of-battle ship.
COCKSETUS. An old law-term for a boatman or coxswain.
COCKSWAIN, OR COXSWAIN. The person who steers a boat; after the officer in command he has charge of the crew, and all things belonging to it. He must be ready with his crew to man the boat on all occasions.
COCOA, OR CHOCOLATE NUTS, commonly so termed. (_See_ CACAO.) It is the breakfast food of the navy.
COCOA-NUT TREE. The _Palma cocos_ yields _toddy_; the nut, a valuable oil and milky juice; the stem, bark, branches, &c., also serve numerous purposes. (_See_ PALMETTO.)
COD. The centre of a deep bay. The bay of a trawl or seine. Also, the _Gadus morrhua_, one of the most important of oceanic fishes. The cod is always found on the submerged hills known as banks; as the Dogger Bank, and banks of Newfoundland. (_See_ LING.)
COD-BAIT. The large sea-worm or lug, dug from the wet sands. The squid or cuttle, herrings, caplin, any meat, or even a false fish of bright tin or pewter. (_See_ JIG.)
CODDY-MODDY. A gull in its first year's plumage.
CODE OF SIGNALS. Series of flags, &c., for communicating at sea.
COD-FISHER'S CREW. The crew of a banker, or fishing-vessel, which anchors in 60 or 70 fathoms on the Great Bank of Newfoundland, and remains fishing until full, or driven off by stress of weather. Season from June until October. (_See_ FISHERIES.)
CODGER. An easy-going man of regularity. Also, a knowing and eccentric hanger-on; one who will not move faster than he pleases.
COD-LINE. An eighteen-thread line.
COD-SOUNDS. The swim-bladders of the cod-fish, cured and packed for the market; the palates also of the fish are included as "tongues and sounds."
COEHORN. A brass mortar, named after the Dutch engineer who invented it. It is the smallest piece of ordnance in the service, having a bore of 4-1/2 inches diameter, a length of 1 foot, and a weight of 3/4 cwt. They throw their 12-pounder shells with much precision to moderate distances, and being fixed to wooden beds, are very handy for ships' gangways, launches, &c., afloat, and for advanced trenches, the attack of stockades, &c., ashore.
COFFER, OR COFFRE. A depth sunk in the bottom of a dry ditch, to baffle besiegers when they attempt to cross it.
COFFER-DAM. A coffer-dam consists of two rows of piles, each row boarded strongly inside, and being filled with clay within well rammed, thereby resists outward pressure, and is impenetrable by the surrounding water. (_See_ CAISSON.)
COGGE. An Anglo-Saxon word for a cock-boat or light yawl, being thus mentioned in _Morte Arthure_--
"Then he covers his cogge, and caches one ankere."
But coggo, as enumerated in an ordinance of parliament (_temp._ Rich. II.), seems to have been a vessel of burden used to carry troops.
COGGE-WARE. Goods carried in a cogge.
COGGLE, OR COG. A small fishing-boat upon the coasts of Yorkshire, and in the rivers Ouse and Humber. Hence the _cogmen_, who after shipwreck or losses by sea, wandered about to defraud people by begging and stealing, until they were restrained by proper laws.