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X (Xray)  "Stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals."  . . Xebec (pronounced "zebeck"). A small three-masted vessel, lateenrigged, but with a square sail on the foremast and with an overhanging bow and stern, used in conveying merchandise in the Mediterranean and sometimes seen on the west coast of Spain. Once greatly used by the Barbary pirates.  A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z .   Y (Yankee)  "I am dragging my anchor."  Yacht. A recreational boat. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light, fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries. After its selection by Charles II of England as the vessel of choice to return to Britain from Holland for his restoration, it came to be used to convey important persons.  In modern use the term designates two rather different classes of watercraft, sailing and power boats. Yachts are different from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose, and it was not until the rise of the steamboat and other types of powerboat that sailing vessels in general came to be perceived as luxury, or recreational vessels. Later the term came to encompass motor boats for primarily private pleasure purposes as well.  Yacht lengths generally range from 8 metres (26 ft) up to dozens of metres (hundreds of feet). A luxury craft smaller than 12 metres (39 ft) is more commonly called a cabin cruiser or simply "cruiser." A mega yacht generally refers to any yacht (sail or power) above 30 m (98 ft) and a super yacht generally refers to any yacht over 60 metres (197 ft).   . . Yard. A spar suspended to a mast for the purpose of extending a sail. It is elevated by means of  a rope; and this rope is accordingly called a halyard (i.e., haul yard). In square-rigged vessels the yards go athwart the masts - i.e., at right angles to the keel line. In fore-andaft rig they run fore and aft, i.e., in a parallel with the keel. Yards take their names from the sails they carry: on a fullrigged ship there will be five on each mast. On the main mast the main yard, main topsail yard, main top-gallant yard, main royal yard, main sky-sail yard, and in rare instances a yard to higher sails called respectively the moon-raker and the jumper; and the same on the other masts, substituting for "main", the word "fore" or mizzen" as the case may be, with the exception that the lowest yard on the mizzen mast is known as the cross jack or crotched yard. The yard of a square-rigged ship is divided into two parts, each part being again sub-divided into four. The middle is called the sling; the end the yard arm; and the distance between these, the quarters. Hence we have the lst, 2nd, and 3rd quarters, and the 4th or yard arm, on each side. The yard arms are very frequently mentioned both at sea and in allliterature relating to it. It is from them that punishments (keel hauling, etc.), said once to have been practised in the British Navy, and most probably so in the Dutch, were performed. To the yard arm the braces are attached, which work or traverse the yards about the masts, and beyond them run out small booms which carry the studding sails, when set in fair weather.  To clear one's yardarm. To give an explanation of, or offer an excuse, for some action.  Brace the yards. To traverse them about the masts so as to present the sails at a proper angle to the wind.  Top the yards. To elevate one side by the lifts so that it is higher than the other.  Yards apeak. The yards topped in such a manner as to resemble the letter X; this was sometimes a sign of mourning.  Yard tackles. Tackles attached to the yard arms for lifting anything into the ship.  In fore-and-aft rig the word "yard" is less often used, but still there are several spars called yards; and rightly so, for they are both balanced to the mast and carry sails, and are swayed (lifted), moreover by halyards. Such are the:  Topsail yard (or gafftopsail yard) which extends the head of a big topsail.  Jack-yard. This is, generally speaking, a small yard, and in fore-and-aft rig it extends the head or foot of a sail beyond some other sail or spar. The term "jack" is rather indiscriminately applied by seamen; its general meaning, however, is "small" or "extra". Thus in a jack top-sail, the jack-yard is a pole standing in avertical position, its end rising beyond the head of the mast; while in a big or, as it is sometimes called, a spinnaker top-sail, the jack-yard is a small boom, at the foot of the sail, projecting beyond the guy-end of the gaff. (Both these are illustrated under the heading Jack.)  Booms and gaffs are not, properly speaking, yards; but a sprit, on the other hand, may be regarded as such. (See under Sprit.) The spars to which the heads of lug sails are bent are also called yards .  Yards must be kept in to the mast, or otherwise they would lift, and their sails become practically useless. They are, therefore, kept in by various devices, mostly in the form of hoops of iron or rope, called yard guides or parrels. A sprit is kept in place by fitting its heel into a loop called the snotter.  Yarn. Fibrous threads, which, being twisted together, compose the strands used in making a rope. 2. To converse.  Yarr. Acknowledgement of an order, or agreement. Also aye, aye.  Yaw. Yawing (of a sailing vessel) is deviating from the true course. A person who is careless or ignorant of the method of steering, keeps a boat "yawing" from side to side. Great care should be taken, therefore, by beginners, not to fall into this fault, which is considered quite unpardonable by yachtsmen.  Yaw sighted. Having a squint.  .  . Yawl (from Dutch Jol). A two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an additional mast (mizzenmast or mizzen mast) located well aft of the main mast, often right on the transom, specifically aft of the rudder post. (A vessel with the mizzenmast located forward of the rudderpost is called a ketch.) A mizzen sail (smaller than the mainsail) is hoisted on the mizzen mast.  The yawl was originally developed as a rig for commercial fishing boats, one good example of this being the Salcombe Yawl (a small traditional fishing boat built in Devon). In its heyday, the rig was particularly popular with single-handed sailors, such as circumnavigators Harry Pidgeon and Francis Chichester. It is a serviceable rig for cruising yachts, the boom extending beyond the taffrail, which therefore allows of the sail being easily reefed. The mizzen sail, too, has many advantages - it helps the hoat round when in stays; it keeps her steady in a rolling sea; it counteracts an overpress of head canvas; in going up to moorings, or in moving the boat only a short distance, it may be used with the aid only of a foresail; and, in a word, it renders the boat essentially a handy craft. But, on the other hand, the great loss of sail area sustained by placing a mizzen where, as in a cutter, the foot of the mainsail would extend beyond the taffrail, precludes it from being a fast rig; and for this reason, perhaps, the yawl is no longer so popular as it was, the cutter and sloop having superseded it.  Yawl (Dutch jol, a skiff). A vessel with two masts-main and mizzen, the mizzen being small and carrying usually only one sail. It is a serviceable rig for cruising yachts, the boom extending beyond the taffrail, which therefore allows of the sail being easily reefed. The mizzen sail, too, has many advantages - it helps the hoat round when in stays; it keeps her steady in a rolling sea; it counteracts an overpress of head canvas; in going up to moorings, or in moving the boat only a short distance, it may be used with the aid only of a foresail; and, in a word, it renders the boat essentially a handy craft. But, on the other hand, the great loss of sail area sustained by placing a mizzen where, as in a cutter, the foot of the mainsail would extend beyond the taffrail, precludes it from being a fast rig; and for this reason, perhaps, the yawl is no longer so popular as it was, the cutter and sloop having superseded it.  Yell (old term). A rolling motion.  Yellow flag. The flag carried by vessels in quarantine. Where this is seen it is wise to always pass to windward of it.  Yellowing. The passing over of captains at a flag-promotion. An old term for a malpractice which, perhaps, may not be altogether obsolete.  Yellow fever. An old term made use of in Greenwich Hospital, and denoting drunkenness .  Yoke. A fitting binding two parts together, as the yoke of a mast, commonly called the lower-cap. The lower aperture (in the trestle trees), or, often, a ring through which a topmast runs. (See Cap.)  Yoke of a rudder. The flat plate or tiller to which, in long, open boats, the rudder or yoke lines are attached. (See Rudder.)  Yoke lines. Another name for rudder lines.  York–Antwerp Rules of 1974. Established the standard basis for adjusting general average and stated the rules for adjusting claims.  Young gentlemen. On board a war-ship the midshipmen are thus termed.  Young flood (of the tide). The first of the rising tide.  Youngster. A fresh hand, or a young boy.  Yulo, yuloh. A long oar, or sweep, used by Chinese boatmen over the stern to propel sampans and small junks.  Yunker. Another name for youngster.  A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z .   Z (Zulu)  "I require a tug."  When made by fishing vessels operating in close proximity on the fishing grounds it means: "I am shooting nets."  With one or more numerals, time (UTC). (The first two denote hours and the rest minutes.) Zenith. The point directly overhead of any person.  Zephyr. The West wind: but in general conversation it often signifies only a light wind.  Zigzag. To steer short courses on either side of the intended course to mislead submarines ofthe ship's true direction of travel.  Zone Time. Time kept which is exactly a given number of hours ahead or behind Greenwich Mean Time. Easterly zones are labelled minus and westerly zones plus, and each is of 15° longitude, the distance the sun apparently travels in one hour.  Zulu Time. Time based on Greenwich Mean Time.

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z . . Email: jackvanderwyk@yahoo.co.uk