Category Archives: Nautical Terminator

            “She’s ship shape and Bristol fashion,” says the old salt. What does he mean?             There are really two phrases here. The first, “ship shape,” has a relatively obvious meaning and can be traced back in usage to Sir … Continue reading →

Baseball and fishing have opening days for the season, but what opens? A gate? A bottle? In the case of sailing on San Francisco Bay there was once something that actually did open on opening day.           In many parts … Continue reading →

Tradewinds instructor Dan Seifers asked me the other day why we say “Roger” on the radio to confirm we’ve received a message. Why Roger, and not Reginald, or for that matter, Hermione?             If you go cruising you’ll probably want … Continue reading →

Last time we spoke of the odd pronunciations of some sailing terms. Today we will delve into some less certain ones.           Saloon: Some folks use “salon” when referring to the dining and lounging area belowdecks. Well, do you go … Continue reading →

I once heard Bugs Bunny derisively call someone a “maroon.” Bugs didn’t know how to pronounce “moron,” thereby proving he was one. Tradewinds’ BKB class introduces the word “bowline,” which is not pronounced like it looks. The “bow” should sound … Continue reading →

In this world of few certainties, there is one thing that I am certain of: I am not certain how the tides work. Oh, it’s the moon’s gravity, and I think the sun is involved. Well, then, how is it … Continue reading →

How hard is it blowing? I once used the phrase “it’s blowing like snot” in the presence of a Chesapeake sailor, who was horrified. He much preferred “blowing like spit.” Bay area sailors will have heard it said that it … Continue reading →