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Here's some basic river terms for all you wanna be river rats. ABOVE... further upriver ABREAST... side by side, even with ADRIFT... floating free, not moored, loose AFT... toward, at ,or near the stern; behind a vessel AFTER WATCH... the twelve to six shift on a boat, headed by the pilot AGROUND... afloat but resting partially on the bottom AHEAD... toward the bow; forward; in a forward direction; in front of ANCHOR LIGHT... white all-around light displayed by a vessel at anchor ASSHOLE... tight kink in a wire AWASH... just visible above water; nearly submerged BACKING WIRE... (1) a lashing running forward from the push string to the drag string.(2) a wire from the stern corner of the tow to the side of the towboat; also called WING WIRE BALLAST... weight placed aboard a vessel to improve her stability, trim, or handling. A boat may be ballasted aft to keep her props submerged BANK... land along the river; the shoreline BARGE... non-powered cargo or work vessel BEAM... maximum width of a hull; also called BREADTH BEND... (1) a curve in a river (2) a knot, i.e., an anchor bend BEND SIDE... the concave outside of a river bend with faster current and deep water also called OUTSIDE A BEND BEND SIGNAL... one long whistle blast sounded when approching a blind bend or other obstructed position BILGE... lowest place in a hull where water collects BILGE KNUCKLE... rounded corner where the side meets the bottom of a hull BILGE WATER... water which collects in the hull BITCH BOX... intercom system BITT... short, heavy post on the deck to which lines are attached; may have a crossbar; often installed in pairs BLOCK... pully with one or more sheaves BOAT HOOK... long pole with a hook at the end used for picking up lines that are out of reach BOIL... riffle on the surface caused by current running over a submerged bar or other obstruction BOILER DECK... second deck of a steamboat BOONDOCKS... a rural area; a hick town BOW... forward end of a vessel BOW LINE... a line leading forward from the bow BOWLINE...(BO-lin) a knot forming an eye that will not slip or jam and is easily untied BOW PIECE... barge with a long streamlined bow rake designed as the lead barge of a unit tow BOW STEERING UNIT... small barge with a remote controlled propulsion unit to provide sideways thrust for the head of a long tow; used mainly on the lower Mississippi BOX BARGE... barge with two square ends BREAKAWAY... going adrift of moored barges usually caused high water or ice, but sometimes due to the wake of a passing vessel, or because they were not properly secured BREAK COUPLING... connection where a tow is separated for a double lockage BREAST LINE... mooring line leading directly abeam BREAST WIRE... hard lashing run athwart ships between two barges BROAD... at a 45 degree angle as, "broad on the bow" meaning 4 points or 45 degree abaft the bow BUCKET... horizontal paddle on a paddle wheeler; also called bucket plank BUCKLE... to kink or break especially with reference to a barge hull BULK CARGO... commodity shipped loose, such as coal, grain, or gravel rather than in containers BULKHEAD... (1) vertical wall or partition in a hull (2) a retaining wall along the shore as at a wharf BULLNOSE... rounded end of the middle wall in a two chambered lock BULL ROASTER... a towboat cook BULWARK... waist high coaming at the edge of the main deck; more common on tugs than towboats BUMPER... a fender, old truck tire, or other object used to cushion and protect the side of a hull BUTT LINE... soft line at the end of a face wire for winding on a capstan BUTTON,,, a low round deck fitting shaped like a mushroom; fixed buttons secure line while roller buttons act as fairleads CABIN... (1) stateroom or bunkroom (2) entire superstructure of a towboat CABIN DECK... second deck of a towboat where crew quarters are located CABLE... (1) heavy wire rope (2) electrical wire with multiple conductors (3) a length of 600 foot CAMEL... heavy timber fender used alongside a wharf CAN BUOY... floating marker with a flat top painted green or black. Marks the righthand limit of the channel CARRY AWAY... to break or seperate, as a line or fitting CAST OFF... to release or untie a line or vessel CATCH OUT... to strand on a falling river; a vessel may be caught out it moored along a sloping bank and the lines are not slacked as the water goes down causing the hull to go hard aground on the inboard side. This makes the vessel heel, and if not corrected, the outboard gunwale will go under and the vessel will founder CATHEAD... horizontal spool or capstan for pulling lines; also called a GYPSY CEILING... inside lining of a hull CHASIN' FROGS... running aground CHEATER... short length of pipe used for additional leverage on a ratchet CHECK... to slow or stop a barge or tow by rendering a line belayed on a kevel or timberhead COAMING... (1) raised barrier around a hatch or hold to keep water from sloshing in (2) high sides around a hopper of a covered barge (3) the cargo box on a deck barge CREST... (1) top of a fixed dam (2) highest river stage reached during a raise after which the level falls CUT LOOSE... cast off all lines DANGER SIGNAL... five or more short rapid blasts of the whistle, intended as a warning DAVIT... light boom shaped like an inverted letter J which can swing over the side for hoisting DAY MAN... on the old boats, a man who worked from 0600 to 1800 every day DAY TANK... small tank used to settle out dirt and water from the fuel before it is consumed by the engines DEADHEAD... (1) to run without barges also called LIGHT BOAT (2) a non-paying passenger (3) watersoaked log with one end awash; a snag DEAD MAN... heavy anchor, usually concrete, embedded in the river bank to secure a mooring line or a tieback of a wall DEPTH... vertical distance from the water surface to the river bottom DERELICT... a drifting or abandoned vessel DINNER BUCKET BOAT... small harbor boat with no crew accommodations or galley DISPLACEMENT... total weight of a vessel at any time; equal to the weight of the water displaced by the hull; usually stated in short tons for river vessels DOCTOR... auxiliary steam pump used to inject boiler feed water DOG DOWN... to fasten securely, as a hatch cover DOG HOUSE... (1) storage room for rigging at the forward end of the deckhouse (2) operator's cab on a dredge or derrickboat DOLPHIN... (1) round cluster of wood piling lashed together (2) a cylindrical steel structure used as a mooring or protective barrier DONKEY DICK... baloney or other sandwich meat DOUBLE LOCKAGE... transiting a lock by splitting the tow in two smaller sections which will fit into the chamber DOWN BOUND... proceeding in the direction of the flow DRAFT... (1) vertical distance from the water surface to the deepest part of the hull (2) cross current DUCK POND... open space in a tow ahead of the boat or between two barges in a string EDDY... (1) small whirlpool or countercurrent (2) area of slack water, as under a point or below a bend FACE UP... to bring the head of the boat up against the stern of the tow and secure it with the face wires FACE WIRES... steel cables from the head winches or capstans used to connect to towboat to the barges FANTAIL... rounded stern of a boat FLARE... outward slope of a vessel's side from the knuckle up to the sheer, especially forward FLAT... small deck barge usually with low freeboard FLEAS... jet skis and similar small motorboats FLEET... group of moored barges FLOP... to turn a barge end for end FORE AND AFT WIRE... hard lashing between the ends of two barges in a string FORWARD WATCH... work shift from six to twelve on a towboat also called CAPTAIN'S WATCH FOUNDER... to sink to the bottom FREEBOARD... vertical distance from the gunwale or sheer to the water surface FROG HAIR... what something very nice is finer than GANGWAY... boarding ramp GIVE-WAY VESSEL... vessel in a meeting or crossing which is required by the Rules to yield the right-of-way; formerly called burdened, also called STAND-ON VESSEL GRAY WATER... water from sinks and showers GRID COOLER... heat exchanger recessed into the side or bottom of the hull for engine cooling GROUND... to hit bottom or 'GO AGROUND' GUARD... narrow side deck of a towboat GUARD CHAINS... vertical chains hung from the second deck overhang down to the gard used to support safety lines along to deck GUARD LIGHTS... lamps installed along the side of the deckhouse to illuminate the guards GUNNEL... (1) narrow side deck of a hopper barge (2) top edge of a small boat hull HALF HITCH... the simplest knot made by taking a turn around an object and tucking the running end through the turn; usually tied as part of a more complex knot, ie, two half hitches, anchor bend HARBOR BOAT... small towboat used for short haul towing and fleeting work HARD DOWN... full deflection of rudder in either direction HARD RIGGING... barge connections using wires and ratchets rather than soft lines HEAD... (1) bow of a boat or barge (2) a toilet or restroom (3) pressure exerted by a liquid at any given depth HEAD LOG... heavy structural framing across the bow of a barge or towboat HEAVE TO... come to a stop in mid river HEEL... temporary sideways tilt of a vessel HEEL OUT... to twist the head of the tow out toward mid channel with the stern corner of the boat or tow hard against a lock wall or other fixed object HELPER BOAT... harbor boat used to pull out the first cuts of multi-part lockage HOG CHAINS... fore and aft stays running above the deckhouse of a sternwheeler to stiffen the hull and prevent excessive bending or buckling HOOPIE... a hillbilly or yokel; a riverman from Kentucky or West Virginia INSIDE OF A BEND... short convex side of a river bend where the current is slower the the water is usually shallower INTEGRATED TOW... combination of a towboat and one or more specially designed barges operated as a combination. Also called a COMPOSITE TOW and UNIT TOW JEWELRY... ratchets, chains and wires for barge rigging JOCKEY WIRES... crossed wire lashings similar to spring lines between the sides of two barges in a tow JUMBO BARGE... most common barge used on the rivers; 35 feet wide by 195 or 200 feet long with a cargo capacity of 1200 to 1500 tons KANAWHA RIVER RATCHET... tightening of a doubled line by twisting with a bar KEVEL... deck fitting with two horizontal arms called horns; a large cleat; also spelled cavel, cavil,kavel KNEES... heavy triangular braces on the head of a towboat which bear against the barges. Also called PUSHKNEES or TOWKNEES KORT NOZZLE... shroud encasing the propeller to increase propulsion effciently; used on many large boats LANDING... dock or wharf with access to the shore LAZY BENCH... settee at the back of the pilot house LEAD BARGES... barges at the head of the tow LEFT BANK... left shoreline as seen looking downstream. This is always the left bank even if looking upstream LIKE A CHICKEN ON A JUNE BUG... pursuring something with considerable enthusiasm LIKE A DOSE OF SALTS THROUGH A WIDDER WOMAN... describing something that moves rather quickly LIKE PORKYPINES MAKE LOVE... very carefully LINE... any rope used on a vessel LINE BOAT... towboat of a major carrier making regular trips, usually with full tows LIST... sideways tilt, similar to heel, but often a permanent condition LIZZARD GIZZARD... something served by the cook that is not well recieved MAKING TOW... assembling and connecting barges for a tow MEANER THAT A STRIPED SNAKE... describing someone with an unfriendly disposition MODEL BOW... pointed bow, as on a ship or ocean tug MONKEY RUDDERS... set of rudders mounted on a cross-beam aft of a sternwheel to give better control when going ahead since the main rudders are located behind the stern rake in dead water MULE TRAIN... maneuver sometimes used in ice where the barges are pulled single file behind the towboat M/V... motor vessel, used as a prefix; steamboat would be Str. NIGGER... capstan or gypsy, especially mounted on the deck of a derrickboat or a dredge NIGHT HAWK... flag on the jackstaff, which indicates the wind at the head of the tow ONE CAR FUNERAL... what a lot of bureaucrats would have trouble organizing ONE WHISTLE SIDE... port side ON THE HIP... towed alongside the boat PAY OUT... to let out line under control; to render PIKE POLE... long boathook; a wooden or aluminum pole with a steel hook and point on one end, also called SPIKE POLE POOL BOAT... class of towboat used on the Monongahela and other rivers with low bridges; designed with squat superstructures that typically clear 30 feet POSSUM... fender made from old rope P/V... passenger vessel, used as a prefix RIDING THE HEAD... stand watch as lookout on the bow of the tow RIGHT HAND PROPELLER... a prop that turns clockwise when going forward as viewed from astern RIP RAP... layer of large rock placed on the bank or bottom to prevent erosion or scour ROCK AND ROLL WIRES... crossed diagonal lashings used between the head of a load and stern of an empty ROUND TO... to come about or reverse course SCISSORS WIRE... single lashing connecting three or four barges at a common corner SCOUR... rapid erosion of the shoreline or bottom caused by current or wheel wash SCREW... a propeller, also called WHEEL SHIFTER BOAT... a small harbor boat SIDELIGHT... colored light in the forward part of a vessel showing from right ahead to 22 1/2 degrees abath the beam on each side. The port sidelight is red, the starboard, green. Tows also carry sidelights on the lead barges SKIFF... a small boat carried aboard a towboat, also called YAWL SLOP TANKS... containment to hold oily wastes until they can be disposed of properly SMELLING THE BANK... unexpected sheering of the head due to shallow water effects SOOGY... (soo-jee) to scrub down the boat STANDARD BARGE... usually an open hopper measuring 175 x 26 feet designed to carry about 900 tons STEM... sharp vertical leading edge of a model bow STERN... rear of a vessel STUMBO BARGE... open hopper barge 195 to 200 feet long and 26 feet wide with a capacity of about 1100 tons TAIL WATER... turbulent water discharged below a dam TENDER... a small boat used to service a larger one TEXAS... third level deckhouse of a towboat usually containing the officer's staterooms TOOTHPICK... steel bar used to keep the end of a ratchet from twisting when the barrel is turned TOWING LIGHTS... two amber lights, one atop the other displayed at the stern of a towboat TOWING WIRE... any lashing leading aft from the push string to the drag string TRANSOM... squared off stern of a vessel TREE FULL OF OWLS... what a very clever person may be smarter than TRIMMING THE BUSHES... running too close to the shore TWO WHISTLE SIDE... starboard side WALKING... making a boat move sideways by running one engine ahead and the other astern, using the steering rudder to prevent her from swinging WEATHER DECK... the main deck of a vessel WHEEL... (1) propeller (2) steering wheel (3) paddle wheel WHEEL WASH... discharge current from a propeller WHISTLE LIGHT... an all-around white or amber light synchronized with the whistle WORKBOAT... a small towboat, also called HARBOR BOAT, TENDER WORK LIGHT... floodlight mounted on the superstructure of a towboat to illuminate the area around the vessel WORK VEST... a light compact life jacket for crewmen Z-DRIVE... any of several rudderless propulsion systems incorporating propellers mounted under the stern which swivel 360 degrees to steer
Lead Line Calls Ever wondered what depth a lead line call was in the steamboat days? Well, here ya go.....
Quarter Less [a] Twain 10.5 feet Mark Twain 12 feet Quarter Twain 13.5 feet Half Twain 15 feet Quarter Less Tyree 16.5 feet Mark Tyree 18 feet Quarter Tyree 19.5 feet Half Tyree 21 feet Quarter Less Four 22.5 feet Mark Four 24 feet |