Ropes

John Smith: A Sea Grammar, 1627

The Entering rope.: The Entering rope is tied by the ships side, to hold by as you goe vp the Entering ladder, cleats, or wailes.
Bucket rope.: The Bucket rope that is tied ro [sic] the Bucket by which you hale and draw water vp by the ships side.
Bolt ropes.: The Bolt ropes are those wherein the sailes are sowed.
Port ropes.: The Port ropes hale up the Ports of the Ordnances.
Ieare rope.: The Ieare rope is a peece of a hawser made fast to the maine yard, another to the fore yard close to the ties, reeued thorow a blocke which is seased close to the top, an so comes downe by the mast and is reeued thorow another blocke at the bottome of the mast close by the decke; great ships haue on each side the ties one, but small ships none: the vse is to helpe to hoise vp the yard to succour the ties, which though they breake yet they would hold vp the mast.
Preuenter rope.: The Preuenter rope is a little one seased crosse ouer the ties, that if one part of them should breake, yet the other should not runne thorow the Rams head to indanger the yard.
Top ropes.: The Top ropes are those wherewith we set or strike the maine or fore Top masts, it is reeued throrow a great blocke seased vnder the Cap, reeued thorow the heele of the Top mast thwart ships, and then made fast to a ring with a clinch on the other side the Cap, the other part comes downe by the ties, reeued into the Knights, and so brought to the Capstaine when they set the Top masts.
Keele ropes.: The Keele rope, you haue read in the building, is of haire in the Keele to scower the Limber holes.
Rudder rope.: The Rudder rope is reeued thorow the stem post, and goeth thorow the head of the Rudder and then both ends spliced together, serues to saue the Rudder if it should bee strucke off the irons.
Cat rope.: The Cat rope is to hale vp the Cat.
Boy rope.: The Boy rope is that which is tied to the boy by the one end, and the anchors flooke by the other.
Boat rope.: The Boat rope is that which the ship doth tow her Boat by, at her sterne.
Ghest rope.: The Ghest rope is added to the Boat rope when shee is towed at the ships sterne, to keepe her from shearing,
Shearing.: that is, from swinging to and againe; for in a stiffe gale she will make such yawes, and haue such grids, it would indanger her to bee torne in peeces,
Swifting.: but that they vse to swift her, that is to incircle the Gunwaile with a good rope, and to that make fast the Ghest rope.

Thomas Riley Blankely: A Naval Expositor, 1750

Ropes

Of a Ship are, in general, all her Cordage; but those which have particular Names given them are as follows:

Auning: Are for spreading the Aunings.
Bell: Made fast to the Crank for striking it.
Boat: By which the Boats at the Ship's Stern are towed.
Bolt: Are laid white, stoved in an Oven, and then tarr'd; are the Head and Body Ropes sewed round the Sails.
Breast: Made fast to the Shrouds in the Chains, to support the Man than heaves the Lead.
Bucket: To hawl up Water.
Canhook: Seized to each Hook, to hoist Butts, Hogsheads, and other Casks on Board.
Catt: For hoisting up the Anchors, in order to be stowed at the Bow.
Davit: Reeved through a Hole which is made at each End, for hauling the Davit to either Side of the Fore Castle.
Entering: To take hold of, for going up the Ship's Side.
Luffhook: Is for bousing the Tack aboard, when it blows hard, and is a Sort of a Preventer to the Tack.
Graphnel: Being bent to Graphnel, either the Long-Boat, Pinnace or Yawl rides by it.
Guess: Is for keeping the Long-Boat, Pinnace or Yawl from steeving, or going too much in and out when towing.
Parrel: Is reeved through the Ribs and Trucks, which, with the Breast Ropes, lashes the Parrel to the Masts.
Rother: Reeved through a Hole in the Boat's Rother.
Slip: For triseing up the Bites of the Cable to the Rails of the Head.
Stantion: Reeved through the Eyes of the Stantions.
Swabb: Serves as a Handle to them.
Top: Are those with which the Top-masts are set or struck; they are reeved through an Iron-bound Block, which hooks under the Cap, and then reeved through the Heel of the Top-mast, where a Brass Shiver is placed athwart Ships; the other Part of them comes down to the Top Tackle Falls, which has double Blocks Iron-bound, and hooks to Ring Bolts upon the Deck.
Tiller: To keep the Tiller steady, that it may not fly from side to Side.
Wast: For Boats to make fast to, along-side.
Wheel: Goes round the Spindle of the Steering Wheel, and from thence to the Tiller, and are generally white Rope.

Transcribed by by Lars Bruzelius

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