The Sailor's Word-Book
Chapter 214 : SEA-STAR. A common rayed or star-like animal, belonging to the cla.s.s _Echinodermata_

SEA-STAR. A common rayed or star-like animal, belonging to the cla.s.s _Echinodermata_. Also called _star-fish_ (_Asteria_).

SEA-STREAM. In polar parlance, is when a collection of bay-ice is exposed on one side to the ocean, and affords shelter from the sea to whatever is within it.

SEA-SWABBER. A reproachful term for an idle sailor.

SEA-SWALLOW. The tern, a bird resembling the gull, but more slender and swift.

SEA-SWINE. The porpoise.

SEAT. A term often applied to the peculiar summit of a mountain, as the Queen of Spain's Seat near Gibraltar, the Bibi of Mahratta's Seat near Bombay, Arthur's Seat at Edinburgh, &c.

SEA-TANG. Tangle, a sea-weed.

SEAT-LOCKERS. Accommodations fitted in the cabins of merchantmen for sitting upon, and stowing cabin-stores in.

SEAT OF WATER. Applies to the line on which a vessel sits.

SEA-TRANSOM. That which is bolted to the counter-timbers, above the upper, at the height of the port-sills.

SEA-TURN. A tack into the offing.

SEA-URCHIN. The _Echinus_, an animal of the cla.s.s _Echinodermata_, of globular form, and a hard calcareous outer covering, beset with movable spines, on the ends of which it crawls about.

SEA-WALLS. Elevations of stones, stakes, and other material, to prevent inundations.

SEA-WARD. Towards the sea, or offing.

SEA-WARE. The sea-weed thrown up by surges on a beach.

SEA-WATER. "The quant.i.ty of solid matter varies considerably in different seas, but we may a.s.sume that the average quant.i.ty of saline matter is 3-1/2 per cent., and the density about 10274" (_Pereira_).

The composition of the water of the English Channel according to Schweitzer is--

Grains.

Water 96474372 Chloride of Sodium 2705948 " Pota.s.sium 076552 " Magnesium 366658 Bromide of Magnesium 002929 Sulphate of Magnesia 229578 " Lime 140662 Carbonate of Lime 003301 ---------- 100000000

SEA-WAY. The progress of a s.h.i.+p through the waves. Also, said when a vessel is in an open place where the sea is rolling heavily.

SEA-WAY MEASURER. A kind of self-registering log invented by Smeaton, the architect of the Eddystone lighthouse.

SEA-WEASEL. An old name of the lamprey.

SEA-WOLF. The wolf-fish, _Anarrhicas lupus_.

SEA-WOLVES. A name for privateers.

SEA-WORTHY. The state of a s.h.i.+p in everyway fitted for her voyage. It is the first stipulation in every policy of insurance, or other contract, connected with a vessel: "for she shall be tight, staunch, and strong, sufficiently manned, and her commander competent to his duty." (_See_ OPINION.)

SEA-WRACK GRa.s.s. _Zostera marina_; used in Sweden and Holland for manuring land. At Yarmouth it is thrown on sh.o.r.e in such abundance that mounds are made with it to arrest the encroachments of the sea. It is also used as thatch.

SECANT. A line drawn from the centre of a circle to the extremity of the tangent.

SECCA. A shoal on Italian sh.o.r.es and charts.

SECOND. The sixtieth part of a minute. A division of a degree of a circle. A term applied both to time and to s.p.a.ce. Also, second in a duel; a very important part to play, since many a life may be saved without implicating honour.

SECONDARY PLANET. _See_ SATELLITES.

SECOND-CAPTAIN. Commanders under captains in the navy, of late.

SECOND-COUNTER. _See_ COUNTER.

SECOND-FUTTOCKS. The frame-timbers scarphed on the end of the futtock-timbers.

SECOND-HAND. A term in fis.h.i.+ng-boats to distinguish the second in charge.

SECOND OFFICER. Second mate in merchantmen.

SECOND-RATE. Vessels of seventy-four guns (on the old scale).

SECTION. A draught or figure representing the internal parts of a s.h.i.+p cut by a plane at any particular place athwart s.h.i.+ps or longitudinally.

SECTOR. _See_ DIP-SECTOR.

SECULAR ACCELERATION. _See_ ACCELERATION OF THE MOON.

SECULAR INEQUALITY. _See_ INEQUALITY.

SECURE ARMS! Place them under the left arm, to guard the lock from the weather or rain.

SEDITION. Mutinous commotion against the const.i.tuted authorities, especially dangerous at sea.

SEDOW. The old English name for the fish called gilt-head; _Sparus auratus_.

SEDUCE, TO. To inveigle a man to desertion.

SEELING. A sudden heeling over, and quick return.

SEER. The tumbler of a gun-lock.

SEE-SAW. Reciprocating motion.

SEGE. An old law-term for the seat or berth in which a s.h.i.+p lies.

SEGMENT. In geometry, any part of a circle which is bounded by an arc and its chord, or so much of the circle as is cut off by that chord.

SEGMENTAL STERN. _See_ ROUND STERN.

SEGMENT-Sh.e.l.l. For use with rifled guns; an elongated iron sh.e.l.l having very thin sides, and built up internally with segment-shaped pieces of iron, which, offering the resistance of an arch against pressure from without, are easily separated by the very slight bursting charge within; thereby retaining most of their original direction and velocity after explosion.