The Cadenza Prophecies

Behind.

Directly to the side of the ship.

In front of.

Toward the rear of a ship.

Up on a mast, or on top of or within the envelope.

At or lined up with the center line of the ship. Often said of the wheel or tiller.

Across.

A command to stop.

Response to a command meaning understood, and will comply immediately.

A soft fuzzy wrap around a line at the point where it might rub against a sail with the intent to prevent wear.

A strap over one shoulder and across the chest. Often used to hang a cutlass scabbard, paint bucket, or anything that needs to be to hoof, but that should be quick and easy to take off.

Weight low in the ship designed to stabilize the vessel, or to help control the altitude of an airship.

Tendrils sprouting from the heads of Eastern kirin and some species of fish.

The widest part of a ship.

Sailing perpendicular to the wind.

An order to help with a task.

Sailing into the wind.

A command to stop, but also meaning to make fast a line.

A wooden pin made to fit into a pin rail to form a cleat for tying off lines.

Bell strikes that keep time within a watch. (See: Watch) One bell is struck a half hour into a watch, with an additional bell every half hour, struck in groups of two, until eight bells are struck at the end of the watch (and the beginning of the next.) The two short "Dog" watches are an exception to this rule, the First Dog Watch ending with the striking of four bells, and the Second Dog Watch striking one, two and three bells at each half hour, but ending with eight.

An enclosure on the quarterdeck to hold the ship's compass and other instruments.

Hard-baked biscuits designed to stay edible for long periods of time. Universally unloved by sailors and aeronauts.

Large horizontal wooden cleats primarily for mooring and anchor lines.

A shipboard pulley, usually large and wooden.

A spar that is attached to the lower edge of a sail.

The forward most point of a ship's hull.

The spar projecting forward from a ship's bow, used to carry a spritsail and as a fixing point for the foremast stay.

A line attached to the end of a yard. Used to turn the yard.

A shipboard wall. Usually solidly fixed in place, unlike a panel. See: Panel.

Solid sidewalls on the main deck.

A fuel tank.

The volume of a ship's hull expressed as the weight of water required to completely fill it.

A room, usually for officers. See: Captain's cabin, Wardroom, and Great cabin.

1) A thick line made of three lines twisted together.

2) A unit of measurement, approximately 600 feet.

A large vertical winch set into the deck of a ship. It can be turned by several ponies at once using removable wooden bars called hoofspikes. Usually employed only for heavy lines such as mooring cables.

A large common room with big square windows at the stern of a ship. Can be called a wardroom or great cabin. The captain's personal room is called the captain's sleeping cabin or the captain's quarters.

Lowest area of a ship excepting the bilge or ballast tanks. Used, unsurprisingly, for stowing cargo.

The crewpony responsible for making repairs to the wooden parts of a ship and fashioning new spars and yards when needed.

A narrow walkway, usually suspended at a height.

The altitude limit to which an airship can climb. Also the planks on the inner side of a ship's ribs, not often found on airships.

See: Gas Cell

A crystal inside a gas cell that emits heat in order to expand the gas and provide more lift.

A merchant specializing in providing hardware fittings and common supplies for ships.

A map specifically designed to be used for navigation.

A space aboard ship for storing charts, usually provided with a large table to roll out charts and use course-plotting instruments.

Rainbow-colored fringes around a magical field, indicative of instability or imminent collapse.

Contraction of "Watch under!" It is an unfortunate truth that even the most seasoned sailor or aeronaut may become nauseous in rough weather. When an afflicted pony is aloft in the rigging and about to loose their latest meal, it is a courteous warning to those on deck below. Has become a term meaning vomiting in general.

Sailing as close to upwind as a ship can manage.

Sailing at a brisk pace. From the naval expression "bone in her teeth" that alludes to the bow wake of a ship.

Flag. "Let fly the colors!" is to hoist up a flag. "Strike the colors!" is to take down the flag. "False colors" is a flag of a nation other than the one the ship is allied with. "True colors" is the flag of the nation that the ship is allied with. A courtesy flag flown at the jackstaff is not considered false colors.

A hallway.

Any solid, removable covering.

A large wooden structure meant to support a ship in drydock or an airship on the ground.

The deck immediately below the main deck where the crew sleep and eat together. The galley is most often located on this deck.

The crossed timbers that support a mast's top platform, and provide strong attachment points for shrouds and various lines.

A semi-enclosure on the upper forward end of an airship's envelope. Designed as a duty post for lookouts.

A short curved sword designed for fighting in close quarters.

A small boat for transferring crew and light cargo, usually powered or rowed, or a larger vessel designed for speed, usually with two or fewer masts.

Small L-shaped cranes most often used for securing and launching small craft.

A shipboard window that does not open.

A floor aboard ship. See: Floors.

Uneven, turbulent wind. Terrible for sailing.

Upper surface

See: Spanker

A tubular flag, similar to a windsock, but usually attached to a moving vessel.

A stone with a hole through which a line can be attached. Usually the size of a pony's hoof, but can vary in size. Can be used as a light boat anchor in a calm, a weight for a heaving line, disposable ballast, etc.

A pony who has no knowledge of nautical/aeronautical operations or traditions.

A horizontal steering surface on the aft end of an airship's envelope.

The cowling that provides an aerodynamic shape covering an engine's workings. Often is designed to be rotated to aid in maneuvering.

The beam (usually aerodynamically shaped) that supports and holds an engine pod away from a ship's side.

An officer specializing in the maintenance and repair of a ship's engines and other gear of a mechanical nature.

The fabric covering of an airship's gas cells, catwalks and maneuvering gear to produce an aerodynamic shape.

To turn a prop's blades in line with the wind to produce no drag and to stop the prop from acting as a windmill. Cross-feathering is to turn the blades so as to produce no thrust when spinning.

A belaying pin rail that runs around a mast.

When a vessel is within the territories controlled by a nation other than its own, a small flag of that nation is flown from a jackstaff as a show of courtesy and peaceful intention.

To lay out a line on deck so that it runs out smoothly when a load is put on it.

Removable boards that can be laid across the ribs of a small boat to provide level footing.

Wreckage floating in the sea.

The raised deck of the forward part of a ship and the area beneath it. Also the area forward of the foremast on a flat-decked vessel.

To stretch sailcloth over a hole to help keep out water. Usually, fothering is done as an emergency repair to a damaged hull.

Insect feces.

Close-hauled, with all sails set.

The length of furrow an earth pony can plow without a rest break. About 660 feet.

Shipboard kitchen.

A walkway connecting shore to ship.

A walkway connecting a mooring tower to a ship.

A fabric bag for containing lift gas. Large airships have several contained within their envelopes.

A combined gas cell and envelope, usually found on small craft.

A small craft, optimized for speed. Often used for ferrying officers from ship to ship.

A large iron stake designed to be driven into the ground to provide a secure mooring for an airship.

The upper edge of an open boat's hull.

A design model of half of a ship's hull. Traditionally, the starboard half. Used for fixing the dimensions of a ship's framing.

The line that hauls a yard up a mast.

A ship's wheel or tiller.

A polite suffix appended to an order.

A portal to interstitial space employing an N-dimensional hypermanifold. Teleport spells use pairs of these to transport items through interstitial space. Such vortices are not locationally stable and are affected by density and pressure gradients. In the case of a teleportation spell this can be beneficial, making it unlikely that a careless caster will appear (briefly) inside a solid object.

A leather drinking mug, lined with brewer's pitch to make it watertight.

A short spar, having no other purpose than to fly signal flags or a flag of courtesy.

Wreckage washed up on shore.

A stone platform leading out from the shore into a body of water, used as a landing stage for ships.

To change direction by crossing a ship's stern through the wind. This is easy for a square rigged ship, but more difficult for a fore-and-aft rig as the boom of the mainsail may swing across suddenly and cause injury or damage. In a very strong wind, a skipper may elect to do a round-about tack instead of jibing, sometimes turning as much as 270 degrees. This is known as a "chicken-jibe."

A ship's boat, smaller than a cutter.

A temporary and improvisational setup of spars and lines, for a specific purpose. Most often said of temporary repairs to rigging.

The heavy beam that runs the length of the bottom of a ship.

A spell to reduce the leeway of a flying vessel, in much the same way as a physical keel or centerboard does for a sea-going vessel, allowing her to make way to windward.

A mast projecting downward from an airship's keel.

Shipboard stairs.

A lighting instrument using candles, oil, or crystals. The term "light" is not used for this purpose aboard a sailing or flying vessel.

A line fixing an item to a pony. Typically used for a rigger’s knife when working aloft, or a bosun’s whistle.

To the left when looking forward on a ship. "Port" is occasionally used in its place, though most sailors claim this causes confusion. It is more commonly used as an order to turn to larboard, i.e., “Port your helm!”

(Pronounced to rhyme with “reed”) Two white lights, one higher than the other, Used to guide ships on an exact course. The upper light is further away from a vessel than the lower, so that any deviation from the desired course will cause the lights to appear to separate. Steering in the direction of the lower light brings the vessel back on course.

The distance a pony covers in an hour at an easy walk on flat ground. Approximately three miles.

The amount of distance a ship slips sideways when sailing into the wind.

Short for "pony-length." The average distance between a pony's chest and rump. Approximately a meter.

Sometimes called a letter of marque and reprisal. A letter from a government to a private captain granting (or even encouraging) the attack and capture of vessels hostile to that government. It is a legal contract that can also spell out particular details pertaining to the agreement, and a document which grant's the receiver the status of privateer. A typical clause is to grant protection within the region controlled by the issuing government.

1) The command to raise an airship to her cruising height.

2) The volume of an airship’s envelope stated as the weight of water necessary to fill it.

Steel tanks for storing compressed lift gas.

A shipboard window. The term "window" is only used aboard vessels to refer to the large "square lights" (sometimes called "port lights") at the stern.

A piece of cordage that is employed in some use aboard a vessel. If three lines are twisted together, they become a cable.

A wooden chest that contains a sailor or aeronaut's personal belongings. Can also mean a common storage chest for goods.

Short form of "land-lubber," which is a corruption of "land-lover," which is rarely used nowadays since it is now considered a slur against earth ponies, when it is actually meant to be a slur against non-sailors and non-aeronauts. See: Duffer.

To tie off a line.

A large, vertical wooden pole that supports yards and sails.

An alcoholic drink made from fermented honey.

A mildly alcoholic drink made from fermented honey. Sweeter and less alcoholic than mead, and is produced more quickly. Sometimes called "quick mead."

A ship's officer (usually fairly young) ranking below all the named officers, but above the general crew. Often considered an officer-in-training, though this is not necessarily true.

The act of securing a ship to a fixed location such as a pier, mooring stake or buoy.

For an airship, the small winches and belaying points in the nose, designed to facilitate connecting to a mooring tower.

A tower specifically designed to moor an airship by connecting to the forward point of her mooring sprit. It allows an airship to swing freely in a circle, with a boarding gantry that matched the ship's swing.

Pronounced "neigh," meaning "born as." Used to indicate a pony's birth name, in cases where there may be some confusion as to who is being talked about. (Male form is "né.")

The balance between weight and lift that will keep an airship from rising or sinking without being propelled by engines or sails.

The forward most point of an airship's envelope, not including the mooring sprit.

A pony in a position of command or special responsibility aboard a ship. In the military, the ranks are rigidly defined. On merchant ships, the composition of a crew can vary, but typically there are: Captain, First Officer (or First Mate), Second Officer, Third Officer, Bosun, Ensign, Doctor, Engineer, and Carpenter. On small vessels these positions can be combined under one officer.

Aeronautical slang for being ashore or on the ground. Sometimes used to mean moored or anchored for an unreasonably long period of time.

On the vessel, sometimes used to mean on the deck, as opposed to aloft.

The lowest deck on a vessel above the cargo hold. Can sometimes be a partial platform instead of a full deck.

A mechanical flying craft, usually quite small, that propels itself with powered, flapping wings.

A line that pulls a sail out to a set position on a yard or stay, in opposition to a tack or downhaul.

On the unfortunate side of a ship's rail. Not a recommended position for a sailor who cannot swim, or an aeronaut who cannot fly.

The ceiling.

The line fastened at a small craft's bow for use in tying up or being towed.

A shipboard wall, usually slotted in place or hinged, and easy to move. See: Bulkhead.

A wooden platform, supported by pillars, leading out from the shore into a body of water, used as a landing stage for ships.

A rail, usually fixed to the inside of a vessel's bulwarks or shrouds, made to receive belaying pins. See: Fife Rail.

A pony or other creature who commits mayhem and/or robbery at sea or in the air.

As in "How high can she point?" meaning, "How close to upwind can she sail?"

A navigational compass is divided into 32 named points, though navigators will often add or subtract a half point when setting course. Used instead of degrees because they are immediately understandable and require no mental mathematics. A point is equal to 11.25 degrees.

1) A town or city that provides mooring, supplies, and services to vessels.

2) Sometimes used to indicate the left side of a vessel in place of "larboard" but considered confusing by most sailors and aeronauts.

3) Used as a verb to indicate a turn to the left, as in, "Port your helm."

4) A shortened form of "teleport."

A large square window at the stern of a ship.

A circular window.

The letters before a ship's name on her official papers or nameboard that indicate origin and/or ownership. The most common are AS and SV which mean a private Air Ship or Sailing Vessel, respectively. Others are:

A pony or other creature who commits mayhem and/or robbery at sea or in the air while in possession of a valid letter of marque.

A ship captured in battle.

The rearmost sides of a ship, the Starboard and Larboard Quarters. A sleeping cabin in one of those positions can be referred to as a Quarter Berth, but never an Afterberth. When referring to a direction a quarter is 45 degrees off the midline of the ship toward its stern.

The raised deck at the stern of a ship, or the area of the main deck aft of the mizzenmast on a flat decked ship.

A stone platform running along the shore, used as a landing stage for ships.

The top edge of a ship's railing or bulwark.

A RAPid amplitude-deviation interpretive oscillaTOR transceiver. A device that, used in pairs, allows ponies to speak to each other at considerable distances,

A line running between shrouds to provide footing to enable ponies to go aloft, like rungs on a ladder.

1) To make a sail's area smaller by tying up one edge.

2) A dangerous shallow line of coral or rocks beneath the water.

3) A dangerous windbreak line.

An arc crossing all meridians of longitude at the same angle. On a Marecator projection, a rhumb line will appear to be straight, while on a globe, it will spiral from pole to pole. Also known as a loxodrome.

The curved wooden beams which define the shape of a ship's hull and to which the hull planks are fixed.

A crewpony who specializes in shipboard ropework.

Lines directly involved in sailing a ship. Standing rigging holds up the masts, and doesn't move during use. Running rigging controls the sails and yards. Mooring lines, static lines, painters, and other such lines are not considered rigging.

A piece of cordage that is currently serving no purpose. For rope that is put to any use, see: Line.

A flat, vertical steering surface attached to the aft end of a ship's hull or envelope.

Sailing directly away from the wind.

Tightly woven canvas, designed to work best for sails, but used for many other things such as hammocks and sea bags.

Any wreckage legally recovered.

Shipboard rumors.

A cylindrical canvas bag used to transport a crewpony's belongings.

A large wooden box used to store an officer's belongings. Typically has a greater size allowance than that of a crew pony's locker. (See: Locker) The term is used aboard airships as well as sailing vessels. (Probably because "air chest" sounds silly.)

The system that decides the division of spoils or profits for a ship's crew. The grades range from quarter-share for new crewponies in an understandable progression to captain's-share and owner's-share

The main line for controlling a sail. Fore-and-aft sails have one, square sails have two.

The rules of shipboard behavior, duties, shares and pay.

A designer (not necessarily a builder) of ships.

To take in or reef sails to provide less speed or protect against damage in foul weather.

A side-to-side heavy cable that stabilizes a mast. Part of the standing rigging.

Flags of different colors and designs used to send messages between ships or ships and shore/ground stations. There are internationally accepted meanings to the standardized set, but navies or private companies will often use their own coding/decoding schemes to prevent others from being able to read their signals.

Rockets that burn in bright colors which are used to send coded messages over long distances. Because only colors are used, they are more limited in scope than signal flags.

A part of a book's pages that consist of a single set of folded and sewn-together sheets of paper. A typical book will consist of many signatures joined together.

A position typically providing a title and income but requiring no duties. Often used as a reward for political support or simple nepotism.

Mythical beings often credited for devouring airships that go inexplicably missing

A sloping surface designed for hauling ships out of the water or air, usually for repairs, and then allowing them to "slip" back in. For larger ships, it is often paired with a cradle.

The line used to support and tighten a spritsail to a mast.

The large fore-and-aft sail on the mizzenmast.

General term for any long wooden shaft used aboard a ship.

A metal tube leading from one location to another that will carry the sound of a pony's voice a great distance with clarity. Whistle plugs are used to signal an incoming communication.

1) A diagonal fore-and-aft mooring line that keeps a ship steady against a pier.

2) Any line tightened across something to keep it securely in place.

A slanting spar. See: Bowsprit

1) A sail hung from the bowsprit.

2) A sail supported by a sprit rather than a yard.

A small collapsible telescope.

The right side of a vessel facing forward.

A line woven with metallic wire to ground the static charge on an airship.

A fore-and-aft line supporting a mast or bowsprit. Part of the standing rigging.

A fore-and-aft triangular sail supported on a stay instead of a yard. The foremost staysl on the bowsprit is called a jib, unless there are two, and then they are (going forward) the jib and the flying jib.

A large, maneuverable surface usually placed two-thirds of the way forward on an airship's envelope.

Any flat, movable surface that aids in steering a ship. See: Rudder, Elevator, and Steering Fin

The projecting beam that extend upwards from the keel at the bow of a ship.

The back end of a ship.

A balcony projecting from the stern of a ship.

One or more large, white navigation lights affixed to the taffrail of a ship.

The seatboards in the rear of a small craft.

To take down. "Strike the topmast," means to dismount and take down the mast. "Strike the colors," means to take down one's flag.

Short form of “studdingsail” Sails hung from an asymmetrical yard, fastened to either an airship's hull or to the yardarms of other sails.

Ponies aboard a ship that have specific authority and duties, but who are not within the normal chain of command. A portmanteau of "supervisor of cargo."

A helical coil of thaumically reactive wire contained within a ring-shaped casing, used to deaden a unicorn's magic. Most often designed with self-tightening cams to prevent removal.

To change direction by crossing a ship's bow through the wind.

A talisman or gem that stores magical energy and (rarely) spell matrices. Any moderately adept mage can draw power from such a gem at will, although the recharging of one takes concentration and meticulous care. Storing a complete spell matrix in one is a very difficult and specialized skill.

The rail athwart the stern of a ship.

A control mechanism set on the quarterdeck that sends speed and rotation orders to a ship's engines.

The collapse or explosive fragmentation of a magical field, usually accompanied by a burst of multicolored light. A rainboom is the most commonly recognized (and least destructive) example of this effect.

Something that, when touched with magic, reacts in any way not intended by the spell matrix. Technically includes a thaumoresistant object or substance, but that term or "anti-magic" is more commonly used for clarity.

Any valve or drainage port that pierces the hull of a ship.

A board running across a small boat, often used as a bench, but also a structural part of the craft.

The horizontal spar that turns a rudder.

A mast set atop a topmast. Often shortened to T'gallant mast.

A mast set atop the mainmast.

The wooden cap on a mast.

A valve at the top of a gas cell to vent pressure.

Lower surface.

The central and lower part of a ship's deck. On a flat-decked ship, the area of the main deck between the foremost and aftmost masts.

A large common room for the officers, usually at the rear of a ship.

Short form of Beware!

1) A period of time when a ship's crew is on duty and at their stations. Watches can either alternate (watch-and-watch) or be divided into three sections.

2) A team of ponies who stand watch together. For watch-and-watch schedules, a crew is usually divided into Larboard and Starboard watches. These are only labels and have nothing to do with a pony's duty station. For a three watch schedule, watches are usually named after a ship's masts (Foremast, Mainmast, and Mizzenmast), the tribes (Horn, Hoof, and Wing), or the colors of Celestia's mane, (Blue, Pink, and Green), at the whim of the commander.

To change direction by crossing a ship's stern through the wind. An easier maneuver than tacking for a square-rigged ship. See: Jibe.

Derogatory term for ship's biscuits.

A wooden platform, supported by pillars, running along the shore, used as a landing stage for ships.

A tubular piece of cloth affixed to a pole to show the direction of the wind.

The wooden beam from which a sail hangs.

The part of a yard that projects beyond where the corner of a sail is attached.