Glossary of Nautical Terms

First Lieutenant – In the Royal Navy, the senior lieutenant on board; responsible to the Commander for the domestic affairs of the ship’s company.

Also known as ‘Jimmy the One’ or ‘Number One’.

Removes his cap when visiting the mess decks as token of respect for the privacy of the crew in those quarters. Officer i/c cables on the forecastle. In the U.S. Navy the senior person in charge of all Deck hands.

First Mate – The Second in command of a ship.

Fixed propeller – A propeller mounted on a rigid shaft protruding from the hull of a vessel, usually driven by an inboard motor; steering must be done using a rudder. See also outboard motor and sterndrive.

Flag hoist – A number of signal flags strung together to convey a message, e.g. ‘England expects...’.

Flank – The maximum speed of a ship. Faster than “full speed”.

Flare – 1. A curvature of the topsides outward towards the gunwale.

2. A pyrotechnic signalling device, usually used to indicate distress.

Flatback – A Great Lakes slang term for a vessel without any self unloading equipment.

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