Ship & Marine terms
spy-glass: a small handheld telescope.
Directional terms
fore: the front of the ship
Aft (or abaft) (adjective): At, in toward or close the stern (rear, back end) of a ship. For example, "Able Seaman Smith; lie aft!" or "What's happening aft?". Comparative is "after", e.g. "the mizzenmast is after than the mainmast".
The difference between "aft" and "stern" is that aft is the inside (on board) rearmost part of the vessel, while stern refers to the outside (offboard) rearmost part of the vessel.
The stern is opposite the bow, the outside (offboard) of the front of the boat. The term derives from the Old English æftan (“behind”).
stern (adj): serious and often showing that you do not approve of somebody/something; expecting somebody to obey you.
stern: back of the ship, the rear part.
astern: (specialist) the rear of the boat; in, at or towards the back part of a ship or boat
Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft, aircraft and spacecraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front).
port - trái; starboard - phải
Larboard: an archaic term for "port," that is, the part of a ship that is on the left when one is facing forward
Head winds: winds blowing from the front
In geography and seamanship, windward and leeward are directions relative to the wind.
Windward is upwind from the point of reference, i.e., towards the direction from which the wind is coming
leeward is downwind from the point of reference, i.e., along the direction towards which the wind is going.
Three points off the lee bow: a 33.75-degree angle from straight ahead, in the direction the wind is blowing towards
Leeward land: lee shore, the coastline on the lee side of (that is, downwind of) the ship
A lee shore, sometimes also called a leeward (/ˈljuːərd/ shore, or more commonly /ˈliːwərd/), is a nautical term to describe a stretch of shoreline that is to the lee side of a vessel—meaning the wind is blowing towards land. Its opposite, the shore on the windward side of the vessel, is called the weather or windward shore (/ˈwɪnərd/ or, more commonly, /ˈwɪndwərd/).
The bow (mũi tàu) is the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is usually most forward when the vessel is underway. The aft end of the boat is the stern.
Prow may be used as a synonym for bow or it may mean the forward-most part of the bow above the waterline.
Now, the grand distinction drawn between officer and man at sea, is this—the first lives aft, the last forward. Hence, in whale-ships and merchantmen alike, the mates have their quarters with the captain; and so, too, in most of the American whalers the harpooneers are lodged in the after part of the ship. That is to say, they take their meals in the captain’s cabin, and sleep in a place indirectly communicating with it. MobyDick
sternpost: An upright beam at the stern bearing the rudder.
A crosswind is any wind that has a perpendicular component to the line or direction of travel. This affects the aerodynamics of many forms of transport.
main: The longest mast located in the middle of a ship.
Skysail-poles: the highest segment of each mast
hatch: (also hatchway) an opening or a door in a ship, aircraft or spacecraft
hatch: (of a young bird, fish, insect, etc.) to come out of an egg
scuttle: an opening with a lid in a ship's deck or side
Ship's articles: a legal document used as a labor contract with sailors
A marlinspike (/ˈmɑːrlɪnspaɪk/, sometimes spelled marlin spike, marlinespike, or [archaic] marlingspike) is a tool used in marine ropework. Shaped in the form of a narrow metal cone tapered to a rounded or flattened point, it is used in tasks such as unlaying rope for splicing, untying knots, drawing tight using a marlinspike hitch, and as a toggle joining ropes under tension in a belaying pin splice.
capsize: if a boat capsizes or something capsizes it, it turns over in the water
caulk: to fill the holes in something, especially a ship, with a substance that keeps out water
A porthole, sometimes called bull's-eye window or bull's-eye,[1] is a generally circular window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air. Though the term is of maritime origin, it is also used to describe round windows on armored vehicles, aircraft, automobiles (the Ford Thunderbird a notable example) and even spacecraft.
Scuttle or sidescuttle, a synonym for a porthole, a circular window in a ship.
oar: mái chèo xuồng; a long pole with a flat part at one end that is used for rowing a boat
skiff (Noun): thuyền nhỏ, xuồng nhỏ; a small light boat for rowing or sailing, usually for one person
A cockpit is a name for the location of controls of a vessel. While traditionally an open well in the deck of a boat outside any deckhouse or cabin, in modern boats it may refer to an enclosed area.
Cockpits: a cramped space below a ship's waterline
amidship (or amidships): The middle of a ship.
broadside: A general term for the vantage on another ship of absolute perpendicular to the direction it is going. To get along broadside a ship was to take it at a very vulnerable angle. This is of course, the largest dimension of a ship and is easiest to attack with larger arms. A "Broadside" has come to indicate a hit with a cannon or similar attack right in the main part of the ship.
crow’s nest: A small platform, sometimes enclosed, near the top of a mast, where a lookout could have a better view when watching for sails or for land.
abroad: in or to a foreign country
aboard:
onboard
embark: to get onto a ship or plane; to put somebody/something onto a ship or plane
ashore (adv): towards, onto or on land, having come from an area of water such as the sea or a river
gangplank: A board or ramp used as a removable footway between a ship and a pier.
- A passage along either side of a ships upper deck.
- A gangplank.
- An interjection used to clear a passage through a crowded area.
gunwale (or gunnel, incorrectly "gunwall"): The elevated side edges of a boat which strengthen its structure and act as a railing around the gun deck. In warships the gunwale has openings where heavy arms or guns are positioned.
A ship's wheel (bánh lái) or boat's wheel is a device used aboard a water vessel or airship, in which a helmsman steers the vessel and control its course. Together with the rest of the steering mechanism, it forms part of the helm (the term helm can mean the wheel alone, or the entire mechanism by which the rudder is controlled). It is connected to a mechanical, electric servo, or hydraulic system which alters the horizontal angle of the vessel's rudder relative to its hull.
A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder.
Tiller: a horizontal bar used like a lever for steering a boat
A helmsman or helm (sometimes driver or steersman) is a person who steers a ship, sailboat, submarine, other type of maritime vessel, airship, or spacecraft. The rank and seniority of the helmsman may vary: on small vessels such as fishing vessels and yachts, the functions of the helmsman are combined with that of the skipper; on larger vessels, there is a separate officer of the watch who is responsible for the safe navigation of the ship and gives orders to the helmsman, who physically steers the ship in accordance with those orders.
A rudder (đuôi lái) is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water).
A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a working fluid such as water or air.
scuppers: Openings along the edges of a ship's deck that allow water on deck to drain back to the sea rather than collecting in the bilge.
The bilge of a ship or boat is the part of the hull that would rest on the ground if the vessel were unsupported by water. The "turn of the bilge" is the transition from the bottom of a hull to the sides of a hull.
A bilge pump is a water pump used to remove bilge water.
A hold well collects water in the lowest part of the ship to be pumped out.
- A small opening or hatch with a movable lid in the deck or hull of a ship.
- To sink by means of a hole in a ships hull.
tack:
- The lower forward corner of a fore-and-aft sail.
- The position of a vessel relative to the trim of its sails.
- The act of repositioning a sail in order to change which side the wind catches it.
transom: Any of several transverse beams affixed to the sternpost of a wooden ship and forming part of the stern.
Inside the Hull
berth: a place to sleep on a ship or train, or in a caravan
A hull (or shell) is the watertight body of a ship, boat, submarine, or flying boat. The hull may open at the top (such as a dinghy), or it may be fully or partially covered with a deck. Atop the deck may be a deckhouse and other superstructures, such as a funnel, derrick, or mast. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.
ballast: Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship to enhance stability. It can be a bed of rock.
The keel (beam) (Sống thuyền, sống đáy hay la ký) is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. It becomes covered in barnacles after sailing the seas.
See also keelhaul.
A ship's hold or cargo hold is a space for carrying cargo in the ship's compartment.
Holds in older ships were the lower part of the interior of a ship's hull, especially when considered as storage space, as for cargo.
Got down our traps: got our belongings stored on board
- a term for the lowest category of passenger accommodation in a ship. src
- Steer the rudder of the ship.
The orlop deck is the lowest deck in a ship (except for very old ships), immediately above the hold. It is the deck or part of a deck where the cables are stowed, usually below the water line. As such, there is no side opening to provide light or airflow.
On the Deck
The steering oar or steering board is an over-sized oar or board, to control the direction of a ship or other watercraft prior to the invention of the rudder.
The gunwale is the top edge of the hull of a ship or boat.
In naval architecture, a taffrail is the handrail around the open deck area toward the stern of a ship or boat. The rear deck of a ship is often called the afterdeck or poop deck. Not all ships have an afterdeck or poop deck. Sometimes taffrail refers to just the curved wooden top of the stern of a sailing man-of-war or East Indiaman ship. These wooden sailing ships usually had hand-carved wooden rails, often highly decorated. Sometimes taffrail refers to the complete deck area at the stern of a vessel.
Taffrail: the rail around the stern (rear) of a ship
A try pot is a large pot used to remove and render the oil from blubber obtained from cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and pinnipeds (seals), and also to extract oil from penguins. Once a suitable animal such as a whale had been caught and killed, the blubber was stripped from the carcass in a process known as flensing, cut into pieces, and melted in the try pots to extract the oil.
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary or upper deck is the horizontal structure that forms the "roof" of the hull, strengthening it and serving as the primary working surface.
A capstan is a vertical-axled rotating machine developed for use on sailing ships to multiply the pulling force of sailors when hauling ropes, cables, and hawsers. The principle is similar to that of the windlass, which has a horizontal axle.
The windlass is an apparatus for moving heavy weights. Typically, a windlass consists of a horizontal cylinder (barrel), which is rotated by the turn of a crank or belt. A winch is affixed to one or both ends, and a cable or rope is wound around the winch, pulling a weight attached to the opposite end. The Greek scientist Archimedes was the inventor of the windlass.
poop deck: The highest deck at the stern of a large ship, usually above the captains quarters.
- The section of the upper deck of a ship located at the bow forward of the foremast.
- A superstructure at the bow of a merchant ship where the crew is housed.
Why did the Captain live in the stern of old sailing vessels? => Quora
The quarterdeck (or quarter-deck) is a raised deck behind the main mast of a sailing ship. Traditionally it was where the captain commanded his vessel and where the ship's colours were kept. This led to its use as the main ceremonial and reception area on board, and the word is still used to refer to such an area on a ship or even in naval establishments on land. Many such facilities have areas decorated like shipboard quarterdecks.
quarter-deck: The after part of the upper deck of a ship. It is the part of the upper deck to the rear of the main mast, usually reserved for the ship's officers, guests, and passengers.
The Captain’s place on deck is the quarter deck, which would be directly overhead from the aft cabin.
Quarter-boat: a boat hung at the back of the ship, to the rear of the last mast
Weather-bow: the side of a ship's bow upon which the wind is blowing weather deck: A deck that is continually exposed to the weather – usually either the main deck or, in larger vessels, the upper deck.
In some boats and ships, a transom is the aft transverse surface of the hull that forms the stern of a vessel. Historically, they are a development from the canoe stern (or "double-ender") wherein which both bow and stern are pointed.
Rigging
Mast-head: the three men standing watch at the top of the ship's three masts. Typically, each member of a watch would take a two-hour shift on the mast-head.
Mast-head: a duty assignment to spend at the top of the mast, watching for whales and perils
A sailing vessel's rig is its arrangement of masts, sails and rigging. Examples include a schooner rig, cutter rig, junk rig, etc. A rig may be broadly categorized as "fore-and-aft", "square", or a combination of both.
Rigging comprises the system of ropes, cables and chains, which support and control a sailing ship or sail boat's masts and sails.
Standing rigging comprises the fixed lines, wires, or rods, which support each mast or bowsprit on a sailing vessel and reinforce those spars against wind loads transferred from the sails. This term is used in contrast to running rigging, which represents the moveable elements of rigging which adjust the position and shape of the sails.
Shrouds: sets of ropes that run from a ship's masts down to its sides, to hold the masts in place
mizzen: (specialist) the mast of a ship that is behind the main mast mizzen shrouds: the ropes connecting the third mast (from the front) to the ship's sides.
mizzenmast: The largest and, perhaps, most important mast. It is the third mast or the mast aft of a mainmast on a ship having three or more masts.
Brace: a rope used to rotate a square sail on its mast, to change the sail's position relative to the wind
cordage: cords or ropes, especially in a ship's rigging.
A belaying pin is a solid metal or wooden device used on traditionally rigged sailing vessels to secure lines of running rigging. Largely replaced on most modern vessels by cleats, they are still used, particularly on square rigged ships.
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships.
In sailing, a halyard or halliard is a line (rope) that is used to hoist a ladder, sail, flag or yard. The term "halyard" derives from the Middle English halier ("rope to haul with"), with the last syllable altered by association with the English unit of measure "yard". Halyards, like most other parts of the running rigging, were classically made of natural fibre like manila or hemp.
Halyard: a rope used for raising or lowering a sail
A sail (buồm) is a tensile structure, which is made from fabric or other membrane materials, that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles.
The mast (cột tàu, cột buồm) of a sailing vessel is a tall spar, or arrangement of spars, erected more or less vertically on the centre-line of a ship or boat. Its purposes include carrying sails, spars, and derricks, giving necessary height to a navigation light, look-out position, signal yard, control position, radio aerial or signal lamp.
Fore-mast: the mast nearest the bow, or the mast forward of the main-mast. As it is the furthest afore, it may be rigged to the bowsprit.
Main-mast: the tallest mast, usually located near the center of the ship.
Mizzen-mast: the aft-most mast. Typically shorter than the fore-mast.
The masts of traditional sailing ships were not single spars, but were constructed of separate sections or masts, each with its own rigging. The topmast is one of these.
Crosstrees are the two horizontal spars at the upper ends of the topmasts of sailing ships that are used to anchor the shrouds from the topgallant mast. They may also be mounted at the upper end of the topgallant to anchor the shrouds from the royal mast (if fitted).
A fore-and-aft rig is a sailing vessel rig with sails set mainly along the line of the keel, rather than perpendicular to it as on a square rigged vessel.
Square rig is a generic type of sail and rigging arrangement in which the primary driving sails are carried on horizontal spars which are perpendicular, or square, to the keel of the vessel and to the masts. These spars are called yards and their tips, outside the lifts, are called the yardarms. A ship mainly rigged so is called a square-rigger.
Back the main-yard: to arrange the horizontal pole (yard) at the top of the mainsail so that the sail catches the wind from the front. This is done to slow or stop the ship
yardarm:
- Either end of a yard of a square sail.
- The main arm across the mast which holds up the sail. The yardarm is a vulnerable target in combat, and is also a favorite place from which to hang prisoners or enemies. Black Bart hung the governor of Martinique from his yardarm.
A spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fibre used in the rigging of a sailing vessel to carry or support its sail. These include yards, booms, and masts, which serve both to deploy sail and resist compressive and bending forces, as well as the bowsprit and spinnaker pole.
A yard is a spar on a mast from which sails are set. It may be constructed of timber or steel or from more modern materials such as aluminium or carbon fibre.
Yard: a long, tapering pole used to spread the top of a square sail. Moby Dick
beam (also arm): A piece of timber perpendicular to the sides of a ship which supports the deck.
In sailing, a boom is a spar (pole), along the foot of a fore and aft rigged sail, that greatly improves control of the angle and shape of the sail.
bowsprit: The slanted spar at a ship's prow jutting out in front of the ship. It is usually used as a lead connection for a small navigational sail. Fun fact: It was from the bowsprit that Blackbeard's head was hung as a trophy.
A harpoon is a long, spear-like projectile used in fishing, whaling, sealing, and other hunting to shoot, kill, and capture large fish or marine mammals such as seals, sea cows, and whales. It impales the target and secures it with barb or toggling claws, allowing the fishermen or hunters to use an attached rope or chain to pull and retrieve the animal.
Lubber's hole: a hole in the platform at the top of a mast, used by inexperienced sailors to climb up onto the platform. Experienced sailors would climb over the outside edge of the platform
Type of ships
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts of which the fore mast, mainmast, and any additional masts are rigged square, and only the aftmost mast (mizzen in three-masted barques) is rigged fore and aft.
A sailing ship (thuyền buồm) is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel.
craft: (formal) a boat or ship
A full-rigged ship or fully rigged ship is a sailing vessel with a sail plan of three or more masts, all of them square-rigged. Such a vessel is said to have a ship rig or be ship-rigged, with each mast stepped in three segments: lower, top, and topgallant.
A junk (Chinese: 船; pinyin: chuán) is a type of Chinese sailing ship characterized by a central rudder, an overhanging flat transom, watertight bulkheads, and a flat-bottomed design.
Barque: a sailing vessel with three or more masts that has square sails on all but the rearmost mast, and fore-and-aft sails on that one
A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for warfare, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe.
Brig: a two-masted sailing vessel with square sails on both masts
Schooner: a sailing vessel with two or more masts that has fore-and-aft sails on all masts, plus sometimes square sails at the top of the front mast. (On a schooner, the tallest mast is never in front)
A whaleboat is a type of open boat that was used for catching whales, or a boat of similar design that retained the name when used for a different purpose.
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles.
A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant.
A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast.
An aircraft carrier (tàu sân bay hay hàng không mẫu hạm) is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering shipborne aircraft.
An ocean liner is a type of passenger ship primarily used for transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships).[1] The Queen Mary 2 is the only ocean liner still in service to this day, serving with Cunard Line.
Ocean liners vs cruise ship
barge (N.): xà lan, a large boat with a flat bottom, used for carrying goods and people on canals and rivers
Harbour/shore structures
The word dock (from Dutch dok) in American English refers to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore).
A bollard (cọc tiêu) is a sturdy, short, vertical post. The term originally referred to a post on a ship or quay used principally for mooring boats.
A breakwater (đê chắn sóng) is a permanent structure constructed at a coastal area to protect against tides, currents, waves, and storm surges. Breakwaters have been built since antiquity to protect anchorages, helping isolate vessels from marine hazards such as wind-driven waves. A breakwater, also known in some contexts as a jetty or a mole, may be connected to land or freestanding, and may contain a walkway or road for vehicle access.
A wharf (pl. wharves or wharfs), quay, staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locations), and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.
A harbor (cảng, American English), or harbour (Australian English, British English, Canadian English, Irish English, New Zealand English; see spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be moored. The term harbor is often used interchangeably with port, which is a man-made facility built for loading and unloading vessels and dropping off and picking up passengers. Harbors usually include one or more ports. Alexandria Port in Egypt, meanwhile, is an example of a port with two harbors.
moor (v.): to attach a boat, ship, etc. to a fixed object or to the land with a rope, or anchor it
avast: used to tell sailors to stop carrying out a particular action. Word Origin
A mole is a massive structure, usually of stone, used as a pier, breakwater, or a causeway separating two bodies of water.
Actions
heaving down: taking out of the water
Scuttlebutt: a cask used to hold the day's drinking water; information passed at such a place.
"It is impossible to meet a whale-ship on the ocean without being struck by her near appearance. The vessel under short sail, with look-outs at the mast-heads, eagerly scanning the wide expanse around them, has a totally different air from those engaged in a regular voyage."
Currents and Whaling. U. S. Ex. Ex.
Under short sail: with sails partly taken in to reduce wind power
"'Stern all!' exclaimed the mate, as upon turning his head, he saw the distended jaws of a large Sperm Whale close to the head of the boat, threatening it with instant destruction;—'Stern all, for your lives!'"
Wharton the Whale Killer.
Stern all: push forward with the oars, in order to stop the boat
moor: cột thuyền; to attach a boat, ship, etc. to a fixed object or to the land with a rope, or anchor it.
founder: (of a ship) to fill with water and sink
bulwarks (or bulward) the part of a ship's side above the deck.
A pulley (ròng rọc) is a wheel on an axle or shaft enabling a taut cable or belt passing over the wheel to move and change direction, or transfer power between itself and a shaft. A sheave or pulley wheel is a pulley using an axle supported by a frame or shell (block) to guide a cable or exert force.
Binnacle: a built-in housing for the compass on a ship
Scrimshaw is scrollwork, engravings, and carvings done in bone or ivory. Typically it refers to the artwork created by whalers, engraved on the byproducts of whales, such as bones or cartilage. It is most commonly made out of the bones and teeth of sperm whales, the baleen of other whales, and the tusks of walruses.
Spouter: sailor's slang for a whaleship src
Rank & positions
A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship's cargo and deck crew.
skipper: the captain of the ship
A boatswain (/ˈboʊsən/ BOH-sən, formerly and dialectally also /ˈboʊtsweɪn/ BOHT-swayn), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of a ship's hull. The boatswain supervises the other members of the ship's deck department, and typically is not a watchstander, except on vessels with small crews. Additional duties vary depending upon ship, crew, and circumstances.
Watchkeeping or watchstanding is the assignment of sailors to specific roles on a ship to operate it continuously. These assignments, also known at sea as watches, are constantly active as they are considered essential to the safe operation of the vessel and also allow the ship to respond to emergencies and other situations quickly. These watches are divided into work periods to ensure that the roles are always occupied at all times, while those members of the crew who are assigned to work during a watch are known as watchkeepers.
steward: a person whose job is to take care of passengers on a ship, an aircraft or a train and who brings them meals, etc.
A purser is the person on a ship principally responsible for the handling of money on board. On modern merchant ships, the purser is the officer responsible for all administration (including the ship's cargo and passenger manifests) and supply.
A boatswain, bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of a ship's hull.
corsairs: (old use) a pirate
A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who has specific knowledge of an often dangerous or congested waterway, such as harbors or river mouths. Maritime pilots know local details such as depth, currents, and hazards. They board and temporarily join the crew to safely guide the ship's passage, so they must also have expertise in handling ships of all types and sizes. Obtaining the title "maritime pilot" requires being licensed or authorised by a recognised pilotage authority.
Famous ships
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate wooden sailing ship of the line. With 246 years of service as of 2024, she is the world's oldest naval vessel still in commission.
Others related terms
swell: the movement of the sea when it rises and falls without the waves breaking
paddle: a short pole with a flat wide part at one or both ends, that you hold in both hands and use for moving a small boat, especially a canoe, through water.
The hornpipe is any of several dance forms and their associated tunes, played and danced in Great Britain and Ireland and elsewhere from the 16th century until the present day. In MobyDick.