Sloops of war were sometimes brigs, but then were usually so styled.
Wake. The track left by a vessel's passage through the water. "In the wake of": directly astern of.
Way. Movement through the water. "To get underway": to pass from stand-still to movement.
Wear, to. See under "Tack."
Weather. Relative position to windward of another object. Opposite to Lee. Weather side, lee side, of a vessel; weather fleet, lee fleet; weather gage, lee gage (see "Gage"); weather shore, lee shore.
Weather, to. To pass to windward of a vessel, or of any other object.
Weatherly. The quality of a vessel which favors her getting, or keeping, to windward.
Weigh, to. To raise the anchor from the bottom. Used alone; e.g., "the fleet weighed."
Wheel. So called from its form. The mechanical appliance, a wheel, with several handles for turning it, by which power is increased, and also transmitted from the steersman on deck to the tiller below, in order to steer the vessel.
Wind and Water, between. That part of a vessel's side which comes out of water when she inclines to a strong side wind, but otherwise is under water.