oar—An instrument used in propelling boats by hand. It may be of any length over four or five feet, although, as it is meant to be operated by man power, it must be limited in size so as not to constitute too great a weight. It is made up of a handle, a shaft, and a flat section meant to come in contact with the water. At about one third of the distance from the handle to the end of the blade it rests in a special fitting called an oarlock or a rowlock. By submerging the blade in the water and pulling the handle in a direction at right angles to the length of the oar it tends to propel the boat. It differs from a paddle in that a paddle does not rest in a lock. A sweep is a very large oar, generally operated by several men.
oilskins—Waterproof coats and trousers worn over other clothing at sea.
on soundings—When a ship is in water shallow enough to permit the depth to be easily ascertained by means of the lead she is said to be on soundings. At sea the expression to sound means to learn the depth of the water by means of the lead.
outboard—Board means the side of a vessel; therefore outboard means outside her or beyond the gunwale.
outrigger—A type of small boat common in the East Indies is one made up of a narrow hull kept from overturning by a small timber floating in the water parallel to the hull and made fast to the hull by means of crossbars. This type is known as an outrigger canoe. The outrigger is the small float that keeps the canoe from capsizing. For illustration see page [17].
overboard—Over the side of a ship.
packet—A small passenger or mail boat.
paddle—A kind of oar. In use, however, a paddle uses no leverage except what is offered by the hands of the operator.
paddle-wheel—A large wheel sometimes used by steamboats and on which flat boards are so arranged that when the wheel turns the boards come in contact with the water, thus propelling the boat.
painter—A rope attached to the bow of an open boat, by which the boat may be tied.