South-wester. A kind of oilskin hat. A gale from the south-west.
Spit brown. To chew tobacco.
Square sennit. A cunning plait which makes a four-square bar.
Staysails. Fore and aft sails set upon the stays between the masts.
Stow. To furl.
Strop (the, putting on). A strop is a grument or rope ring. The two players kneel down facing each other, the strop is placed over their heads, and the men then try to pull each other over by the strength of their neck-muscles.
Swing ports. Iron doors in the ship's side which open outwards to free the decks from water.
Tackle (pronounced "taykel"). Blocks, ropes, pulleys, etc.
Take a caulk. To sleep upon the deck.
Topsails. The second and third sails from the deck on the masts of a modern square-rigged ship are known as the lower and upper topsails.