Chock. A wedge used to secure anything with, or for anything to rest upon. The long boat rests upon two large chocks, when it is stowed.
Chock-a-block. When the lower block of a tackle is run close up to the upper one, so that you can hoist no higher. This is also called hoisting up two-blocks.
Cistern. An apartment in the hold of a vessel, having a pipe leading out through the side, with a cock, by which water may be let into her.
Clamps. Thick planks on the inside of vessels, to support the ends of beams. Also, crooked plates of iron fore-locked upon the trunnions of cannon. Any plate of iron made to turn, open, and shut so as to confine a spar or boom, as, a studdingsail boom, or a boat's mast.
Clasp-hook. (See Clove-hook.)
Cleat. A piece of wood used in different parts of a vessel to belay ropes to.
Clew. The lower corner of square sails, and the after corner of a fore-and-aft sail.
To clew up, is to haul up the clew of a sail.
Clew-garnet. A rope that hauls up the clew of a foresail or mainsail in a square-rigged vessel.
Clewline. A rope that hauls up the clew of a square sail. The clew-garnet is the clewline of a course.