STATIONING A SHIP'S COMPANY. Arranging the crew for the ready execution of the evolutionary duties of a ship.
STATION-POINTER. A circular instrument furnished with one standard radius, and two movable. By laying off two observed angles right and left from a central object, and laying the instrument over the objects on a chart, the position of the observer is instantly fixed.
STATIONS FOR STAYS! Repair to your posts to tack ship.
STAUNCH. A flood-gate crossing a river to keep up a head of water, and, by producing a rush in dry weather, floating the lighters over the adjacent shallows.
STAVE, To. To break a hole in any vessel. Also, to drive in the head of a cask, as of spirits, to prevent the crew from misusing it in case of wreck.—To stave off. To boom off; to push anything off with a pole.
STAVES. Wood prepared for the component parts of a cask. In 1781, staves were ruled not to be a naval store, unless it were shown that the French at Brest were in some peculiar want of casks. Also, the wood of lances, formerly an object of great care, insomuch that Shakspeare makes Richard III. say:—
"Look that my staves be sound, and not too heavy."
STAY. A large strong rope extending from the upper end of each mast towards the stem of the ship, as the shrouds are extended on each side. The object of both is to prevent the masts from springing, when the ship is pitching deep. Thus stays are fore and aft; those which are led down to the vessel's side are backstays.—The fore-stay is that which reaches from the foremast-head towards the bowsprit end.—The main-stay is that which extends to the ship's stem.—The mizen-stay is that which is stretched to a collar on the main-mast, immediately above the quarter-deck.—The fore-topmast stay is that which comes to the end of the bowsprit, a little beyond the fore-stay, on which the fore-topmast staysail runs on hanks.—The main-topmast stay is attached to the hounds of the fore-mast, or comes on deck.—The mizen-topmast stay is that which comes to the hounds of the main-mast. The top-gallant, royal, or any other masts, have each a stay, named after their respective masts.—Spring-stay is a kind of substitute nearly parallel to the principal stay, and intended to help the principal stay to support its mast.—Stay of a steamer. An iron bar between the two knees which secure the paddle-beams. (See [Funnel-stays].)—To stay. To tack, to bring the ship's head up to the wind for going about; hence to miss stays, is to fail in the attempt to go about.—In stays, or hove in stays, is the situation of a vessel when she is staying, or in the act of going about; a vessel in bad trim, or lubberly handled, is sure to be slack in stays, and refuses stays, when she has to wear.
STAY APEEK. When the cable and fore-stay form a line. (See [Apeek].)
STAY-BARS, or Stay-rods. Strong malleable iron bars for supporting the framings of the marine steam-engine.